National Trust for Historic Preservation Presents National Honor Award for the Restoration of Historic Landmark District Visitors’ Center and Plaza in Roma, Texas
Public – Private Partnership Transforms Border Town into Nexus for Heritage Tourism
Posted October 21, 2008 | Contact pr@nthp.org or 202-588-6141
Today, the National Trust for Historic Preservation presented the Roma, Texas Visitors' Center and Plaza its National Preservation Honor Award. The group was one of 21 national award winners honored by the National Trust for Historic Preservation during its 2008 National Preservation Conference in Tulsa, OK.
On the banks of the Rio Grande, an innovative project has infused a new spirit in the heart of a remote Texas border town. The town's two-block long plaza, historically the center of community life in Roma, underwent a historically inaccurate remodeling in 1976. With the help of a private foundation and state and federal agencies, the plaza has been brought back and is once again a dynamic gathering place for citizens and visitors.
The project was realized through a creative partnership between multiple public agencies and private groups. The City of Roma, Meadows Foundation, Texas Department of Transportation and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services successfully raised funds to restore key National Historic Landmark buildings and the Plaza, transforming Roma into a nexus for heritage tourism.
Roma's architectural fabric represents the evolution of a key town in the border region of Texas during the 19th century. Roma's principal builder was Heinrich Portscheller, who arrived from Germany in 1879 and combined ornate brickwork and European styles with rough-cut local stone and massive brick sidewalks. Its vintage buildings and unpaved streets remained largely intact until 1976 when the plaza was subdivided and landscaped to commemorate the U.S. Bicentennial.
The restoration took a minimalist approach, removing obstructions and non-historic materials so as to return the plaza to its former simplicity and uninterrupted vistas. The project rehabilitated historically significant buildings and enhanced space for commercial, residential and civic use, most notably the Roma Bluffs, a branch of the World Birding Center. Operated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the center, which welcomes thousands of visitors a year, occupies the meticulously restored c. 1878 Ramirez Store & Residence and adjacent c. 1856 Stone Cottage.
"The plaza – the soul of Roma – has been restored thanks to an excellent public-private partnership," say Richard Moe, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. "It is once again a subtle and dignified space that uses simple materials, plantings, and furnishings to honor Roma's distinct character."
Co-nominees honored today for Roma Visitors’ Center and Plaza’s Honor Award are: City of Roma, Meadows Foundation, Texas Department of Transportation and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services.
The National Preservation Awards are bestowed on distinguished individuals, nonprofit organizations, public agencies and corporations whose skill and determination have given new meaning to their communities through preservation of our architectural and cultural heritage. These efforts include citizen attempts to save and maintain important landmarks; companies and craftsmen whose work restores the richness of the past; the vision of public officials who support preservation projects and legislation in their communities; and educators and journalists who help Americans understand the value of preservation. The winners of the National Preservation Awards will appear in the November/December issue of Preservation Magazine and online at www.PreservationNation.org/magazine.
To download high resolution images of this year's National Preservation Award winners, visit http://press.nationaltrust.org/
The 2008 National Preservation Award Winners:
Louise DuPont Crowninshield Award: Mark Michel and Jane Blaffer Owen—Both Mark Michel and Jane Blaffer Owen have expertly combined vision, action and leadership to launch highly ambitious initiatives that protect some of the nation's most precious—and fragile—historic treasures.
John H. Chafee Trustees Award for Outstanding Achievement in Public Policy: Andrew Potts, Washington, DC—From the corridors of the Capitol to corporate offices, Andrew Potts has provided informed, impassioned advocacy to save buildings and bring neighborhoods back to life.
Trustees Award for Organizational Excellence: Gifford Park Association, Elgin, IL—The all-volunteer Gifford Park Association creatively and innovatively revamped its historic neighborhood. Today, Elgin is a proud showplace for preservation and stands as a model for what vision and hard work can achieve.
Trustee Emeritus Award for Excellence in the Stewardship of Historic Sites: Edison & Ford Winter Estates, Fort Myers, FL—A recently completed $10 million effort rescued the side-by-side winter estates of two of history's most inventive and influential geniuses, transforming the site into a premier education center and community resource.
NT/HUD Secretary's Award for Excellence in Historic Preservation: Curley School Project, Ajo, AZ—The pride and joy of a small mining town when it opened in 1919, the Curley School was forced to close its doors when hard times hit in the 1980s. Reclaiming the building was a risky proposition, but an array of public and private partners came together to reopen the School as the centerpiece of a community-wide revitalization effort.
National Trust /ACHP Award for Federal Partnerships in Historic Preservation: V-Site Restoration Project, Los Alamos, NM—A small cluster of buildings, the V-Site was where the world's first plutonium bombs were assembled during World War II. After the War ended, the buildings stood empty and threatened with demolition until an innovative preservation partnership ensured that time would stand still in a place where the world changed forever.
