Keeping Asheville’s past alive

For 15 years, The Preservation Society of Asheville and Buncombe County has celebrated National Preservation Week (the second week of May) with the Griffin Awards. Named for the mythological creatures that grace the north entrance of the Grove Arcade, the awards go to individuals and companies that have done the most to restore and burnish the best of the city’s architectural heritage.

An even dozen 2003 awards were presented on May 14 at a joint meeting with the city’s Historic Resources Commission. The evening’s big surprise was the presentation of the HRC’s Sondley Award to former Commissioner Maggie O’Connor, who was flown back from Wilmington to receive the prize. O’Connor joins a notable roster of past winners, including Julian Price, Mitsi Tessier and Judge Robert Orr.

The winners

•Classic Building, 76-78 Patton Ave. (Interior Commercial Rehabilitation), Owner — Classic 1909 LLC; Architect — Patti Glazer, Glazer Architecture, PA; Contractor — RPF Construction, Rick Fleming

•Castanea Building, 57-65 Haywood St. (Interior Residential Rehabilitation and Exterior Courtyard), Owner — Chestnut Branch LLC; Architect — Patti Glazer, Glazer Architecture, PA; Contractor — RPF Construction, Rick Fleming

•Woolworth Building, 25 Haywood St. (Interior and Exterior Commercial Rehabilitation), Owner — JAS Family Realty, Scott Sirkin, Agent; Architect — Rogers and Assoc.; Contractor — Scott Sirkin

•Rumbough House, 49 Zillicoa St. (Exterior Commercial Rehabilitation), Owner — Highland Park LLC; Contractor — Service Excellence Group; Engineers — Sutton-Kennerly and Assoc.

•218 Broadway, (Interior and Exterior Commercial Rehabilitation), Owners — Summitt Real Estate Investment LLC, Jeanette Syprzak and Scott Stephens; Carpentry — David Carpenter and Shaun Weaver

•Grove Arcade, One Page Ave (Interior and Exterior Restoration and Interior Residential Rehabilitation), Owner — city of Asheville; Architect — Rowhouse Architects, Jeff Dalton; Developer — Rogers and Assoc., David Rogers; Contractor — Weaver Cook Construction Co.; Engineer — Kloesel Engineering, Woody Kloesel; Project Manager — Mark King; Restoration Consultant — William Wescott

•Sawyer Motor Building, 100 Coxe Ave. (Adaptive Re-use), Owners — SMB Partners, Harry Pilos; Architect — David A. Hill; Contractor — Superior Construction of Greenville; Preservation Consultant — William Wescott

•327 Montford Ave. (Interior and Exterior Residential Rehabilitation), Owners — Jeanette Syprzak and Scott Stephens; Contractors — Stephens Contracting, Scott Stephens, David Carpenter

•21 North Liberty St. (Interior and Exterior Commercial Rehabilitation), Owners — Legerton and Company, John Legerton and Kathy Meacham; Architect — Legerton Architecture; Contractor — Carolina Cornerstone Construction

•33 Starnes Ave. (Exterior Commercial Rehabilitation), Owners — Keith Harwood and Debra Sue Shelton; Contractor — Anthony Harwood; Advisers –Ed Vess, city of Asheville

Artful Asheville — Along the Urban Trail (Publication) Author — Constance E. Richards; Publisher — Joan A. Farrell

•Andy’s Heating and Cooling (Historic Building Rehabilitation), Owner — Andy Rume

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About Cecil Bothwell
A writer for Mountain Xpress since three years before there WAS an MX--back in the days of GreenLine. Former managing editor of the paper, founding editor of the Warren Wilson College environmental journal, Heartstone, member of the national editorial board of the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies, publisher of Brave Ulysses Books, radio host of "Blows Against the Empire" on WPVM-LP 103.5 FM, co-author of the best selling guide Finding your way in Asheville. Lives with three cats, macs and cacti. His other car is a canoe. Paints, plays music and for the past five years has been researching and soon to publish a critical biography--Billy Graham: Prince of War:

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