Lewes Historical Society to Honor Four, April 8th

The Lewes Historical Society is set to honor four outstanding preservationists this year at the Lewes Historic Preservation Awards Luncheon, sponsored by Burton Builders. Ms. Kim Burdick, an award-winning public historian, will offer remarks regarding the importance of historic preservation at the award luncheon.

The awards luncheon begins at 12:00pm on, Friday, April 8, at Irish Eyes Pub & Restaurant in the second floor banquet room.  Tickets are $25 per person.  Reservations are required by Wednesday, April 6. Call 302-645-7670, or purchase tickets online at www.HistoricLewes.org.

The four honorees have made an indelible impact on the Lewes community by enhancing the town through preservation and thoughtful design and services.

Jack Vessels: Community Service Award Winner

Jack Vessels is the visionary and master carpenter behind Shipcarpenter Square, a unique preservation neighborhood in the heart of Lewes’s historic district.  Jack was also responsible for restoration of the Fisher-Martin House, home of the Lewes Chamber of Commerce on Kings Highway, for moving in his great grandfather’s farmhouse from to Lewes to Third Street.  Many Lewes homes bear signs of his work including 227 Second Street, known as the Primrose House.

Stephanie & Barry Boright: Restoration Award Winner for 344 Pilottown Road

Formerly the home of local newspaper columnist Marjorie Virden, 344 Pilottown Road has been lovingly and graciously restored.  The Borights are looking forward to finishing the one touch they have not yet completed: restoring the intricate porch trim.  Previously, the Borights also restored 311 Mulberry Street.

 
Meredith Lewis Thomas: Restoration Award Winner for 219 Grey Plover Court

Known locally as the Basil Clare House, this early Lewes dwelling has had a colorful history. First built at the corner of Savannah Road and West Fourth Street, moved to Lewes Beach at Anglers Road and Market Street, the house was moved yet again just a bit down Anglers Road, where it has been beautifully restored with attention to detail: the original iron hinges still swing open centuries-old cabinet doors.

 
Tommy & Mary Smith: New Construction Award Winner for 128 Gills Neck Road

This award-winning new construction blends almost seamlessly into the row of Victorians fronting the canal on Gills Neck Road.  A sensitive new design by architectural designer Brenda Jones and constructed by Camenisch & Co., this new addition to Lewes’s skyline recalls a quieter Lewes of the late 19th century.
“Done correctly, historic preservation isn’t necessarily about the preservation of one building, but rather a community and its context, and it should lead to thriving local business and a sustainable way of life,” Society Executive Director Mike DiPaolo noted. “Lewes is often held up nationally as an example of what a community can do when it both cares about its past and puts it mind to the task. The Society feels we need to honor those who have acted so faithfully as stewards of our heritage.”

Lewes has been recognized by the White House as a Preserve America Community and by the National Trust for Historic Preservation as one of America’s Dozen Distinctive Destinations for its embrace of preservation, its strong local business community and its’ walkable neighborhood pattern.

The Society hosts educational programs and exhibits throughout the year and generates approximately $8 million for the local economy by attracting tens of thousands of visitors to its museums, tours, events and programs. The Society has restored and maintains 13 historic properties and hundreds of thousands of artifacts, photographs and archival materials to function as the memory of Lewes.

For more information and to make reservations for the Lewes Historic Preservation Awards Luncheon, call 302-645-7670 or visit www.HistoricLewes.org.