THE 2008 NATIONAL PRESERVATION HONOR AWARD WINNERS:
Arkansas Heritage SITES, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, AR—This innovative program has made significant progress in protecting the cultural assets of the rural Arkansas Delta while sparking economic revitalization, heritage tourism and spinoff business development in nearby communities.
William, Gayle and Carl Cook, Bloomington, IN—In the mid 1990s, the Cook family began helping the Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana rescue the collapsing West Baden Springs and French Lick Springs Hotels. Thanks to this never-say-die family, two historic treasures have been saved and economic prosperity has returned to the community.
Crow Canyon Archaeological Center, Cortez, CO—Dedicated to the research of the ancestral American Indian experience, the Center's pioneering collaboration with American Indian tribes and innovative outreach efforts continue to broaden understanding of ancient cultures and teach the importance of preserving fragile archaeological sites.
Ford Assembly Building, Richmond, CA—In an exemplary preservation turn-around, the building that once manufactured exhaust-spewing internal-combustion engines now houses a number of "green" businesses and a popular entertainment venue, all of which are revitalizing the local economy.
General Services Administration's Modern-Era Buildings Initiative, Washington, DC—When local preservationists protested the GSA's plan to alter part of a 1965 federal building in Denver, CO, the organization decided to take a serious look at its portfolio of Modern-era buildings. The result was a comprehensive initiative that laid a strong foundation for the stewardship of federally owned buildings from the 1950s, 60s and 70s.
Heritage Foundation of Franklin & Williamson County, Franklin, TN—Among the largest and most successful preservation groups in the country, this grassroots organization has fought for 40 years to protect the county's rural legacy from urban sprawl.
Kansas Army National Guard, Topeka, KS—In America's heartland, the National Guard has added historic preservation to the long list of services it provides. The preservation plans the Guard drew up while surveying its 49 armories, registering the qualified ones, and restoring two are landmark documents that have since been distributed in other states as models of their kind.
Museum at Eldridge Street, New York, NY—When it opened in 1887, the Eldridge Street Synagogue was an island of grandeur on Manhattan's Lower East Side. But as the congregation moved away, the synagogue fell into disuse and the termites and pigeons took over. Now, a 20-year effort has returned the building to its original glory.
Oak Court, Dallas, TX—Over the years, a number of insensitive alterations dimmed the luster of this modernist masterpiece but a meticulous restoration has returned the residence, including its iconic floating dining room table, to the grandeur that won critical raves a half-century ago.
Partners for Sacred Places, Philadelphia, PA—Partners for Sacred Places, the only national organization dedicated to the preservation and effective use of historic religious buildings, has helped thousands of congregations nationwide preserve their sites, thereby creating a new movement within the preservation field.
Pasadena City Hall, Pasadena, CA—More than 70 years of heavy use and the ever-present threat of earthquakes put Pasadena's City Hall at serious risk. After a 10-year, $117.5 million renovation to strengthen the landmark against future seismic activity while restoring its historic features, City Hall gleams anew.
Roma Visitors' Center and Plaza, Roma, TX—In 1976, a misguided remodeling destroyed much of the 2-block long plaza located along the banks of the Rio Grande, but an innovative project has rejuvenated the heart of this Texas border town and the plaza is a dynamic gathering place for citizens and visitors once again.
TWA Corporate Headquarters Building, Kansas City, MO—An exemplary rehabilitation has brought viable new life to a building that was once slated for demolition. This preservation triumph in America's heartland celebrates the recent past while pointing the way to a sustainable future.
Union Station, Springfield, IL—Over the years, passing time and changing lifestyles turned Springfield's Union Station into an eyesore. But now, preservation has returned this treasured landmark to its rightful role as a downtown anchor and focus of community pride.
Washington Mills Building No. 1, Lawrence, MA—In a region dotted with historic mills, Washington Mills stands out. As the city's first major housing development in over 20 years, the building has been transformed into loft-style, mixed-housing apartments, bringing new life and the promise of spin-off development to the depressed community.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation (www.PreservationNation.org) is a non-profit membership organization bringing people together to protect, enhance and enjoy the places that matter to them. By saving the places where great moments from history – and the important moments of everyday life – took place, the National Trust for Historic Preservation helps revitalize neighborhoods and communities, spark economic development and promote environmental sustainability. With headquarters in Washington, DC, nine regional and field offices, 29 historic sites, and partner organizations in all 50 states, the National Trust for Historic Preservation provides leadership, education, advocacy and resources to a national network of people, organizations and local communities committed to saving places, connecting us to our history and collectively shaping the future of America’s stories.
