Historic Commission receives national honor
Jul. 28—The Decatur Historic Preservation Committee has been honored with a national award for the creation of an educational booklet that highlights the city's architectural history and celebrates Decatur's Bicentennial.
The National Alliance of Preservation Commissions honored Decatur HPC with a Commission Excellence Award for Best Practices in Public Outreach and Advocacy at the NAPC's Forum in Cincinnati, Ohio, on July 15.
The awards program recognizes and honors outstanding efforts and achievements by local preservation commissions, as well as individual preservationists doing exemplary work at the federal, state and municipal levels.
With support from a Certified Local Government grant, the education booklet focused on the city's broader cultural landscape. It also included stories the community might not know about, including the work of an early Black architect, Jewish shop owner, the transformation of an 1887 livery stable into an Art Deco movie theater and the vintage 1950s era neon sign for Bob Gibson's BBQ.
The city held a city-wide coloring contest using the booklet to engage children. Over 140 elementary students entered the contest. The students' submissions were displayed throughout downtown.
— bayne.hughes@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2432. Twitter @DD_BayneHughes.
