OIL CITY, PA. — The Oil Region Alliance will celebrate the winners of the Historic Preservation Awards in Titusville on Thursday, May 16.
The in-person event begins at 6:00 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church located at 216 N. Franklin Street in Titusville.
It is free and open to the public.
The event will include refreshments and presentation of certificates to the winners.
“All of this year’s winners are in Titusville, and the ceremony is in Titusville, which is just a happy coincidence,” said Jennifer Burden, ORA Heritage program manager. “I believe this is the first year that all applications have come from one community.”
Although no official tour of the winning locations will be offered, the public will be able to pass each of the winning locations on their way to the church before the awards ceremony or later at their leisure.
Nominations were accepted in March and voted on by a panel of judges representing the following organizations: Friends of Drake Well, Inc., Titusville Historical Society, Titusville Renaissance, Inc., Venango County Historical Society, and Venango Museum of Art, Science & Industry .
The 2024 Oil Region Historic Preservation Award winners are:
Baby bee ultrasound and shop for improvementNominated by the Greater Titusville Development Foundation, this project at 108 S. Franklin St. included painting the entire four-story facade of this three-store property, repairing brick, replacing windows and adding awnings. The building owner received a downtown facade improvement grant from the Greater Titusville Development Foundation.
Kathleen Barnhart for residency
Named by the Titusville Historical Society, the residence at 209 E. Main St. was built in 1871 for David and Susan Emery, who purchased the land that included Edwin Drake’s first oil well and was later donated to become Drake Well Museum & Park. The Barnhart family purchased the home in 1985 and focused on preserving the historic architectural features. In 2023, Kathleen set about repainting the home and restoring a paint scheme appropriate for the Italianate style home with work completed by Experienced Painter, LLC. from Pittsfield.
Missy’s Arcade Restaurant and Hoppy’s for improvement
Nominated by the Greater Titusville Development Foundation, the double storefronts at 116 and 118 Diamond St. underwent repairs to windows, decorative casting, entryways, awnings, cornices and, most notably, a new color scheme facade. The work was partially funded through a Downtown Facade Improvement grant from the Greater Titusville Development Foundation.
Titusville City Hall Preservation Stewardship Building
Titusville Renaissance, Inc. named Titusville City Hall, 107 N. Franklin St., which underwent repainting of all siding, window frames, facades and handrails in addition to repairs to the wood, brick and windows. Funds from the PNC Charitable Trust and the American Rescue Plan were used to hire Keystone Painting Services for the work. The building was constructed around 1865, has served as the seat of city government since 1872, and is individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Parkside building for adaptive reuse
The Titusville Historical Society named the former YMCA at 201 W. Spring St., which now houses two dining establishments, several small craft vendors, the Titusville Historical Society and a multi-purpose room for meetings, concerts, exhibitions and other events. . The heating and electrical were updated, new historically accurate windows were selected, an ADA accessible ramp was added, and other updates were made to make the spaces more attractive and usable since the purchase of the building by Nathaniel Licht in August 2020. Future plans include developing artist studios on the second floor and creating apartments in the basement.
The Oil Country National Heritage Area includes all of Venango County, Hydetown Borough, the Town of Titusville, and Oil Creek Township in Crawford County.
Eligible resources must be in the oil region and at least 50 years old. Eligible projects include interior and exterior work in public buildings and exterior work in private buildings and must have been underway or completed within the last five years. Once an individual or project receives an award, it is no longer eligible for five years.
There is no charge to attend the awards ceremony, but pre-registration is appreciated. To register, send an email [email protected].
The program has awarded more than 150 awards since 1997, including a World War II aircraft, an 1876 bridge and numerous landmarks, monuments and churches throughout the region.
For more information, contact Burden at [email protected] or 814-677-3152 ext. 116.
