Highlighting the importance of the community's history, the city's Historic Preservation Commission hosted the annual Heritage Day Celebration with partner organization Historic City of Jefferson.
"The City of Jefferson Historic Preservation Commission takes pride in honoring our past and ensure future generations understand the importance our history plays," Chairman Art Hernandez said.
In addition to awarding the Gregory Stockard Distinguished Service Award, city Landmark awards and multimedia and art contest winners, the celebration also marked the 50th anniversary of the National Preservation Act.
"That act said 'historic places matter and are worthy of being preserved,'" Hernandez said.
In the fall, the city commission will host a Preservation 50 Celebration for the impact the federal act has had on preventing demolition and keeping federal agencies accountable for preserving history in projects, he said.
The commission has awarded 105 Landmark awards since 1993 with the intent of rewarding preservation and promoting historic awareness, Hernandez said.
"I appreciate the winners' courage to keep the memories in these buildings alive," he said.
This year's city Landmarks were Farmers Home, 701-703 Jefferson St.; Hope Mercantile, 201 E. High St.; and Deputy Warden's House, 722 E. Capitol Ave.
The Farmers Home "embodies the essence of the Munichburg community in both its longstanding centrality to the neighborhood and in its architecture," Walter Schroeder wrote in his nomination.
The intersection of Dunklin and Jefferson streets was the social and commercial center of the German-speaking neighborhood. The corner business also served as a stable and place for German-speaking county farmers to stay overnight.
The Hope Mercantile is one of downtown's oldest buildings. By 1854, the Obermayer family operated a merchandise store there with a saloon and gambling house on the second floor. Former mayor Bernard Bruns owned the building before George Hope bought it in 1899 to operate a tailor shop.
The Deputy Warden's House was built about 1900. Doug Dorris, prison minister, bought the home in the late 1970s. According to Schroeder, Dorris would allow recently released prisoners stay briefly in the basement or third floor.
Jenny Smith was named the 2016 Gregory Stockard Distinguished Service Award recipient.
"She's a defender of historic properties. she doesn't hesitate to speak her mind; that's something I appreciate," Hernandez said.
Past preservation activists like Elizabeth Rozier and Greg Stockard played a role in getting Smith educated and involved in historic preservation. She joined Historic City of Jefferson in 1998, serving eight years on the board of directors before taking over as the organization's quarterly newsletter editor.
Smith served on the city commission from 2007-13, working on preservation efforts for the 100 block of West McCarty Street. She and her husband, Tony, have renovated two historic homes in the Old Town area, including the recently awarded May Golden Hammer recipient.
"I feel every time a house goes down, a piece of history, of our identity goes down with it," Smith said.
The Historic City of Jefferson has hosted the youth contests since 1994 for multimedia, essay and art for students in grades 6-12.
Winners in the Heritage Multi-Media Contest from Immaculate Conception School were: first place to Madalynn Berkey for "National Cemetery and Woodland Cemeteries," second place to Savanah Feltrop for "Missouri State Penitentiary," and to Audrey Ickes for "The Landing."
Winners of the Heritage Art Contest were first place, Malena Gansmann from Helias Catholic High School for "Memorial of the Louisiana Purchase" in pencil; second place, Addison Luetkemeyer from Helias for "Carnahan Memorial Gardens" in pencil; third place, Jacob Ceglenski from Helias for "The Centaur" in pencil; third place Lainey Winge of Jefferson City High School for "Lohman Opera House" in acrylic; honorable mention, Emily McMichael from Helias for "Female Department of the Missouri State Penitentiary" in pastel/charcoal; and honorable mention, Landon Williams from Jefferson City for "Missouri Pacific Depot" in pencil.
Winge also received the Mayor's Choice ribbon and a city coin from Mayor Carrie Tergin. A reproduction of her work will hang permanently in City Hall.
Link:
www.jeffersoncitymo.gov/PPS/2016%20Heritage%20Day%20Celebration%20Booklet.pdf