Preservation Austin Celebrates 62nd Annual Preservation Merit Awards


AUSTIN, TX — October 11, 2022 — Preservation Austin is delighted to recognize the ambitious, innovative, and community-minded winners of our 62nd Annual Preservation Merit Awards. Our eleven recipients embody a vision for preservation rooted in a shared sense of civic pride, from institutions investing in treasured historic places to grassroots neighborhood advocacy and heritage-based educational programming. 

Established in 1960, this juried program celebrates the hard work and visionary approaches of those preserving Austin’s architectural, cultural, and environmental heritage. “Our 2022 award recipients speak to Austin’s diverse past and inspiring present,” says Lindsey Derrington, Preservation Austin’s Executive Director. “We have the privilege of sharing these projects with our community to advance our shared understanding of the places that have shaped Austin’s culture and history, and of the people whose advocacy and research continues to bring this heritage to life.”

From the grandstand rehabilitation at East Austin’s legendary Downs Field, to the meticulous care taken to restore the historic brick facade at Luther Hall, these projects put the possibilities of preservation on full display. The Special Recognition Awards honor the likes of Oakwood Cemetery Chapel and the Neill-Cochran House Museum for their incredible public service and educational accomplishments. 

Preservation Austin brings together professionals from the preservation, design, and nonprofit worlds to serve on its jury each year and to select exemplary projects with community impact. The 2022 Preservation Merits Awards Jury included:

  • Bradley Wilson, Architectural Designer, Classic Constructors

  • Brit Barr, Preservation Architect, Texas Historical Commission

  • Jennifer Carpenter, Historic Preservation Specialist, Texas Department of Transportation

  • Sarah Burleson, Assistant Director of Development, Donor Engagement, and Events, Blanton Museum of Art

  • Virginia Cumberbatch, Racial Justice Educator and Co-founder, Rosa Rebellion

Recipients will be honored at our Preservation Merit Awards Celebration at Waterloo Greenway Conservancy’s historic Symphony Square on Thursday, December 1 from 6 pm to 8 pm. This cocktail reception is one of Preservation Austin’s most engaging fundraisers and helps sustain our nonprofit’s advocacy and educational programming. 


2022 Preservation Merit Award Winners

BLUEBONNET HOUSE
Recipient: Nick and Brianna Adams
Preservation Award for Rehabilitation
Project by Dick Clark + Associates and Josh Speck Construction

DOWNS FIELD
Recipient: Austin Parks and Recreation Department
Preservation Award for Rehabilitation
Project by Brown & Root Industrial Services

HASKELL HOUSE
Recipient: Austin Parks and Recreation Department
Preservation Award for Rehabilitation
Project by Phoenix I Restoration & Construction and Empire Roofing

LUTHER HALL
Recipient: Texas Historical Commission
Preservation Award for Restoration
Project by Texas Historical Commission and Western Specialty Contractors

THERESA PASSIVE HOUSE
Recipient: Trey Farmer
Preservation Award for Sustainability
Project by Forge Craft Architecture & Design, Hugh Jefferson Randolph Architects, and Clean Tag LLC

THE HANGAR
Recipient: Lamar Takeoff LLC/Garden 17
Stewardship Award

CAROLINE WRIGHT
Special Recognition for Public Service

MARY REED
Special Recognition for Public Service

NEILL-COCHRAN HOUSE MUSEUM
Special Recognition for Education: The Austin Slave Quarters Experience: A Weekend for Community

AUSTIN PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT – OAKWOOD CEMETERY CHAPEL
Special Recognition for Education: “To Relate” Educational Exhibit

AUSTIN PARKS AND RECREATION HISTORIC PRESERVATION & TOURISM PROGRAM – PARQUE ZARAGOZA
Special Recognition for Education: Parque Zaragoza: Communidad, Cultura, y Resiliencia Documentary Film


Preservation Austin exists to empower Austinites to shape a more inclusive, resilient, and meaningful community culture through preservation. Support this work by donating or becoming a member today.

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