Historic Preservation Awards
Residents of Wilmette are invited to nominate buildings, gardens and/or landscapes that reflect or enhance the historic character of the Village for a Wilmette Historic Preservation Award. Residential, commercial, public, and religious buildings are eligible, as are their gardens or landscapes.
The nominations will be judged by a panel of preservation professionals. The owners of winning properties will be recognized by the Village Board and receive certificates of recognition from the Wilmette Historic Preservation Commission at an award ceremony to be held in Fall 2012 (date TBD) at the Wilmette Historical Museum.
Residents may nominate any property for an award, including their own, in any of the following categories:
- STEWARDSHIP: Available to property owners of five years or longer, stewardship awards acknowledge exceptional examples of buildings, gardens or landscapes that have retained their historic appearance through sensitive maintenance and the use of traditional materials and techniques for repairs. The stewardship of an historic interior space is also eligible for nomination.
- RESTORATION: Restoration awards acknowledge projects in which a building, garden or landscape has been returned to its historic appearance. The project might involve the restoration of an entire building or focus on a particular feature of the property that has been lost or altered. Examples include the restoration of missing ornament, re-creation of a porch or garden, or the choice of a period color scheme when repainting. The restoration of an historic interior space is also eligible for nomination.
- SYMPATHETIC ADDITION: Sympathetic Addition awards acknowledge alterations or additions to existing structures that are sensitive to their historic character in size, scale, style, and choice of materials. Successful projects need not match an existing structure exactly, but may also contrast with it in a manner that complements the original building and its surroundings. A new garden or landscape consistent with the historic character of an associated structure would also be eligible.
- STREETSCAPE COMPATIBILITY : New construction awards acknowledge exceptional examples of new construction that are sympathetic to the historic character of their neighborhoods or settings in size, scale, style, and choice of materials. A project in this, or any, category that involves the demolition of a structure deemed to be historically valuable by the Wilmette Preservation Commission will not be eligible to receive an award.
To nominate a property, please download the Nomination Form, which must be returned by Friday, August 3, 2012 for consideration.