Released: December 1, 2023
Nominations are now open for the 2024 Heritage Commission Preservation Awards. These awards, first held in 1978, celebrate those in Delaware County—including individuals, groups, organizations, businesses, and institutions—who have made significant strides in safeguarding and revitalizing our local landmarks and the abundant historical narratives of Delaware County.
Help us honor those who are preserving our heritage by restoring or rehabilitating a building, object or site, publishing an article, book, or any written material about our history or our heritage, contributing to the general public knowledge and awareness of Delaware County history, or creating a special program or project that highlights a facet of community history.
We want to know about these projects and accomplishments and ensure that the people and organizations in Delaware County who are working hard to preserve our heritage are recognized and celebrated. Any group or person can make nominations for any category.
By helping us recognize Delaware County’s successes, you will be helping to encourage the continued preservation of our county’s heritage.
Coordinated by the Delaware County Heritage Commission, these awards are presented annually by County Council during National Preservation Month in May. Award categories include:
Site Preservation. Recognizes efforts towards exterior and interior restoration, preservation, or rehabilitation of an historical structure and/or site.
Publications. Recognizes those who have published books, articles, magazines, videos, calendars, social media, and websites, that present the heritage of Delaware County.
Special Programs/Projects. Recognizes education, research, archival activities, or other creative processes used to preserve Delaware County’s heritage.
Individual or Group Achievement. Recognizes an individual or group whose contributions in support of projects or activities. Group Achievement recognizes a group who has formed for the purpose of history or preservation.
Historic Preservation Planning. Recognizes efforts in planning to preserve Delaware County’s heritage, including preserving buildings, complexes, archaeological sites, and community character.
Youth. Recognizes a youth who has made outstanding efforts to preserve Delaware County’s heritage through various projects undertaken, in school or outside.
The Leedom B. Morrison Heritage Award. Recognizes preservation projects in the City of Chester that involve restoration, rehabilitation, or adaptive reuse of an historical structure.
Legacy Award. Recognizes the efforts of long-standing members of the business community that have demonstrated good stewardship and have maintained the architectural integrity and architectural elements of their historic buildings and site.
Veterans Legacy. Recognizes efforts to memorialize veteran’s history, sites, cemeteries, monuments, or objects.
Indigenous Heritage. Recognizes projects that ensure preservation of Indigenous objects, traditional places or lifeways, and intangible heritage or languages.
Nominations will be accepted through February 29, 2024.
Details about the Heritage Commission Preservation Award categories and nomination forms are available online at DelcoPA.Gov/HeritageAwards. Award nominations can be submitted through an online form, via email, or through the mail.
We strongly encourage you to thoroughly review the award criteria, fully complete the form, and include all materials requested. We look forward to receiving your nominations. If you have any questions, please contact Kate Clifford at (610) 891-5223 or by email at DelawareCountyHeritage@co.delaware.pa.us.
Award winners and individuals and organizations who submitted a winning nomination will be invited to attend the 2024 Heritage Commission Preservation Awards ceremony in May.
Thank you to the members of the Delaware County Planning Department, the Heritage Commission, local municipalities, historical societies, and individuals from the community who are dedicated to preserving and honoring the historic sites throughout our County.