HISTORIC PRESERVATION STARS TO BE HONORED AT 12TH ANNUAL JOHN D. SPELLMAN AWARDS

Awards to spotlight Pioneer Square information center, Moore House in Fall City, Lake Union archaeological sites, and Redmond WPA-built park facility

King County Executive Dow Constantine will recognize four recipients of the 2012 John D. Spellman Awards for Exemplary Achievement in Historic Preservation on May 24 at the Old Redmond Schoolhouse Community Center, 16600 NE 80^th Street, Redmond, WA. “As John Steinbeck so eloquently wrote in The Grapes of Wrath, ‘How do we know it’s us without our past?’  I salute those who honor and preserve our history – it is only upon a strong foundation that we can build our future,” said King County Executive Dow Constantine. The Executive will present the awards in Redmond this year to acknowledge and celebrate the City’s Centennial.  A special presentation on Redmond history will precede the awards and descendants of one of the city’s founding families will be in attendance. The recipients of this year’s awards are:

• Irene Pike for her stewardship and rehabilitation of the historic Moore House in Fall City;
• The Center for Wooden Boats and partners for documentation and education related to Lake Union’s underwater archaeological sites;
• The City of Redmond for its exacting restoration of the picnic shelter in the 1930s Works Project Administration (WPA)-constructed Anderson Park; and
• The Washington State Department of Transportation and partners for Milepost 31, a new public information center in the heart of Seattle’s Pioneer Square.

The doors open at 9:30 a.m. for coffee and refreshments; the ceremony begins at 10:15 a.m.  The awards are named in honor of Governor John Spellman (King County Executive 1969-1981) who established the County’s Historic Preservation Program 32 years ago. The Old Redmond Schoolhouse was constructed in 1922 as a school for all grades.  In 1999 the building was converted into a community center and today is the venue for a variety of recreation programs operated by the City’s Parks & Recreation Department.