Join us as we celebrate another round of outstanding preservation projects and people working to preserve those places at the Preservation Achievement Awards! Who does not love a good before and after! And we will have lots of them this year with over 25 awards to give out along with recognizing Matthews Southwest for their incredible work in saving many of Dallas' icons including the Sears Warehouse Complex, Dallas Coffin Company, the old Dallas High School and the original Pegasus. We will debut the amazing honoree video at the event which tells the incredible story of Matthews Southwest.

Our location for the awards, the former Brown Cracker & Candy Company, is also an award winner this year and if you remember the old West End Marketplace that was in the building you will be blown away by the work that was done to bring it back to its earlier design. Plus we will hold a reception after the awards on the roof deck with amazing views of both downtown and uptown. You will not want to miss this amazing event!

Preservation Dallas kicked off National Preservation Month on May 1st by unveiling seven new markers around downtown’s Ferris Plaza highlighting the architecturally significant buildings surrounding the park including: The Dallas Morning News building, Film Exchange buildings, Reunion Tower, Terminal Annex Post Office, Union Station and WFAA building. The markers were dedicated in memory of Gail Thoma Patterson, past president of Preservation Dallas and historic preservation leader. They are also a continuation of the historic building markers program in Main Street Garden and future markers are planned for other downtown parks. Thank you to the Education Committee and volunteers who worked on the research and logistics for the project, the Park and Recreation Department and Board for their approval of the marker installation, the Patterson Family for their support of the project, and Phoenix 1 Restoration and Construction for the fabrication and installation of the markers. Make sure to check out the new markers when you are downtown!

Preservation Month is here and as you read above we kicked it off with dedicating more markers downtown highlighting historic buildings in honor of Gail Thoma Patterson. And there is more to come with the Swiss Avenue Home Tour this weekend and our two big events of the spring next week – Preservation Achievement Awards on the 16 ^th and our Spring Architectural Tour on the 19 ^th . Both of our events next week are not to be missed! We have over 25 awards to give out this year and will honor Matthews Southwest for their incredible impact on historic buildings in Dallas. The spring architectural tour will be a great one this year with an unusual style in Dallas for residential buildings featured – Art Deco. There aren’t that many of them in Dallas and you will see some really unique ones on the tour.

Later this month we are partnering with other groups for two very special panels on the 22 ^nd and 24 ^th . The first is a Dallas Architecture Forum panel on the Legacy of Mid-Century Modernism in North Texas . The panel will be moderated by Bob Meckfessel and will include leading professionals in architecture, interior design, and landscape architecture to discuss how Mid-Century Modern Design has made a lasting impact on the architectural legacy of north Texas. The second is Shaping Dallas Architecture: The Legacy of Pratt, Box, and Henderson which will focus on the tremendous impact of their work in north Texas. This will be a very special event that will highlight their incredible architecture, planning and advocacy work as one of the most influential Dallas firms of the last half of the 20th century. Images of their incredible work will be shown and discussed and Willis Winters will sit down for a conversation with Philip Henderson about the firm and his recollections of their work. Other presenters that evening will include Mark Lamster who will give opening remarks, Marcel Quimby and Bob Meckfessel who will talk about the firm’s work, and Andrew Barnes and Michael Freibele who will discuss their interview with James Pratt. It will be an incredible evening!

Last month I received a great honor when I was inducted into the College of Fellows of the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) at the American Planning Association National Planning Conference in New Orleans. Four years after I entered the planning profession I received my AICP certification in 2000 and just last year became eligible to be nominated for the College of Fellows. I was one of five to be nominated from Texas. It was a grueling process to put together the nomination packet highlighting my work during my 21-year career in preservation planning in order to demonstrate the outstanding impact my work has made on the communities where I have worked. I highlighted my work with Mississippi communities on preparing Design Guidelines for Historic Districts, nominating over 4,000 structures to the National Register of Historic Places, responding to the devastation wrought on historic places after Hurricane Katrina, advocating for better protections for historic buildings in Dallas, especially after the 2014 demolitions, working on the architectural styles exhibit and booklet for Dallas, and more. I was one of 64 to be selected this year for the College and I am now one of only 626 in the country to have this designation, which is the highest honor that can bestowed upon a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners. I am humbled by being selected and very pleased to see that my work in the preservation field has been recognized by my peers as being worthy of recognition. And so you now know what those funny FAICP letters after my name mean!

Saturday, May 12, 5 p.m.

Dr. McCaslin will speak about the History of the Texas Rangers, from 1823 to present day with stories and facts about major periods in the history of one of the world’s greatest law enforcement agencies. History re-enactments, silent auction, dinner and lecture are part of the evening. For more information or to purchase tickets click here .

Saturday and Sunday, May 12 and 13

The homes on tour this year represent a diverse variety of the early 20th Century’s most popular architectural styles. Featured will be a romantic Spanish Revival, a massive Progressive Style Prairie Foursquare, a French Normandy manor house, a stately Colonial Georgian, an elegant Italianate Revival, a classic American Craftsman, and a charming pair of side-by-side Arts & Crafts Bungalows. Click here to find out more or purchase tickets.

Tuesday, May 22, 6:15 p.m.

Attend this important Panel Discussion on how Mid-Century Modern Design has made a lasting impact on the architectural legacy of Dallas. Moderated by Bob Meckfessel, the panelists will include some of our area’s leading architects, an interior designer and a landscape architect, all of whom have completed important projects related to the genre. Click here for more information.

Thursday, May 24, 6 p.m.

Join us for an in-depth conversation about the architecture, planning and advocacy of Pratt, Box & Henderson — one of the most influential Dallas firms of the last half of the 20th century. From academia to the business world, from city hall to the AIA, the work and passion of Hal Box, James Pratt, and Philip Henderson have made an indelible impression on the culture, form, and heritage of Dallas and North Texas. Click here for more info and to register.

Unfortunately, the extensive restoration work being done at the Municipal Building will not allow us to safely tour the construction zone on May 31st. We are keeping tabs on the project and will let you know as soon as we have information about a new date for a tour.

This newsletter is sent to all current and past members, and those interested in preservation in Dallas. To become a member or to renew or upgrade your membership, please click below.