From the Executive Director

Hello, Friends!

I hope you are all enjoying a peaceful and joyful holiday season. Thank you for your support of Preserve Arkansas during the past year. We are gearing up for the Arkansas Preservation Awards in January and looking forward to an eventful first quarter with a great line-up of Women in Preservation speakers, in-person meetings for National Historic Preservation Advocacy Week, and more.

With best wishes for a happy and healthy New Year,
Rachel Patton
Executive Director
Arkansas Preservation Awards
Friday, January 27, 2023
Robinson Center, Little Rock
Join us to recognize the recipients of the 2022 Arkansas Preservation Awards and honor John K. Mott, FAIA, recipient of the 2022 Parker Westbrook Award for Lifetime Achievement!

Born and raised at Fort Smith, Arkansas, architect John Mott has been a trusted leader in historic preservation for more than 50 years. After graduating from the University of Arkansas, Mott worked for his father’s architecture firm in Fort Smith, today known as MAHG Architecture, before relocating to Washington, DC. He went on to become Director of Preservation at John Milner Associates, now MTFA Architecture. He has led the MTFA Design + Preservation team on more than 200 restoration and adaptive reuse projects across the country. His notable Arkansas projects include Old Main and Vol Walker Hall at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, the Drennen-Scott and Willhaf houses at Van Buren, and the Clayton House at Fort Smith. Join us to celebrate John and all of our award-winning projects on Jan. 27!
John K. Mott, FAIA
2022 Parker Westbrook Award Winner
6 • Reception
6:30 • Dinner
7:15 • Presentation of Awards
with emcee
Ethel Goodstein-Murphree, Ph.D.

Cocktail Attire
RSVP by Jan. 20
Thank you to the generous sponsors of the
Arkansas Preservation Awards!
Gold Presenting Sponsor
Silver Table Sponsors
Bronze Table Sponsors
Patrons
Justice and Mrs. David Newbern
Mike and Mary Jane Rebick
Beverage Sponsor
Women in Preservation
Tuesday, February 14, 2023
via Zoom or YouTube
The Women in Preservation Virtual Speaker Series features women who are working to save historic places in Arkansas and across the country. Thanks to generous support from DEMX Architecture, all programs are free.

Join us on Feb. 14 at 3:30 p.m. for a program by Holly Hope, Special Projects Historian at the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program (AHPP) in Little Rock. Holly writes and edits nominations for the National and Arkansas Register of Historic Places and writes articles on various aspects of Arkansas history such as the Mixed Masonry homes of Silas Owens, Sr., Arkansas in the New Deal, and home front efforts in Arkansas during WWII. She created the AHPP's hands-on cemetery preservation program and lectures on maintenance and safety in cemeteries and how to interpret historic symbolism on gravestones.
Holly Hope
Special Projects Historian, AHPP
Preservation Advocacy
National Historic Preservation Advocacy Week
Preserve Arkansas Executive Director Rachel Patton will serve as Arkansas's Statewide Coordinator for National Historic Preservation Advocacy Week in Washington, DC, March 6-8, 2023. Co-hosted by Preservation Action and the National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers, Advocacy Week is an important opportunity to learn about historic preservation issues across the country and communicate with Members of our Congressional Delegation. This will be the first in-person Advocacy Week since 2020. If you are interested in attending Advocacy Week as a part of the Arkansas group, please contact Rachel Patton at rpatton@preservearkansas.org or 501-372-4757.
FY23 Omnibus Appropriations Bill
Last week, Congress passed the FY23 Omnibus Appropriations Bill, which funds the federal government at $1.7 trillion through September 30, 2023. While provisions of the Historic Tax Credit Growth and Opportunity Act were not included in the omnibus bill, the legislation did include $204.5 million for the Historic Preservation Fund (HPF), the most in the history of the program and an 18 percent increase over last year's funding level. The omnibus bill also created the U.S. African American Burial Grounds Preservation Program, which will provide $3 million annually for grants to research, identify, document, preserve, and interpret historic African American burial grounds. Preserve Arkansas has advocated for all of these priorities in the past, most recently during virtual meetings with our Members of Congress during PastForward, Nov. 1-4. In the coming year, we will continue our work to gain support for enhancements to the Federal Historic Tax Credit as well as reauthorization of the HPF, which provides essential funding to our State Historic Preservation Office as well as competitive grant programs administered by the National Park Service.
4th Quarter Highlights
2022 Annual Membership Meeting & Members-Only Tour
Preserve Arkansas's 2022 Annual Membership Meeting was hosted by Tolm Group and Point Remove Brewing Company at the historic Coca-Cola Bottling Plant in Downtown Morrilton on Nov. 10. Members enjoyed guided tours of the First National Bank Building, Adams Building, and the Coca-Cola Building.

