Outstanding preservation advocates and exemplary historic properties will be honored by the Foundation for Historical Louisiana (FHL) at the 2009 Preservation Awards Banquet at the organization’s 33rd annual ceremony on Thursday, July 30, in Baton Rouge.
The festive event honors individuals or organizations for their outstanding dedication to Louisiana’s historic, architectural, and cultural heritage. The certificate reads, “Making the past known and useful to the present.”
...continuted below Photo Gallery...
Maury Drummond is being honored for his many years of stewardship of the USS Kidd, a national historic landmark, and his long-standing efforts to promote heritage tourism in the capital city. Drummond has played an integral role in securing visits from other historic vessels to Baton Rouge, and has produced the Baton Rouge’s Fourth of July celebration, the Star Star-Spangled Celebration, since 1987. In the past, he has served as president of both the Historic Naval Ships Association and the Louisiana Attractions Association. His awards include Marketer of the Year from the Sales & Marketing Executives International (1993), a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Baton Rouge Area Hospitality & Sales Association (2003) and the Casper J. Knight Award from the Historic Naval Ships Association (2004), which is the highest honor given by the association and recognizes outstanding service to the preservation of historic ships. Thanks in part to Drummond’s efforts, the USS Kidd has become one of the most popular attractions for visitors to Louisiana and has been ranked among the top ten destinations for military reunions at various times since it took the No. 1 spot in 1991.
Danny McGlynn is also receiving an FHL preservation award for his early investment in historic buildings in downtown Baton Rouge and his belief that preservation is all about economic development. McGlynn has saved buildings such as the Old Baton Rouge Bank Building and the Old Piccadilly Building, both on Third Street, the Old Varsity Shop on Florida Blvd., and several houses in Beauregard Town. He also restored the Old Griffons Drug Store and Firestone Gas Station which date back to 1857 and was awarded the Good Growth award for that restoration. McGlynn lends his time and expertise to organizations dedicated to preservation by serving on The Baton Rouge Area Convention and Visitors Bureau Board as the representative of the Foundation for Historical Louisiana, and the Board of the Mid City Redevelopment Alliance.
Three generations of the McMains Family will be honored by FHL for their efforts on behalf of historic preservation in the Downtown Development District and Beauregard Town Historic District. They are known for their volunteerism and philanthropy towards preserving our heritage and unique places in our city. The Mcmains family has a multi-generational history with the building record of Baton Rouge. The father of Ann McMains, J.C. Greer opened his insurance company in the city’s first high-rise, The Roumain Building. The family’s commitment to downtown and history continues through their restoration and maintenance of the Fuqua Hardware Building on the corner of Third and Laurel. This project was one of the earlier efforts to leverage state and federal historic tax credits to preserve significant architecture. The project, overseen by the son of Dr. Frank and Ann McMains, Jay McMains converted an abandoned three story commercial site into offices and lofts. Their son, Ty McMains, served as general counsel to the Baton Rouge Area Foundation for several years. During his tenure much of the groundwork for the rehabilitation of the Capitol House Hotel was undertaken.
The family has partnered with First United Methodist Church to restore the Bailey House on North Boulevard for use as a spiritual development center. They contributed funds for the Ann Maxwell Greer Library at the Nicholson School in mid-city, an edifice recognized along with Baton Rouge High School and the Dufrocq School as a significant example of early public architecture in our city. The McMains family also joined with the Louisiana Arts and Science Museum located in the former Yazoo and Mississippi Valley train station to establish the Richard Orion McMains Memorial to encourage science education among the children of Louisiana. Dr. Frank McMains converted a former A&P grocery store into a center for disabled children in 1957. This center has since moved to a facility on College Drive and now bears the name, The McMains Children’s Developmental Center. Grandson, Frank McMains III, restored several houses in Beauregard Town dating from 1870 to 1920 as well as a 19th century commercial storefront on Laurel Street. He was recognized for his work with an Award of Merit from the Louisiana Preservation Alliance. Mary McMains, mother of Frank III, and wife of son Chuck was a docent at Magnolia Mound Plantation on Nicholson Drive. She is now putting her skills as a Master Gardener cultivating the period kitchen garden. The family also owns and maintains the Robert Penn Warren Cabin, built by the former Poet Laureate in the 1930’s when he was a professor at LSU. Son, Chuck McMains has been active in the preservation of historic memorabilia relating to the 7th Mississippi Infantry, a unit in which an ancestor served. Of new note is the newly restored and displayed battle flag of this civil war regiment. The McMains family’s commitment to historic preservation ranges nationally as well. The family has supported the LRCE Williamsburg Project, a program that draws on the resources present at Colonial Williamsburg to educate Louisiana teachers about that rich portion of our nation’s history.
