Individuals, organizations, and projects that have made outstanding contributions to preserving Oregon heritage will receive Oregon Heritage Excellence Awards.

Awards recognize action taken to preserve and share Oregon’s heritage over and above the call of duty. “The award recipients represent individuals, organizations, and projects that serve as inspiration and models for preserving Oregon’s stories,” said Katie Henry, coordinator for the Oregon Heritage Commission. “This year has been especially tough for everyone, including Oregon’s heritage organizations, and being able to celebrate these heritage wins is critical as we hopefully move towards recovery.”

The recipients are:

-- Bobbie Dolp, Salem, for her dedicated work in establishing the Lord & Schryver Conservancy and preserving the legacy of Elizabeth Lord and Edith Schryver who established the first women-owned landscape architecture firm in the Northwest.

-- Caples House Museum Restoration Project, Columbia City, for extraordinary fundraising efforts resulting in the restoration of the National Register listed Caples House Museum preserving not only the structure but also the museum collection inside of it. 

-- University of Oregon’s Eugene Lesbian Oral History Project, Eugene, for documenting and preserving the contributions of the Eugene lesbian community to Oregon’s enduring cultural, political, and social innovations.

-- Johnny Edwards*, Yamhill County, for his holistic and passionate approach to the preservation of the historic Lafayette and McMinnville Masonic Cemeteries.

-- Steven Greif, Coos Bay, for his dedicated volunteer service that has contributed to the growth and community impact of the Coos History Museum.

-- The Darcelle Project, Portland, a multi-dimensional project that preserves and honors the story of Walter Cole, also known as Darcelle, and his achievements as an entrepreneur, performer, Portland icon, and activist for the LGBTQ community.  

-- University of Oregon’s Institute for Policy Research and Engagement, Eugene, for their contributions in supporting community heritage preservation efforts through research, the RARE Americorps program, and disaster resilience planning. 

*Sally Donovan Award for Historic Cemetery Preservation

The Oregon Heritage Excellence Awards are a project of Oregon Heritage, part of the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. This year’s awards will be presented in conjunction with the Oregon Heritage Summit on April 29, 2021. The event has been moved to a virtual platform in response to COVID-19 meeting restrictions. During the Summit, videos of the award winning projects will be debuted and award winners will be able to do a live, virtual acceptance of the award. The videos can be accessed at www.oregonheritage.org following the event.

For more information, contact Kuri Gill at 503-986-0685 or kuri.gill@oregon.gov

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