Board members Mike Kinkade, Tim Maddox, Hunter Windle, Jonathan Kelley, Bart Stafford, and Jordan Wimpy were elected to second and third terms. The board welcomed new members Ryan Biles of Lonoke and Lori Filbeck of Springdale. Special thanks to retiring board members Mason Ellis and Jill Judy as well as outgoing board president Hunter Windle. Tim Maddox of Fayetteville will become board president on Jan. 1.
Members tour the First National Bank Building in Downtown Morrilton.
Sustainer Circle Appreciation Event
On Oct. 20, members of Preserve Arkansas's Sustainer Circle enjoyed a tour of Downtown Lonoke led by architect Ryan Biles and dinner hosted by Jim and Gina Wiertelak at The Grumpy Rabbit American Eatery, which was rehabilitated with the help of Federal and State Historic Tax Credits. Preserve Arkansas is extremely grateful for our Sustainer Circle! Members donate at least $1,000 to Preserve Arkansas annually and enjoy unique benefits and recognition each year.
Members of Preserve Arkansas's Sustainer Circle learn about the adaptive reuse of the Eagle Building while enjoying dinner at The Grumpy Rabbit American Eatery in Lonoke.
Behind the Big House
Preserve Arkansas, along with our partners at the Arkansas Humanities Council, Arkansas Archeological Survey, the University of Arkansas at Monticello, the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, and Preservation of African American Cemeteries, presented Arkansas's fifth Behind the Big House program on Dec. 2-3 at the Taylor House on the Hollywood/Valley Plantation in Drew County. The program used interactive stations and lectures to focus on best practices for interpreting slavery at historic sites as well as researching the lifeways of African American farmers after emancipation.
Carla Coleman of Preservation of African American Cemeteries leads students on a tour of the African American cemetery at the Hollywood/Valley Plantation.
Holiday Ramble
On Dec. 10, Preserve Arkansas members and friends journeyed to Historic Washington State Park for the Holiday Ramble. Despite rainy weather, our intrepid Ramblers toured several historic buildings decorated for the holidays and enjoyed dinner at the Brunson House. Our hosts with the Pioneer Washington Restoration Foundation opened their office as well as the Trimble and Woodlawn houses especially for Ramblers. Many thanks to Pioneer Washington Restoration Foundation, Stone's Throw Brewing, Historic Washington State Park, and the Arkansas Archeological Society for their support of the Holiday Ramble!
Ramblers approach the Trimble House at Historic Washington State Park.
Thank you to our Partners and Sustainers!
Clements & Assoc. Architecture, Inc.
Members
Ms. Christina Aleman and Mr. Adam Smith
Ted and Leslie Belden
Jim and Kathy Boyette
Gary and Ann Clements
John Connell, AIA
Susie Coppock
Courtney Crouch, Jr. and Brenda Crouch
Courtney and Amber Crouch
Fred Dietrich, D.D.S.
Paul Dodds
John C. Edwards
John and Marjem Gill
Dr. Ethel Goodstein and David Murphree
John and Tricia Greer
Gabe and Katherine Holmstrom
Stacy and Howard Hurst
Tommy and Christy Jameson
Scott and Amber Jones
Jill Judy and Mark Brown
Bob Kempkes and Mary Matthews
Tim and Cyndi Maddox
The Honorable Pat and Mrs. Ellen McCabe
Frances McSwain and Ray Wittenberg
Carl H. Miller, Jr.
John K. Mott, FAIA
Jack Moyer and Elise Roenigk
Justice David and Mrs. Carolyn Newbern
Mark and Cheri Nichols
David Reynolds
Emily Jordan Robertson
Aaron and Veronica Ruby
Martin and Kara Smith
David, Rayman, and Lafe Solomon
Breck and Anne Speed
Bart and Alix Stafford
Mark Stodola
Anthony Taylor and Michelle Strause
Ross Toyne
Dr. Charles and Mandy Welch
Ms. Laura Ann Winning
Darby and Amiee York
Preserve Arkansas is the only statewide nonprofit advocate for the preservation of Arkansas's historic and cultural resources. Our organization works to build stronger communities by reconnecting Arkansans to our heritage and empowering people to save and rehabilitate historic places. Support our work year-round by becoming a member!