Preservation Maryland’s Best of Maryland Awards shine a spotlight on the ceaseless work of Maryland’s volunteers, architects, artisans, legislators, and many more individuals who are doing the essential work of protecting the places that make Maryland such a special place to live, work, explore – and celebrate.
Read on to learn more about this year’s recipients of the Artisan, Phoenix, and President’s awards.
Preservation Artisan Award
Mark Wiest of Deadrise Maritime for work on Annapolis Maritime Museum’s Skipjack Wilma Lee
Presented to an individual or group of individuals who have demonstrated excellence in the art and artistry of a craft or trade that is used in the preservation, restoration, or rehabilitation of historic buildings, neighborhoods, landscapes, or archaeological sites in Maryland. Nominations will be evaluated based on the person’s demonstrated excellence in the practice of their craft as well as their ability to inspire and willingness to teach others the skills needed to perform their trade.
Skipjack Wilma Lee was purchased in 2018 by the Annapolis Maritime Museum and successfully restored to its former glory, largely by Shipwright Mark Wiest of Deadrise Maritime. It is part of the Chesapeake Bay Fleet, 35 of which remain. Wilma Lee is currently used to help educate visitors about commercial sailing, oyster dredging, and the Chesapeake Bay.
Annapolis Maritime Museum.
Skipjack Wilma Lee is of special interest as being one of only two surviving skipjacks to have been built between the two World Wars. Listed on the Maryland Inventory of Historic Places the Wilma Lee was built in Wingate, Maryland in 1940 by Bronza Parks – the famed boat builder of the skipjacks Rosie Parks, the Martha Lewis, and the Lady Katie. Though Parks had built many other vessels by 1940, Wilma Lee was his first skipjack.
Between 2018 and 2020, the Annapolis Maritime Museum invested over $120,000 in the repair and restoration of the wooden vessel for Coast Guard certification and public programming. Restoration work was led by Wiest
Restoration efforts focused on all areas from the mast to the keel. Major preservation work included replacing the 65-foot mast and rigging, mast step/strongback, bowsprit, boom lift. Repairing 1,700 square feet of sails, bilge and freshwater systems, electrical system, through-hull fittings, block and tackle, keel, centerboard trunk, and refinishing the deck and deck benches, cabins, doors, trim, the boom, railings, props and shafts, vessel nameplate.
The Phoenix Award
Guilford Hall Brewery
Presented to individuals or organizations to recognize projects demonstrating excellence in the revitalization of threatened or abandoned historic resources.
Guilford Hall Brewery is a rehabilitation of the famous Crown Cork and Seal Company’s industrial complex located at 1611 Guilford Avenue in Station North, a developing arts district in the heart of Baltimore. This area has been home to artists, musicians, and performers in the adjacent former industrial buildings for the past twenty years. The brewery structure was originally constructed in 1897 for the expanding factories to accommodate the boom of growth after their founder, William Painter, patented his new bottle stopper invention, the crown cork. The building was listed on the Maryland Inventory of Historic Properties (MIHP) in 1980 and is a contributing structure to the North Central Historic District listed in the National Register of Historic Places (NHRP). The roughly 20,000 sf. development revitalizes the abandoned portions of the complex, turning vacant and deteriorating spaces into a brewery, tasting room, restaurant, and event space.
President’s Leadership Award
SEnator Ron Young
Presented to individuals or organizations to recognize exceptional leadership and commitment to preserving Maryland’s rich and diverse heritage. Nominations will be evaluated based on the length and nature of service or project, record of achievement, and the nominee’s overall impact on the statewide preservation movement.
Senator Ron Young served as Frederick’s mayor for more than 15 years, leading during much of the revitalization the city’s historic downtown area, often said to be one of the state’s most precious historic districts. Young, set to retire from politics when his state Senate term ends in January 2023, consistently supported preservation initiatives throughout his political career and served on the Assembly’s Joint Committee on Program Open Space and Agricultural Preservation. Preservation Maryland is pleased to present Sen. Young with the President’s Leadership Award for his commitment to preserving Maryland’s heritage.