Press Release
June 9, 2017
Contact: Melvena Heisch
State Historic Preservation Office, Oklahoma Historical Society
Office: 405-522-4484
mheisch@okhistory.org
www.okhistory.org/shpo
SHPO Presents 2017 Citations of Merit
OKLAHOMA CITY — On Thursday, June 8, the Oklahoma Historical Society’s State Historic Preservation Office presented its 2017 Citations of Merit during a banquet at the Oklahoma History Center. The banquet was a highlight of Preservation Future Tense: Oklahoma's 29th Annual Statewide Preservation Conference, held June 7–9 in Oklahoma City.
Thirty-nine citations were presented for accomplishments in 17 Oklahoma communities from Altus to Bartlesville and Durant to Guymon. The award recognizes efforts to preserve Oklahoma's historic properties through restoration, rehabilitation, research, planning, public programming and other activities. The 2017 recipients of the SHPO’s Citations of Merit and their accomplishments include:
Altus
- Museum of the Western Prairie; Preservation Oklahoma, Inc.; Southern Prairie Library System; and Western Trail Historical Society for sponsorship of Tombstone Restoration Workshops and Presentations conducted by Tombstone Conservator Jonathan Appell.
Bartlesville
- McCoy Building, LLC and Keleher Architects for rehabilitation of the McCoy Building, located in the Bartlesville Downtown Historic District.
- Bartlesville 125, LLC; Lilly Architects; and Rosin Preservation, LLC for rehabilitation of the Sharp’s Pawn Shop, located in the Bartlesville Downtown Historic District.
Durant
- DH Housing Limited Partnership; Strategic Realty; The Hill firm; Big Five Community Services, Inc.; and Mike Kertok, Architect for rehabilitation of the Bryan Hotel, located in the Durant Downtown Historic District.
Enid
- Cherokee Terrace, LP and Rosin Preservation, LLC for rehabilitation of Enid’s historic Cherokee Terrace Apartments.
- Main Street Enid, Inc.; the City of Enid; Visit Enid; Park Avenue Thrift; and Wymer Brownlee for sponsorship of Preservation is Golden: Oklahoma’s 28th Annual Statewide Preservation Conference, held June 1–3, 2016, in Enid.
Fort Sill
- Fort Sill for rehabilitation of the Fort Sill Artillery Bowl, a WPA-constructed stadium for formal ceremonies and entertainment and recreational events.
Foyil
- David and Patsy Anderson, Margo Hoover and Erin Turner for the historic Ed Galloway Totem Pole Park preservation project.
Guymon
- Dale Housing Partners, LP and Preservation and Design Studio for rehabilitation of downtown Guymon’s historic Hotel Dale.
Muskogee
- Jonita Mullins for publication of “The Jefferson Highway in Oklahoma: The Historic Osage Trace.”
- Muskogee Historic Preservation Commission and Okie Heritage for publication of "Muskogee’s Colorful History" coloring book.
- Muskogee Arts District Homes, LP and Preservation and Design Studio for rehabilitation of Muskogee’s Severs Block, located in the Pre-Statehood Commercial District.
Noble
- Richard Drass for his career of service in the study and protection of Oklahoma’s archaeological heritage.
Norman
- Robert Bartlett for his career of service in the study and preservation of Oklahoma’s archaeological heritage.
- Marjorie Duncan for her career of service in the study and protection of Oklahoma’s archaeological heritage.
Oklahoma City
- Uptown Redevelopment Group, LLC and Preservation and Design Studio for The 424 rehabilitation project, located in Oklahoma City’s Jefferson Park Historic District.
- Midtown-1100 Broadway, LLC; Fitzsimmons Architects; and Preservation and Design Studio for rehabilitation of the Chieftain Pontiac Building in Oklahoma City’s Automobile Alley Historic District.
- Greater Mount Olive Baptist Church, Noble Jackson, Linda Tillman and the University of Oklahoma’s Fall 2015 Historic Buildings of Oklahoma/Historic Preservation Planning Class for documenting and sharing the history of Oklahoma City’s historic John Sinopoulo House (Sundial).
- Lindsey Deatsch for her volunteer service to maintain the Oklahoma Annual Statewide Preservation Conference blog.
- Susan Allen Kline (formerly of Oklahoma City, now of Fort Worth, Texas) for her research and publications contributing to the preservation of historic properties in Oklahoma.
