The 2018 John Frye Historic Preservation Award recipients are: Sandra Izer for Preservation Advocacy, Michael Fitzgerald for Preservation involving multiple projects, and Selena Wilkes for Adaptive Reuse at Elmwood Farm.
Izer, recipient of the Preservation Advocacy award, owns her family’s farm on Natural Well Road outside of Downsville. She has served as an advocate in saving historic structures across the county for 25 years, including the restoration of the 1840’s stone house and outbuildings that sit in the center of her family’s farmstead. Other notable accolades include her involvement with the
Washington County Historical Trust
of maintaining the website and serving as treasurer. She also edited and updated Stonebraker’s book
Rebel of ’61,
where she follows the Stonebraker family from Washington County to Hollywood in the 20
th
century.
Fitzgerald, recipient of the Preservation award, is heavily invested in city center properties in downtown Hagerstown. His success in the rehabilitation of the Grand Piano Building led him to pursue the 41,000 square foot Professional Arts Building. With his pursuit of this project, Mike received a grant through Maryland’s Heritage Structure Rehabilitation Tax Credit Program administered by the Maryland Historical Trust. The Professional Arts Building project application was one of only eight projects in the state that was awarded this tax credit. Mike also receives consistent praises from existing and new tenants for the attention he pays to their needs.
Wilkes, recipient of the Adaptive Reuse award, has spent the last six years designing and completing restoration work preserving the house and farm buildings on the 6.5 acre, pre-Civil War,1853 Elmwood Farm property. Selena is the great, great granddaughter of John M. Kendle, whose family owned the farm for four generations. In 2012, Elmwood Farm was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The added enhancements of the property now offer a Bed and Breakfast, with period furnishings, an old world tavern room, bake house and a banquet and reception facility.
For additional information contact Public Relations and Marketing Director Danielle Crabb
at 240-313-2384.
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