Old Town Cape starts new award

This year, for the first time, Old Town Cape will give out an award for the rehabilitation of homes.

The Old Town Cape Judith Ann Crow Residential Historic Rehabilitation Award will be presented to one homeowner who has renovated an old home in the Old Town Cape district within the past five years.

"Residential buildings within the district are such a significant part of the district, and the rehabilitation of those homes is vital to the success of Old Town Cape's mission to revitalize downtown," said historic preservationist and consultant Terri Foley.

The award's namesake worked for 34 years as archivist, librarian and reporter for the Southeast Missourian.

"Judith was very involved in the community and felt historic preservation was very important," Foley said. "She also took an interest in architecture throughout the community. When buildings were being razed, she always somehow managed to come out with an architectural element she had saved."

Crow, who died in 2000, also preserved pieces of history by archiving each day's newspaper stories and writing a regular column, "Out of the Past" for the Southeast Missourian.

In 1963, Crow bought and restored a house at 323 Themis St. that has sections dating back to 1864. The German Brick Cottage-style house was named to the National Register of Historic Places in 1997.

In addition to Crow's home, another local example of the type of home preservation honored by the award is the Clark House at 6 S. Fountain St. Built in 1882, it sits high up on a hill and is an example of a Queen Anne-style house. It was restored in the 1970s.

The Crow award is designed to complement a similar award named for artist and architect John Boardman that is presented to the best rehabilitation of a business. Both will be presented at the Old Town Cape annual meeting in late February.

All buildings considered for either award must be more than 50 years old and within the 130-square-block district known as Old Town Cape. Nominees must meet certain rehabilitation standards, and judging preference is given to those doing the most to save or replicate the original character of the home.

Qualifying homes will also be judged on community impact, quality of rehab work, distinctive style and the meeting of codes and standards. Those wishing to nominate an applicant can get a form from the Old Town Cape offices at 418 Broadway or call for details at 334-8085.

Old Town Cape president Dr. Steven Hoffman pointed to Old Town Cape's work in partnership with the downtown homeowners group Neighborhood Connections, whose president sits on the Old Town Cape board. This he said shows Old Town Cape's eagerness to reach out to people living downtown. He talked about the domino effect of redevelopment and preservation.

"It's similar to if a business owner rehabilitates a property. Then that increases the likelihood the business next to it will do the same," Hoffman said. "That same effect happens in a neighborhood, and if someone rehabs their property, it causes the property value on the entire street to go up."

More important than dollar value, though, is quality of life, he said.

Preservationists will say "the best use for a historic building is the use it was designed for, and historic houses were designed to be lived in and lived in by families," Hoffman said. "So that's what this celebrates."

tgreaney@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 245