- Land Run Commercial Real Estate; 23rd Street Equity LLC; Pump Libations LLC; Chris Lower and Kathryn Mathis; TAP Architecture; David Ledbetter; Sam Gresham; and Jeluxa Construction for their redevelopment of Oklahoma City’s Northwest 23rd Street.
- Midtown Renaissance for requesting City of Oklahoma City historic landmark status for the Marion Hotel, located in the Automobile Alley Historic District.
- Elise Kilpatrick for requesting City of Oklahoma City historic landmark status for the Milk Bottle Grocery on North Classen.
- Teresa A. Rendon for rehabilitation of 720 Northeast 15th Street in Oklahoma City’s Lincoln Terrace East Historic District.
- 21c OKC, LLC; Hornbeek-Blatt Architects; and Rosin Preservation, LLC for the adaptive reuse of the historic Oklahoma City Ford Motor Company Assembly Plant as the 21c Museum Hotel at 900 West Main Street.
- Oklahoma City Metropolitan Association of Realtors and the City of Oklahoma City Planning Department for providing training and continuing education credit opportunities in historic preservation for real estate professionals.
- Sieber Holdings LLC for requesting City of Oklahoma City historic landmark status for the Sieber Grocery and Apartment Hotel on North Hudson.
Okmulgee
- Park on the Square, LLC; Ron Drake Consulting; and J Square Construction for rehabilitation of the Parkinson Trent and Company Building, located in the Okmulgee Downtown Historic District.
Ponca City
- United States Postal Service; GH2 Architects LLC; and Ed A. Wilson, Inc. for the exemplary window replacement project for the historic United States Post Office in Ponca City.
Sand Springs
- City of Sand Springs; Sand Springs Cultural and Historical Museum; GH2 Architects, LLC; and VOY Construction for the exterior rehabilitation of the historic Page Memorial Library, now home of the Sand Springs Cultural and Historical Museum.
Shawnee
- Historic Shawnee Alliance, Inc. for leadership and public educational programming that contribute to the preservation of Shawnee’s historic built environment.
Sulphur
- Cheri Killam-Bomhard and Ken Ruhnke, Chickasaw National Recreation Area, and Spring 2016 Environmental Design Capstone Class, Environmental Design Program, OU College of Architecture for collaboration on the design of the historic Panther Falls Comfort Station and the Cold Springs Campground upgrade project in the Chickasaw National Recreation Area.
Tulsa
- Larson Development; Rosin Preservation, LLC; and Walter Parks Architect for rehabilitation of Tulsa’s Bill White Chevrolet Complex, located in the Blue Dome Historic District.
- Universal Ford Building, LLC; Lilly Architects; and Cathy Ambler (posthumous) for rehabilitation of Tulsa’s E. L. Fox Building and Fox Block, located in the Brady Historic District.
- IH Landlord, LLC; Rosin Preservation, LLC; and Selser Schaefer Architects for rehabilitation of Tulsa’s International Harvester Building, located in the Blue Dome Historic District.
- Pershing Project, LLC and Sikes Abernathie Architects for rehabilitation of Tulsa’s J. J. Pershing School, located in the Owen Park Historic District.
- Tulsa Foundation for Architecture for commissioning “The Oklahoma Historic Tax Credit: Impact on the Oklahoma Economy.”
- Universal Ford Building, LLC; Lilly Architects; and Cathy Ambler (posthumous) for rehabilitation of Tulsa’s Universal Ford Motor Company, located in the Brady Historic District.
- TDL NOW II, LLC; PreserveLandmarks, LLC; and Phillips Slaughter Rose for rehabilitation of Tulsa’s Vandever’s Department Store, located in the Oil Capital Historic District.
For more information about the 2017 Citation of Merit recipients and about the SHPO’s awards programs, contact Melvena Heisch at 405-522-4484 or mheisch@okhistory.org or visit www.okhistory.org/shpo/shpoawards.htm.
The State Historic Preservation Office is a division of the Oklahoma Historical Society. The mission of the Oklahoma Historical Society is to collect, preserve and share the history and culture of the state of Oklahoma and its people. Founded in 1893 by members of the Territorial Press Association, the OHS maintains museums, historic sites and affiliates across the state. Through its research archives, exhibits, educational programs and publications the OHS chronicles the rich history of Oklahoma. For more information about the OHS, please visit www.okhistory.org.
