The Westfield Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) seeks entries for the Harry Devlin preservation awards honoring outstanding efforts in the restoration, expansion, and maintenance of older properties. This year, the HPC is also reintroducing awards for art and writing on a preservation topic open to any middle or senior high student.
Created in 1993 to encourage the use of established historic preservation standards, the Devlin awards are named for Harry Devlin, a prominent local artist and architectural historian. Any recent project visible to the public is eligible. Residential, commercial, professional and institutional buildings may be entered. Categories for nomination include:
- Addition or alteration sensitive to original architecture;
- Restoration or repair of original or existing improvement;
- Period-appropriate painting or residing;
- Adaptive reuse of a property in a manner sensitive to the original architecture and/or neighborhood;
- Persons, actions or events that promote preservation may also be considered.
The student art and creative writing contest seeks to foster an appreciation of historic preservation in teens and young adults. Middle and high school students are invited to submit a piece of creative writing or artwork in response to the prompt: “Describe or depict a favorite place in Westfield as it existed in another era. Include specific historic details that help evoke the time period.” Any story, poem, drawing or painting may be entered.
The deadline for both the preservation awards and student contest is Monday, April 15, 2019. Criteria and entry forms can be found on the town website at westfieldnj.gov/historicpreservation. For additional information, please contact hpc@westfieldnj.gov.
(above) “Westfield Queen Anne,” by artist and architectural historian Harry Devlin. Entries for the Devlin preservation awards and student contest are due April 15.
