Historic Preservation

Arizona Heritage Alliance Vice-President Wins Grand Prize Recognition as Top Preservation Advocate

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Since 1982, the Arizona Preservation Foundation and Arizona State Historic Preservation Office (a division of Arizona State Parks) have partnered to present the Governor’s Heritage Preservation Awards. These awards recognize people, organizations, and projects that represent outstanding achievements in preserving Arizona’s prehistoric and historic resources.

The Grand Award winner is announced at the annual Arizona Statewide Historic Preservation Conference awards luncheon which took place last Friday, May 14th, in Flagstaff.

Arizona Heritage Alliance’s Vice-President, Jim McPherson, took home the grand prize award as the top Preservation Advocate. McPherson is Assistant Vice-President for Public Affairs for the Flinn Foundation, managing all of the Foundation’s day-to-day public affairs and community relations activities. Also, as a historic preservation advocate, he serves on the Board of the Arizona Preservation Foundation and the Downtown Voices Coalition.

Historic San Xavier mission lacks funds to complete repairs; tough economic times clip White Dove’s wings

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The upper reaches of the east bell tower of Mission San Xavier del Bac shows its age next to the restored west tower. (Photo: Kelly Presnell, Arizona Daily Star)

[Source: Doug Kreutz,  Arizona Daily Star 3-28-2010] — A prominent feature of Mission San Xavier del Bac, which has graced the desert southwest of Tucson for two centuries, faces unchecked decay now that critical funding has been cut.  Work to repair and restore the mission’s deteriorated east bell tower was supposed to be under way this spring, but not a dab of new mortar has been applied.

A previously approved $150,000 grant from the Arizona Heritage Fund to kick-start the project was abruptly canceled last year.  Persistent efforts to get the funding restored have failed, so the bell tower will languish for the foreseeable future — making eventual restoration ever more costly, said Vern Lamplot, executive director of the Patronato San Xavier.  The group oversees fundraising and restoration for the mission, which attracts 200,000 visitors annually.

Restoration of the tower was to be the last major step in more than two decades of work that has included repair of walls, renovation of the west tower and meticulous cleaning of religious art inside the mission.  [Note: To read the full story, click here.]

Mesa Grande Interpretive Trail grand opening is held

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[Source: Kevin Christopher, Arizona Museum of Natural History] — A community vision to bring an archaeological treasure to the public is finally realized!  A grand opening of the Mesa Grande Interpretive Trail [was] held Saturday, March 27 from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Mesa Grande, located at West 10th Street and Date/Brown.  Mesa Grande is a major prehistoric Hohokam site that flourished from about 1000-1450 A.D.  The main feature is a large platform mound, about 27 feet high, that covers the size of a football field.  The site is administered by the Arizona Museum of Natural History.

“This is a day we have been looking forward to for a long time.  The opening of the trail will allow people to learn more about this unique site built by the Hohokam and our efforts to save it,” Arizona Museum of Natural History Curator of Anthropology Dr. Jerry Howard said.  The City of Mesa purchased the Mesa Grande ruins to preserve this cultural treasure and open it to the public as an educational and recreational facility.  Mesa Grande is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and has also been designated by the Arizona Historical Advisory Commission as an Arizona Centennial Legacy Project.  [Note: To read the full article, click here.]

Wickenburg-Boetto House receives award

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Before and after shot of the Wickenburg-Boetto House.

[Source: The Wickenburg Sun, 3-23-2010] — The Wickenburg-Boetto House was recently selected to receive the Heritage Fund Historic Preservation Project of the year award.  The selection was based on many aspects, such as outstanding project performance and end use.  The Arizona State Parks board and the Arizona Lottery made the Project of the Year program possible.

The Historic Preservation Advisory Committee has chosen Wednesday, March 31 as the day to recognize the project and to award a bronze plaque to be placed at the Wickenburg-Boetto House.  Other projects being recognized include Old Adobe Mission in Scottsdale, New State Motor Building in Jerome, Children’s Museum at Monroe School in Phoenix, and Peeples Valley Schoolhouse.

The awards presentation is scheduled to take place in Phoenix and is set to begin at 1 p.m.  For more information, contact Cindy Thrasher at 684-5129.