City to Give Out Four Design, Preservation Awards

The will bestow the 2012 Preservation Award to Wesleyan University, the 2012 Design Award to Nora Cupcake Company and Eli Cannon’s Trading Company and the 2012 Phoenix Award to O’Rourke’s Diner.

Mayor Daniel T. Drew will present the awards at 700 Main Street on Wednesday at 2:30 p.m.

This year’s preservation award goes to that recently completed a renovation of 41 Wyllys Avenue, known as the Squash Courts Building in order to house the College of Letters, Art History, and the Career Resource Center. Built in 1934 and an important part of “College Row,” this project is a combination of the old and new, ideally representing the spirit of this award.

This year’s design award goes to the vibrant storefront signage for Company and Company at 700 Main Street. The reimaging of this historic Victorian storefront adds to Middletown eclectic renaissance underway in Middletown’s North End.

The Annual Design and Preservation Awards are annually bestowed on distinguished projects whose design and/or preservation effort have given new meaning to their communities through preservation of our architectural and cultural heritage. These efforts include citizen attempts to save and maintain important landmarks; companies and craftsmen whose work restores the richness of the past; and the vision of public officials who support preservation projects and legislation in their communities who help the City of Middletown understand the value of design and preservation.

This year the Board decided to recognize the remarkable effort to resurrect with the Phoenix Award, given for projects that overcame significant setbacks or challenges. In the case of O’Rourke’s diner, the entire restaurant was gutted by a fire in 2006 and was able to reopen in 2008 through the hard work of the owners and community.

Past recipients of the Annual Design and Preservation Awards have included the General Mansfield House, the Camp Stearns House, the Liberty Commons, Wadsworth Mansion, Inn at Middletown and Middletown Police Station.