2002 Preservation Awards

Woodrow Wilson Boyhood Home

Augusta, Georgia

AWARD for the careful restoration of this entire 1859 historic property furnished and interpreted appropriately for the Wilson family’s period of occupancy and opened to the public as a museum.

This handsome l859 Greek revival house was Woodrow Wilson’s home from l860-70 while his father served as minister of the First Presbyterian Church in Augusta.  Most Wilson historians believe that young “Tommy” was profoundly impacted by living there through the Civil War, and this directly influenced his reluctance to commit the United States to World War I.

Purchased at auction in 1991, the house, its original outbuildings, and its garden were meticulously restored over a ten-year period with support from the city and many private donors.  Careful and professional research was conducted to determine appropriate paint colors, interior finishes, and furnishings during the period of the Wilson Family’s occupancy.  Thirteen pieces of original furniture have been returned to the house.  The missing front portico and iron balconies were reconstructed on the façade, and the property was opened to the public as an historic house museum.  A number of thoughtful interpretative programs have been developed to enhance the visitor’s experience.

Website:Woodrow Wilson Boyhood Home

Lambert Castle

Paterson, New Jersey

COMMENDATION for the major restoration of the exterior and the preservation of the interior architectural features of this 1893 brownstone mansion, through federal, state and local support.

The Castle was the dream home of its builder and designer, Catholina Lambert, who was pioneer in the American silk industry.  By l893, when he built the Castle, Lambert’s mills employed 1,500 operatives with offices in New York and Milan.  The impressively crenellated brownstone mansion, sited for its commanding view, was built for lavish entertaining and for the display of Lambert’s extensive art collection.

Sold in l925 to the City of Paterson, the Castle was used as offices and by the county historical society, but over the years it sadly deteriorated.  Its complete exterior and interior renovation has been made possible over a ten-year period through federal, state, and local support.  A period furnishings program in underway, and the third floor will serve as a venue for changing exhibitions.

Website: Lambert Castle 

Memorial Hall Tower at Harvard University

Cambridge, Massachusetts

COMMENDATION for the meticulous restoration of this 1874 quintessentially Victorian landmark on the Harvard campus.

In l956 the top of the landmark tower of Harvard’s Memorial Hall was destroyed by fire.  Constructed between l866 and l878 as a memorial to Harvard men who died in the Civil War and designed by the prominent architectural firm of Van Brunt and Ware, the brick building with its dramatic tower and polychrome slate roofs represented the height of the elaborate Victorian aesthetic of its day.

Restoration of the tower to its l878 appearance required considerable engineering and architectural ingenuity.  Constructed and assembled off-site, the spire frame was transported to Harvard in nine separate modules, then raised by a crane onto the tower over a three-day period.  Only the finest of duplicative materials were used for the exterior finishes.

Website: Memorial Hall