Heritage Awards Celebrates Achievements in Preservation

May 12, 2023 – Sarasota

At the Sarasota Alliance for Historic Preservation’s (SAHP) 2023 Heritage Awards, which were held on May 6 at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, presenter John McCarthy expressed how the awards celebration highlighted a wide range of projects to research, restore and preserve historical treasures county-wide.  McCarthy, who serves as the vice president for regional history for Marie Selby Botanical Gardens is well known in the area for his historical tours and programs. 

At the event, McCarthy presented Anne Essner, the board president of Architecture Sarasota, the first place award for Adaptive Reuse for The McCulloch Pavilion. The building serves as the headquarters for Architecture Sarasota. Built in 1960 by architects William Rupp and Joseph Farrell, it was originally called the Scott Building. The building had fallen into disrepair when the newly founded Center for Architecture Sarasota approached the county in 2013 with the idea of restoring this important building through adaptive reuse to serve as an exhibition and education center. A partnership with the University of Florida School of Architecture was established, funds were raised and sensitive adaptive reuse of the building, led by Guy Peterson, FAIA, in consultation with Joseph Farrell began. The renovated Scott Building reopened as The McCulloch Pavilion in 2015.

Lorrie Muldowney, the president of SAHP and chairperson of the Heritage Awards committee, says that the adaptive reuse of The McCulloch Pavilion was identified as an outstanding project by members of the awards committee because it was “a community-based project that engaged scores of craftsman who donated their goods and services and because Architecture Sarasota gives back to the community by providing a public space where citizens can learn about Sarasota’s rich  architectural heritage and participate in conversations about the importance of continuing this legacy of excellence. 

Runners up for the Adaptive Reuse award were Sarasota Waterworks (Citation of Merit) and the Caldwell Trust Building at 27 South Orange Avenue (Honorable Mention).

(A list of all awards recipients is provided below.)

At the event, David Baber, vice president of the Sarasota Alliance for Historic Preservation, gave a $4,000 check to Pastor Ashley Nicolls of St. Paul Lutheran Church for the restoration of the church’s education building designed by architect Victor Lundy and built in 1962. 

 The event was presented in collaboration with the History and Preservation Coalition of Sarasota County, which is comprised of over 15 nonprofit and government entities committed to historic preservation and education. Major event sponsors included Hall Darling Design Studio, Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation, SAHP board members, Gulf Coast Community Foundation, and Architecture Sarasota.

Muldowney explains that the Heritage Awards program was developed in 2014 “to recognize individuals and organizations that have made outstanding contributions to the preservation and understanding of Sarasota County’s historical resources. These activities are important to lend public support to governmental and citizen-based efforts that preserve our common past so future generations can enjoy what is so unique and beautiful about Sarasota County.” 

This year’s winners represented achievements in the areas of architecture, historic preservation, collections management, archaeological conservancy, and organizational and individual achievement. 

The 2023 Heritage Award recipients:

Gregory and Eleana Najmy Hall Adaptive Re-Use

• First Place Winner: The McCulloch Pavilion, Architecture Sarasota, 265 South Orange Avenue, Sarasota. 
• Citation of Merit: Sarasota Waterworks, 1005 Orange Avenue North, Sarasota.
• Honorable Mention: Caldwell Trust Building, 27 South Orange Avenue, Sarasota.

Gregory and Eleana Najmy Hall Historic Rehabilitation

• The Eagle House, 2516 Mulberry Terrace, Sarasota, Florida.

Historical Research

• US Modernist (Modernist Archive, Inc.), Durham, North Carolina.

Historic Collections Preservation

• Ana McGrath, MLIS, Jane Bancroft Cook Library, New College, Sarasota.

Lillian Burns Individual Achievement

• First Place Winner:  Don Bayley, Englewood, Florida.
• Distinguished Service: Harold Bubil, Punta Gorda, Florida.
• Honorable Mention: Becky Ayech, Old Miakka, Florida.

Organizational Achievement

• First Place Winner: Venice Area Historical Society, Venice.
• Special Recognition: Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, Sarasota & Osprey.
• Honorable Mention: Denise Kowal and Avenida De Colores (Chalk Festival), Sarasota.

Archeological Conservancy

• Time Sifters Archeological Society, Sarasota.

The Heritage Awards committee is comprised of professionals in the fields of architecture, historic preservation, real estate development, archaeology, history and collections management who deliberated over the awards submissions before making their final selections.

The Sarasota Alliance for Historic Preservation, Inc., is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to “Preserve and Enhance our Historic Places.”  SAHP was incorporated in 1985 in an attempt to save architect Dwight Baum’s El Vernona Hotel in downtown Sarasota. The Alliance, a membership-driven organization, is comprised of more than 500 residents, visitors, artists, architects, engineers, historians, builders, archaeologists, Realtors, planners, designers, and writers working together to preserve and encourage others to preserve – not only the remaining significant landmarks – but also the contributing structures that define Sarasota County. For more information, visit www.PreserveSRQ.org.