Tonight We Honor Our 2024 Preservation Awards Winners!

Please join us tonight, Thursday, September 12, at the historic Barrow Mansion to honor our incredible pantheon of 2024 Preservation Awards winners! They give hope to preservation in Jersey City!

EXCELLENCE IN PRESERVATION AWARD

251 Second Street

JENA AND MATTHEW BLASZKO

DEBRA DAVID ARCHITECT LLC, ARCHITECT OF RECORD

For the immaculate restoration of their circa-1860 vernacular Greek Revival/Second Empire row house in Jersey City’s Harsimus Cove Historic District.

315 Halladay Street

SUSAN NOLAN AND IVAN BOJANIC

LYCEL VILLANUEVA/LV STUDIO ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN, ARCHITECT OF RECORD

For the creative and sensitive restoration of their late-19th-century vernacular Italianate row house in Jersey City’s Lafayette district.

531 Palisade Avenue

BARBARA MAINO-MELFI AND CORBETT MELFI

HAMPTON HILL ARCHITECTURE, ARCHITECT OF RECORD

For the creative and sensitive restoration of their circa-1740 Dutch Colonial stone house in The Heights district of Jersey City.251 Second Street.

ADAPTIVE REUSE AWARD

Vreeland Projects LLC

“THE LAFAYETTE HOUSE”

DEVINO AIELLO & ASSOCIATES DESIGN & ARCHITECTURE GROUP, ARCHITECTS OF RECORD

For the respectful adaptation of the brick Gothic Revival elevations of the 1881-1885 vernacular church building formerly known as Lafayette Methodist Church and St. John’s A.M.E. Church.

Toll Brothers City Living and Sculptor Real Estate

“151 BAY STREET AT PROVOST SQUARE”

SLCE ARCHITECTS, ARCHITECTS OF RECORD

For the monumental adaptive reuse of the concrete facade elevations of the former 1914-1915 warehouse annex of the Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company.

ARCHITECTURAL CRAFTSMANSHIP AWARD

Donald Gallagher

For his 30+ year sweeping art restoration and medieval-inspired painting program of the interior sanctuary of the 1850-1853 Gothic Revival Grace Church Van Vorst.

THEODORE CONRAD PRESERVATIONIST AWARD

The Friends of Speer

For their inspiring commitment to saving the ancient Speer Cemetery in Jersey City’s circa-1660 Bergen Square as an urban oasis.

Friends of Ferris Triangle Park

For their tireless work on, and transformation of, the small inner-city park space dedicated in 1914 to the great civil engineer and progressive City Commissioner James J. Ferris in Jersey City’s historic Greenville district.

J. OWEN GRUNDY HISTORY AWARD

John Beekman, MLIS

For his decades-long roles as New Jersey Room Manager and Chief Librarian at The Priscilla Gardner Main Library, Jersey City Free Public Library, tirelessly supporting and collaborating with historians, writers, cultural institutions, city agencies, students and educators on their local history and preservation projects.

Jerome Choice

For his lifelong dedication to the history of Jersey City’s ancient Lafayette district and sharing local African American stories and chronicles.

PRESERVATION INITIATIVE AWARD

Family and Friends of Venus Pellagatti Xtravaganza

For their groundbreaking campaign to landmark the Venus Pellagatti Xtravaganza House at 343 1/2 Eighth Street in honor of the LGBTQ+ legend and setting the stage for future LGBTQ+ designations.

JERSEY CITY LEGEND AWARD

Charlene Burke

For her 30+ year career as preservation writer, publisher and advocate, resulting in 2014-2016 with the landmark designation of Jersey City’s West Bergen-East Lincoln Park Historic District.

Ben Jones

For his decades-long role as brilliant Jersey City artist, professor and social justice advocate, inspiring and energizing generations of students, artists, and civil rights activists.