Lewes Historical Society to honor four April 14

The Lewes Historical Society is set to honor four outstanding preservationists this year at its second annual Preservation Awards Recognition Dinner. Tickets are $50 per person and benefit the society’s programs in historic preservation.

Terry Graham, executive director of Preservation Delaware, will offer remarks regarding the importance of historic preservation. The awards dinner begins at 5:30 p.m., Thursday, April 14 at the Lewes Yacht Club at the end of Cedar Street on Lewes Beach. To order tickets, call 302-645-7670.

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

Moved to Lewes in the 1970s by the society and transferred to the Overfalls Foundation in 2001, the Lightship Overfalls is a landmark along the Lewes & Rehoboth Canal. Faced with raising $1.2 million to restore the vessel and its berth, the foundation formed a Dirty Hands Gang that lovingly restored the vessel inside and out and kept a can-do attitude to see the project through. When funding was secured, the ship was towed to Norfolk, Va., and the sight of it riding the waves of Delaware Bay again was an inspiration to all who worked for its survival. Finally in 2010, the last monies were secured and a new berth for the ship was constructed adjacent to the Lewes Canalfront Park.

The Zwaanendael Women's Club, established in 1905, is a member of the General Federation of Women’s Clubs and is dedicated to community service. The club played a crucial role in the erection of the DeVries Monument on Pilottown Road 1909 and supported the efforts of the Rev. Dr. C.H.B. Turner of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in his research of early Lewes history. The club continues its community service today with a myriad of programs and support, including the Lewes Telephone Directory, which has been produced for more than 50 years and provides invaluable historical data about Lewes residents and businesses.

John Lester, a local architect, has had a hand in numerous buildings around Lewes. His previous home at 410 Pilottown Road is one of the oldest structures in Lewes, and its restoration and subsequent additions are a testament to historic preservation’s ability to blend the old and the new. Lester has also been involved in restoration and renovation projects at The Buttery on Second Street and St. Peter’s Rectory on Third and Mulberry streets. He has served as chairman of the Commercial Architectural Review Commission for 10 years.

Jayne and Taylor Abercrombie knew they wanted to live in historic Lewes and found a lot at 403 West Fourth St. While it is tucked amidst the restored homes of the Shipcarpenter Square neighborhood, the lot was not bound to have a restored house on it. Instead, the couple engaged architect Tony Beto to design a home that would complement the historic ones surrounding it. Reclaimed materials were used wherever possible, including reclaimed beams, flooring, bricks and fixtures. This new construction award is a shining example of how contemporary architecture can blend the best of new and the old.

“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 12 historic properties and hundreds of thousands of artifacts, photographs and archival materials to function as the memory of Lewes.

More information can be found at www.historiclewes.org. To order tickets call 302-645-7670.