ANNOUNCING OUR 2026 HONOR AWARD RECIPIENTS!

The Historic Commons building at Lees-McRae College in Banner Elk, NC; one of the Gertrude S. Carraway Awards of Merit winners

PRESERVATION NORTH CAROLINA TO PRESENT 2026 HONOR AWARDS IN HIGH POINT  

Statewide nonprofit organization, Preservation North Carolina, will present its 2026 Honor Awards on Monday, October 26, during its Annual Conference in High Point, to be held October 25-27. Since 1948, Preservation North Carolina has presented the awards to recognize outstanding people, projects, businesses, and organizations in the field of historic preservation. This year’s recipients represent a diverse array of businesses and individuals across the state who are making a difference in preserving the history and unique architectural character of North Carolina.  

Ruth Coltrane Cannon Award:
Jo Ramsay Leimenstoll, Greensboro  

The Ruth Coltrane Cannon Award is North Carolina’s most prestigious preservation award presented to an individual or organization that has made contributions of statewide significance to historic preservation in North Carolina. Originating in 1948, the award is named for Ruth Coltrane Cannon of Concord, president of the North Carolina Society for the Preservation of Antiquities, 1945-1956.  

With more than 50 years of preservation experience, architect Jo Ramsay Leimenstoll has made significant contributions to historic preservation in NC. She is a Professor Emerita at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro where she helped create the graduate curriculum in historic preservation. Leimenstoll’s contributions to the field include working as the architect for the NC Main Street Program, authoring numerous architectural guidelines for communities across the state, and serving on the NC National Register Advisory Committee. She has chaired the boards of Preservation North Carolina, Preservation Greensboro, and the Greensboro Historic Preservation Commission. Her book Thomas Day: Master Craftsman and Free Man of Color, which she co-authored with Patricia Phillips Marshall, sheds light on the life and legacy of Thomas Day, a free Black craftsman who became North Carolina’s most successful furniture maker in the antebellum period.  

Robert E. Stipe Professional Award:
Sarah Woodard, Raleigh   

The Robert E. Stipe Professional Award is the highest honor presented to working professionals who demonstrate an outstanding commitment to preservation as part of their job responsibilities. The award was established in 1983 to memorialize the many contributions of Robert E. Stipe of Chapel Hill, an educator in the field of historic preservation and a mentor to a generation of preservation professionals.   

Sarah Woodard has dedicated her professional life to preservation since graduating with a degree in history from Guilford College, followed by a Master’s in Historic Preservation from the University of Georgia. With a decades long career as an architectural historian, Woodard has helped document our state’s significant historic buildings. For the past 7 years, she’s worked for the State of North Carolina as the Survey and National Register Branch Supervisor. While there, Woodard has been instrumental in uncovering documentation and history of the state’s more than 800 Rosenwald schools. 

L. Vincent Lowe Jr. Business Award:
Gateway Building Company, Durham 

The L. Vincent Lowe Jr. Business Award is the highest honor presented to a business that assists or promotes historic preservation in North Carolina. Established in 1983 as the North Carolina Business Award, the name was changed in memory of Vince Lowe of Wilson, a longtime supporter of historic causes in North Carolina, who was serving as chairman of Preservation NC’s 50th Anniversary Campaign at the time of his unexpected death in 1989.   

Triangle-based Gateway Building Company specializes in historic renovation and adaptive reuse projects in an area at risk for loss of historic structures due to rapid growth and development. Gateway has intentionally saved buildings from falling victim to development and instead restored them to their potential, thus adding character to North Carolina’s architectural identity. The company’s varied portfolio includes unique adaptive projects like the Triangle Land Conservancy’s Brumley Nature Reserve Facility – a 2,500 square foot mid-century hunting lodge reimagined into a modern, nature-connected workspace, and the 1915 Citizens National Bank Building renovation in the heart of Durham’s bustling downtown.  

Stedman Incentive Grant:
Vaudeville Playhouse Balcony, Washington  

The Stedman Incentive Grant is awarded to recognize and assist nonprofit organizations in their efforts to preserve the state’s architectural heritage. Originating in 1976, the $15,000 award is funded each year by the Marion Stedman Covington Foundation of Greensboro in memory of Mrs. Covington’s father. The grant encourages and facilitates rescuing endangered historic and architecturally significant properties in North Carolina.  

This year’s recipient of the Stedman Incentive Grant is Arts of the Pamlico which owns and operates the historic Turnage Theatre in downtown Washington NC. This rare architectural and cultural landmark, protected by Preservation North Carolina covenants since 1997, houses two distinct performance venues in a historic building. The 1930 movie palace downstairs has been renovated and activated as an arts and cultural hub for a number of years. Arts of the Pamlico has been working to renovate the upstairs Vaudeville Playhouse which dates to 1913. Its original sloped hardwood floors, stage, balcony, piano pit, and many other historic features make guests feel like they’ve stepped back in time. The Stedman Incentive Grant will support the renovation of the Vaudeville Playhouse Balcony.  

