2021 Preservation Awards
Each year, Historic Wilmington Foundation honors the very special people enacting our mission through exemplary preservation efforts through adaptive reuse, rehabilitation, and restoration.
(Want to peruse our past Preservation Awards recipients? CLICK HERE to view our 2020 winners, and CLICK HERE for 2019!)
On May 20, the Historic Wilmington Foundation honored the winners of our 2021 Preservation Awards at Hi-Wire Brewing—a winner in the Adaptive Reuse category!
To the right, you may peruse a gallery of photos from the event, taken by volunteer Cody Lee Aulidge (codyleeaulidge.com).
To view captions, click on the image, and the gallery will expand into a slideshow, including the caption text at the bottom.
ADAPTIVE REUSE
definition: a building that has been preserved and revamped for a purpose other than its intended original use
Padgett Station (former Neuwirth Building, 520 North 3rd Street)
Cape Fear Public Transportation Authority – Wave Transit
WAVE Transit completed an adaptive reuse project of the 1946 Neuwirth Brothers Motor Company building into Padgett Station. Construction was completed by Montieth Construction Company and John Farabow served as the project architect.
Common Desk (former Gaylord Building, 226 North Front Street)
East West Partners & Common Desk
East West Partners completed an adaptive reuse project of the 1900 Gaylord Building, formerly the Big Racket Department Store, and later Belk-Williams Store, into Common Desk – Wilmington.
Monteith Construction Company performed the work, with old-growth wood being donated to Legacy Architectural Salvage.
Hi-Wire Brewing (former Buick Oldsmobile Dealership, 1020 Princess Street)
Andrew Hewitt, Paramount Real Estate & Development
Paramount Real Estate & Development completed an adaptive reuse project of the 1945 Buick Oldsmobile Dealership into commercial space now occupied by Hi-Wire Brewing.
The building was designed by MW Williard, Matt Williard, and Sexton Coastal Construction served as the contractors.
REHABILITATION
definition: a building that has been fixed up with a respectful nod to history yet not necessarily faithfully restored
205 East Leonard Street
Carol J. Bailey
Homeowner Carol Bailey thoroughly researched the history of this home, and became friends with the previous occupants during the home’s rehabilitation.
Completed by general contractor Steve Carr, the rehabilitation included preservation of the heart-pine floors, moldings, and adaptive reuse of the second-story dormer into a library. CLICK HERE to read a magazine article about the renovation of Southport’s Dosher-Hardee House (205 East Leonard Street)!
Solomon Building: 1 South Front Street
James Goodnight, Dean Neff, Maurer Architecture, and Old School Rebuilder & Co.
This building, designed by Henry Bonitz, now houses Seabird Restaurant. In rehabilitating the structure, the project team recreated an authentic look, including matching the storefront windows with a 1920s picture of the building’s facade.
The project team included building owner James Goodnight, tenant Dean Neff, Maurer Architecture, interior design by Smith Hanes Studio, Cheatham Engineers, and construction by Old School Rebuilders.
701 South 2nd Street
Charles Franklin Alexander III
The rehabilitation of this home was designed by the owner, Charles Franklin Alexander III, and the construction was completed by Mickey Webb. Exterior features such as the windows, siding, and doors were preserved.
RESTORATION
definition: a building that’s exterior has been brought back to its original glory, with great effort taken to replicate use of materials employed at the time of construction
714 Market Street
Jeff & Ashley Walton
Homeowners Jeff and Ashley Walton voluntarily applied the Secretary of Interior’s Standards and Wilmington’s Design Standards for Local Historic Districts and Landmarks on the restoration of their home, which used the state historic preservation tax credits.
Restoration highlights include the creation of a custom, copper finial for the home’s turret, restoration of cedar lap siding and cedar shake, and reinstallation of a period stained glass window in the attic gable.
610 Dock Street
John & Shameem Ravelli
Homeowners John and Shameem Ravelli performed much of this restoration on their own, including a restoration of the horse-hair plaster and oak floors.
The couple restored original doors with period-appropriate hardware, removed dropped-ceilings to expose beadboard, and documented traces of original wallpaper.
302 South 3rd Street
Dale & Pat Nixon and Intracoastal Roofing & Construction
After completing the initial restoration of the Barry House, the building’s metal roof failed during Hurricane Florence.
Homeowner’s Dale and Pat Nixon engaged Intracoastal Roofing and Construction to complete a full restoration of the copper, standing-seam roof, which was fabricated and installed on-site, by hand, using similar methods and tools from 150 years ago.
DAVID BRINKLEY AWARD
The David Brinkley Award honors extraordinary preservation work of large scale, scope, and effort.
Public Archaeology Corps
The Public Archaeology Corps (PAC) is an advocate for the protection and preservation of archaeological resources in the Lower Cape Fear. As a non-profit organization, PAC members include professional archaeologists, historians, and private citizens. PAC volunteers excavate privately-owned sites, allowing untrained members of the community to directly participate in the preservation of our past. Past projects include the location of the Rock Spring before construction of River Place, an excavation of the Knights of Pythias Building on Princess Street, and an ongoing excavation at 10 S Front Street.
Public Archaeology Corps is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization consisting of professional archaeologists, historians, and private citizens united in their concern over the rapid loss of archaeological sites. Under the direction of professional archaeologists, PAC volunteers excavate privately-owned sites, allowing untrained members of the community to directly participate in the preservation of our past! To learn more about their projects and volunteer opportunities, click here.
AWARD OF MERIT
The Award of Merit honors an entity or endeavor that is not a piece of built history (i.e., a film, event, or website).
Bobby Farrar
Bobby Farrar’s exceptional craftsmanship helped preserve many historic buildings in the Lower Cape Fear region, including the Lazarus-Divine-Hill House, Brink-Goodman House, and Rush-Stelijes Store.
George W. Edwards Award
The George W. Edwards Award honors a volunteer, intern, or staff member demonstrating exemplary integrity and commitment on behalf of local preservation.
Don Helms
Much of Legacy Architectural Salvage’s success can be attributed to the dedication of Don Helms, the husband of LAS’s manager, Deb Helms. In addition to leading the workshop at LAS, Don volunteers at nearly every deconstruction that LAS performs on historic buildings in the Lower Cape Fear. Often, Don may be found in the Legacy Architectural Salvage warehouse, relegating the provenance of a piece of architectural salvage to a customer or educating the public about old-growth wood. Whenever an opportunity arises to grow LAS’s operations, Don Helms is at the forefront, ready to work tirelessly for the preservation of our region’s built history. Always, Don brings humor and joy to all who volunteer or shop at Legacy Architectural Salvage. We thank Don Helms for his tireless work, unwavering commitment, and steadfast support of Deb’s endeavors and the Historic Wilmington Foundation’s mission.
