Please join us in congratulating the W3R-US Leadership Council volunteers who are the recipients of the Dr. Doris C. Carpenter Award from Preservation NJ. W3R folks merited not one, but two, awards in different categories.
Preservation New Jersey, a statewide member-supported non-profit historic preservation organization, today announced the recipients of the 2021 New Jersey Historic Preservation Awards. The awardees will be celebrated at an event next Wednesday, October 13, 2021 at the 1867 Sanctuary in Ewing, New Jersey.
“This year Preservation New Jersey is celebrating excellence in preservation with the introduction of new categories like the Young Preservationist Award, Dr. Doris C. Carpenter Excellence Award, and Constance Greiff Writing Award, in addition to established awards like the Preservation Projects and Preservation Documents Awards,” stated Executive Director Emily Manz. “These projects all contribute to the preservation of our state’s historic resources and the understanding of our state history.”
“Preservation New Jersey is excited to be recognizing so many diverse, innovative projects from all across the state and the people and organization making preservation possible,” shared Matthew Pisarski, President of the Board of Director of Preservation New Jersey.
Dr. Doris C. Carpenter Excellence Award
The March of America’s Diverse Army through New Jersey to Achieve American Independence in 1781, Somerset County
According to a French officer who passed through New Jersey to help win American independence at Yorktown, Virginia, one-quarter of George Washington’s Continental Army in 1781 were Black, Indigenous, or mixed race. Yet few Americans know how significant the non-white contribution was to Americans’ quest for freedom. To put a spotlight on this diverse history, New Jerseyans Brad Fay, Elaine Buck, and Beverly Mills joined the Leadership Council of the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route Association in 2021 and organized an advocacy and public relations campaign. Their efforts produced a July 4, 2021, Op-Ed about this history in the Washington Post by their Congresswoman, Bonnie Watson Coleman. They also organized “dear colleague” letters to support funding for the Washington-Rochambeau National Historic Trail to tell this story. The letters were signed by 23 members of the US House and US Senate, including both New Jersey Senators and four New Jersey Representatives. They prepared a model resolution of support for the trail and its story, and they organized an August event to commemorate the 240th anniversary of the march, featuring African American reenactors from Trenton.
Dr. Doris C. Carpenter Excellence Award
The Trent House Association, Trenton
The Trent House Association manages and operates the 1719 William Trent House Museum, a National Historic Landmark, owned by the City of Trenton. For many visitors and potential visitors, the site has been associated only with early colonial life. Under the Association’s leadership, many more aspects of the property’s history are being told. Through exhibits, programs, and tours, the Association informs visitors and digital audiences about the lives of indigenous people, European exploration and colonization beginning in the 1600s, the institution of slavery in colonial New Jersey, industrialization and immigration, urban renewal and more. Recognized as a leader in interpreting slavery in the northern colonies, the Association is a co-founder of the Sankofa Collaborative, a group of history and cultural institutions that organizes workshops and compiles and shares resources on African American history and contemporary experiences.
The awards will be presented on October 13th from 4-7PM at the 1867 Sanctuary in Ewing. The event will feature outdoor food, drinks, music, and networking followed by presentation of the Awards in our airy, spacious 1867 Sanctuary. Tickets can be purchased online in advance of the event here. Sponsors for the event are HMR Architects, Kreilick Conservation, Architectural Window Corporation, The Litt Law Firm, Jablonski Building Conservation, Lear & Pannepacker LLP, Kaese Architecture, Mills + Schnoering Architects, and Connolly + Hickey Historical Architects.