Minnette C. Duffy Landscape Preservation Award:
Friends of Green Hill Cemetery, Greensboro 

The Minnette C. Duffy Landscape Preservation Award is the highest honor given for the preservation, restoration, or maintenance of landscapes, gardens, streetscapes, or grounds related to historic structures. This award recognizes the landscape’s importance in preserving historic structures. First presented in 1987, the award is made possible by the family of the late Minnette Chapman Duffy of New Bern, whose leadership contributed to the reconstruction of Tryon Palace.  

Friends of Green Hill Cemetery in Greensboro is a volunteer group formed in 2009 to help preserve and beautify the city’s storied 51-acre public Green Hill Cemetery. Within it are 19,000 gravesites plotted in a pastoral garden cemetery dating back to 1877. Thanks to this dedicated group, hundreds enjoy the cemetery not just for respite and reverence but for educational opportunities and walking tours through the gardens. To date, the group has identified and documented more than 1,000 plant specimens, repaired cemetery entrances and structures, added benches, and hosted dozens of community events.  

DeWayne H. Anderson Sr. Award for Housing:
Lofts of Osage Mill, Bessemer City   

The DeWayne H. Anderson Sr. Award for Housing is the highest honor given by Preservation North Carolina for the creation or preservation of housing in historic buildings. This award recognizes the innovative use of historic buildings to create new or updated housing, including affordable or downtown housing solutions. First presented in 2023, the award is made possible by the family of the late DeWayne H. Anderson, Sr., of Winston-Salem, whose career and leadership resulted in thousands of units of new housing in historic schools, mills, and hospitals across the South. 

The Lofts at Osage Mill in Bessemer City NC, is a massive historic adaptive reuse project that transformed a dilapidated 1895 textile mill into 139 affordable residential housing units. Spearheaded by WinnDevelopment, a company with more than 50 years of experience with large-scale adaptive reuse projects across the U.S., the project team included noted North Carolina preservation leaders Tise-Kiester Architects and Rehab Builders. The $50 million project has made a significant three-fold impact in Gaston County: a historic community landmark was preserved; that landmark now provides affordable housing options for the community; and it sparked a renewed energy in Bessemer City’s downtown.  

Alexa Aycock Grassroots Leadership Award:
Stanly Avengers, Albemarle  

The Alexa Aycock Grassroots Leadership Award is presented to an individual who has been a catalyst and leader in generating community engagement and support of historic preservation at the local level through advocacy and education. This award recognizes the importance of grassroots preservation campaigns to the success and continuation of the preservation movement across the state. First presented in 2024, the award is made possible by the Marion Stedman Covington Foundation of Greensboro in honor of Alexa Aycock, who served as the Foundation’s grants coordinator and Executive Director for more than 30 years.   

Stanly Avengers, Inc. in Albemarle preserves legacy, uplifts overlooked stories, and creates pathways to opportunity through education, workforce development, arts, entrepreneurship, preservation, and community engagement. With a youth-centered focus, the group’s origins and inspiration came from its original members coming together to document, preserve and amplify the history of Kingville School, the area’s first Black school campus.  

The Gertrude S. Carraway Awards of Merit  

The Gertrude S. Carraway Awards of Merit are named in honor of the late Dr. Gertrude S. Carraway, a noted New Bern historian and preservationist. Presented since 1974, the Carraway Awards recognize individuals or organizations that have demonstrated a genuine commitment to historic preservation through extraordinary leadership, research, philanthropy, promotion, and/or significant participation in preservation. This year, seven Carraway Awards will be presented to: 

The public is invited to attend by registering for the annual conference which offers an excellent opportunity to learn about the impact of historic preservation in North Carolina, hear from a variety of speakers, tour a diverse mix of architecture, and enjoy special events from networking to receptions to workshops. 

Conference registration will open in August with Early Bird rates available through September 14; registration closes on October 16.

To register, visit the Preservation North Carolina website at presnc.org/conference.  

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As a nationally recognized trailblazer since 1939, Preservation North Carolina has led the charge in protecting the state’s endangered historic places. The statewide nonprofit organization rescues at-risk structures and facilitates their rehabilitation through strategic partnerships with preservation-minded buyers.

  • Permanent Property Protection: PNC utilizes legally binding covenants—the gold standard for demolition prevention in North Carolina—to ensure perpetual stewardship.
  • Proven Impact: PNC’s Endangered Properties Program has protected over 900 properties, driving economic growth, environmental sustainability, and sparking cultural revitalization across 84 of 100 NC counties.
  • Beyond the Buildings: Through the stewardship of the Bellamy Mansion Museum and statewide educational programming, PNC fosters community engagement and preserves the unique character of NC communities.

For more information, visit PresNC.org.

PNC Media Contact:

Addie Ladner | Marketing Manager | aladner@presnc.org | 919-832-3652 ext. 227