SAH to Honor Chicago Preservationists at Gala

The Society of Architectural Historians will honor Chicago’s early preservationists at Awards Gala on Saturday, November 8. The gala benefits the restoration of the recently flooded Charnley-Persky House.

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The Society of Architectural Historians (SAH) will hold its fifth annual Awards Gala on Saturday, November 8, 2014, from 6-9 p.m., at The Fortnightly of Chicago, 120 East Bellevue Place. The theme of this year’s gala is “A Foundation for Preservation,” honoring individuals who initiated early historic preservation work in Chicago and continue to support the conservation of the built environment. Tickets are $175/person ($50 tax deductible) and may be purchased online at sah.org/gala or by calling (312) 573-1365.

SAH will present the following Awards for Architectural Excellence in:

• PRESERVATION ADVOCACY: Honoring architect Ben Weese, FAIA, for his work as an early activist and advocate of architectural preservation and his role in shaping Chicago’s preservation movement. Weese is a founding partner of Weese Langley Weese.


• STEWARDSHIP OF THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT: Honoring Tim Samuelson, Cultural Historian of the City of Chicago, for his lifelong commitment to discovering and sharing the history of Chicago and its architecture and his work as an early preservation activist.


• ARCHITECTURAL CONSERVATION: Honoring historic paint analyst and restoration consultant Robert Furhoff, who has worked for decades advising building owners nationwide on historic restorations through careful paint and material analysis.


• ARCHITECTURAL MEDIA: Honoring Wilbert Hasbrouck, FAIA, and Marilyn Hasbrouck for their longtime support of Chicago preservation as founders of the Prairie School Review and the Prairie Avenue Bookshop.


• CONSERVATION OF THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT: Honoring Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle for her leadership of the Forest Preserve’s Next Century Conservation Plan.

John Eifler, FAIA, LEED AP, of Eifler & Associates Architects and John Vinci, FAIA, of Vinci | Hamp Architects, are co-chairing the 2014 gala.

The gala will include silent and live auctions, buffet stations, passed hors d’oeuvres, and beer and wine.

Sponsorship and advertising is available. Please contact Carolyn Garrett at cgarrett@sah.org or 312.573.1365 for more information.

The gala benefits the SAH’s educational mission and ongoing restoration of the recently flooded Charnley-Persky House. Designed by Louis Sullivan with assistance from his junior draftsman, Frank Lloyd Wright, the Charnley-Persky House is recognized as a pivotal work of modern American architecture. The National Historic Landmark building serves as the headquarters of the Society of Architectural Historians. Visit charnleyperskyhouse.org for more information.

Founded at Harvard in 1940, the Society of Architectural Historians is a nonprofit membership organization that promotes the study, interpretation and conservation of architecture, design, landscapes and urbanism worldwide. SAH serves a network of local, national and international institutions and individuals who, by vocation or avocation, focus on the built environment and its role in shaping contemporary life. SAH promotes meaningful public engagement with the history of the built environment through advocacy efforts, print and online publications, and local, national and international programs. Visit sah.org.

Pictured, clockwise from top left: Ben Weese, Tim Samuelson, Marilyn Hasbrouck, Toni Preckwinkle, Wilbert Hasbrouck and Robert Furhoff.