Dorcas Brown, publisher of Country Roads Magazine, a publication known for its editorial and advertising content that celebrates this areas unique culture, architecture, and history will also be a recipient of the prestigious FHL award. Dorcas Brown started her professional career in 1983 when she founded Country Roads, the magazine. From her home north of St. Francisville, she published a small magazine that covered the country roads of her region: Natchez, Woodville, St. Francisville, Jackson and Clinton. It began with a calendar of events and articles about interesting historical attractions, recipes, and bed & breakfasts. She was joined in 1995 by her daughter and son-in-law, Ashley and James Fox-Smith. Her community associations include serving on the original Subdivision Committee for the West Feliciana Parish Police Jury. She presently serves on the board of directors for the West Feliciana Historical Society, is chairman of the board of the St. Francisville Area Foundation, was a charter member and past president of St. Francisville Rotary Club, and was chairman of the Growth Management Task Force in West Feliciana, a citizens committee.
FHL will honor Michael F. Holly, AIA, and Jeffrey K. Smith, AIA , two partner architects who professionally and personally have furthered the tenets of historic preservation and architectural practice that is sensitive to our treasured built environment. Holly and Smith, principals of Holly & Smith Architects of Hammond La., have played an integral role in revitalizing and restoring historic downtown Hammond, an area now nationally recognized as an exemplary example of a rejuvenated downtown district. Holly and Smith were active in this districts restoration from the very beginning by helping to craft the area’s master plan in the 1980s. Since then, their firm has restored more than 35 historic buildings in downtown Hammond including the celebrated Colombia Theatre. Holly and Smith have also personally purchased and renovated their own historic buildings such as the Morgan and Lindsey Building which was recognized with a Main Street Award for Best Adaptive Reuse. Holly and Smith have both served as chairmen of the Historic District Commission and lend their time and expertise to other organizations that promote historic preservation.
David Madden, a novelist and short story writer, essayist, editor, and teacher, will be recognized by FHL. Mr. Madden created the U. S. Civil War Center at LSU now under the auspices of Hill Memorial Library. Madden discovered a need to centralize Civil War research while writing his most recent book Sharpshooter, which focuses on the American Civil War. The Center facilitates the preservation, research and study of Civil War documents and artifacts. Madden was nominated for a Pulitzer Price for Sharpshooter, as well as for his book The Suicide’s Wife. Madden has been a faculty member in various capacities at LSU for over 30 years including a professor, Director of the Creative Writing Program, and Director of the U.S. Civil War Center. Madden currently represents Louisiana on the National Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission and serves as the Chairman of the Louisiana Bicentennial Commission.
A Phoenix Award will be given by FHL to husband and wife Alan Caspi and Bryce Reveley for rescuing and preserving a River Road landmark, Belle Alliance Plantation. Belle Alliance, which once boasted 7,000 acres of sugar cane, was the largest bayou sugar cane plantation house until 1915. The plantation house, designed by famed architect Henry Howard in 1846 for the Kock and McCall families, is an exemplary model of Greek revival architecture. Today, the 15,000 sq. ft. home is completely restored and decorated with period furniture. The Belle Alliance Plantation is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Thanks to the painstaking research and accurate restoration by Caspi and Reveley, Belle Alliance is available for lectures, private events, and other public and private bookings.
Brace Godfrey, John Schneider, and Buddy Leach of Cyntreniks will be honored with the Bricks and Mortar Award for bringing back to life the Kress, Welsh-Levy, and Knox buildings on Third Street. Baton Rougeans will remember that the fate of these buildings was threatened not too many years ago. A demolition permit had been applied for by the current owner. The $18 million redevelopment of the once popular shopping district created 65,000 square feet of residential, retail and office space. In addition to the architectural value of the Victorian and Edwardian era buildings, the Kress was also the site of a 1960s lunch counter sit-in which yielded progressive civil rights changes and as such is on national importance to African-American history. All three buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Both federal and state historic preservation tax credits were used in the adaptive restoration of the three structures and the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Restoration were followed meticulously for what has been described as an award winning “comeback.”
The award banquet is Thursday evening, July 30, at the City Club of Baton Rouge. Cocktails and cash bar begin at 6 p.m.; seated dinner will be served at 7 p.m. The cost is $65 for FHL members and $75 for guests/non-members. A reserved seating sponsorship for two is $250 and reserved underwriter table for eight is $550. Reservations may also be made at http://www.blacktie-louisiana.com/. Cocktail attire.
The Foundation’s Preservation Awards Committee is chaired by Lenore Feeney, FHL Chair Emeritus. Serving on the 2009 committee are David Norwood, Darryl Gissel, Melanie Hanley, Michele Deshotels, Mark Upton, Sylvia Duke, and Carolyn Bennett.
