Contact: Jennifer Goodman
603-224-2281 or jg@nhpreservation.org.
or Jeanie Forrester 603-279-9015, jlf@worldpath.net

The Town of Meredith wins 2008 Preservation Alliance Achievement Award

CONCORD, N.H. – The Town of Meredith was one of 13 winners for outstanding preservation achievement at the New Hampshire Preservation Alliance’s annual celebration on May 13. The award recognized the Town of Meredith for outstanding public policy, education and planning, and noted the Greater Meredith Program and Latchkey Charities as key partners.

The awards committee emphasized that a very strong public/private partnership and a unique group of positive-thinking people have been critical to Meredith’s success. Planning and promotion tools are grounded in an understanding, and appreciation of, the community’s historic and visual assets. “For decades, civic leaders have anticipated change and proactively steered it in a positive direction,” said Etoile Holzaepfel, Preservation Alliance board member, in the presentation of the award.

Examples of innovative and effective programs emphasized by the Preservation Alliance were the Town’s town-wide design guidelines that emphasize traditional building and land use forms, its embrace of context-sensitive transportation initiatives, and the collaborative investment in critical anchor properties by private developers, Latchkey Charities, the Greater Meredith Program and the Town.

While the work of town committees and commissions are frequently cited in Preservation Alliance awards, the award to the Town of Meredith represents only the second time in the history of the Alliance’s 19-year old award program that municipal leadership was recognized. The City of Manchester received an award in 2001 that highlighted the policies and investment of the City and its partners that resulted in increased revitalization activity along the main street and millyard district.
Seven other restoration and renovation projects and one new construction project won awards, and three education, policy and planning initiatives and two leaders in historic preservation activity were also honored.

“The annual awards program recognizes outstanding achievement and seeks to inspire others,” said John Merkle, N.H. Preservation Alliance’s chairman. “This type of preservation activity is critical to the character of the state’s communities and economic vitality,” he added.

"We hope that the creativity, persistence and high professional standards embodied in
these projects, organizations and individuals will serve as models and inspiration to
others," said Jennifer Goodman, executive director of the Preservation Alliance.
Since 1989, the Preservation Achievement Awards have recognized outstanding construction projects, as well as individuals and groups, for their contributions to the state's preservation movement. The awards were announced on May 13th at the N.H. Historical Society's Tuck Library in Concord.
Award program sponsors include Sheehan, Phinney, Bass + Green; Bruss Construction, Inc.; CMK Architects; The Common Man; Hutter Construction Corporation; Jewett Construction, Inc.; Nathan Wechsler & Co.; PA, Riverstone Resources LLC; Samyn-D'Elia Architects, PA; Selectwood; Sheerr McCrystal Palson Architecture; and TMS Architects.

The New Hampshire Preservation Alliance is the statewide membership organization dedicated to preserving historic buildings, communities and landscapes through leadership, education and advocacy. Current priorities include providing assistance to community leaders and promoting the use of easements, barn preservation and tax incentives.

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