SPRINGFIELD – The Springfield Preservation Trust not only recognized the preservation efforts of home and business owners in Springfield at its recent awards event, it also paid tribute to its former president Don Courtemanche III recently passed away after years of involvement in the preservation of historic properties in the city, Trust President Derek Strahan explained.

“We gather in the shadow of the death of Don Courtemanche,” Strahan said at the awards ceremony conducted at Springfield Technical Community College’s newly renovated Building 19.

Strahan said that Courtemanche came to the city in 2009, purchased a long-vacant 19th century home on Maple Street and brought it back to life only to suffer major damages to the home by the tornado in 2011.

The Trust awarded its most important award named after the first president of the Trust to Courtemanche.

Strahan said Springfield has something many others communities do not have, he said. “Other communities can dream of the historic housing stock [here],” he added.

The other awards presented that evening:

• Springfield Technical Community College and the Massachusetts Division of Capital Asset Management & Maintenance for the rehabilitation of Building 19 into the Ira H. Rubenzahl Student Learning Commons

Building 19 was built between 1847 and 1863 as a storehouse for supplies and tanks as part of the Springfield Armory. It was closed by Congress in 1968. It now houses a wide variety of student services.

• MGM Springfield for restoration of 95 State Street and the French Congregational Church at 94 Union St.

The French Congregational Church was moved and remodeled by MGM Springfield, while 95 State St., which had been slated for demolition was instead preserved and is being used as offices for casino management.

• Valley Real Estate for the restoration of the apartment buildings, St. James Building at 573 State St. and the Wigglesworth Building at 23 Oak St.

•Viva Development for the restoration of the apartment building at 263-267 Central St.

• Icarian Real Estate Advisors for restoration of the Victorian home at 175 Mill St. Developer Demetrios Panteleakis shared the building’s interior was demolished “down to the studs.” He added will a smile, “You hope for the best and encounter the worst. Anything that could go wrong did go wrong.”

• Gary & Stephanie Erbe for restoration of 115 Sumner Ave.

• Dan Rodriguez & Bill LaPorte for restoration of 102 Maplewood Terrace

• The Edward Sims Award for Stewardship will go to Elliot & Kay Stratton for 174 Buckingham St.    

Elliot Stratton said he and his wife have lived in the historic home since 1972 and there still remains “the incentive to do more” in restoration.

• The George Pooler Award for Stewardship will go to Daniel & Kateri Walsh for 42 Magnolia Terrace

Kateri Walsh said that with an older home, “The work never stops.”

• The Robert Holbrook Award for Stewardship will go to James & Linda Bartlett and Ruth Dumont for 280-282 Pine St.

***

The Trust sponsors a number of events through the year and its next feature is a home tour. The Trust has partnered with the Colony Hills Neighborhood Association on a house tour in Colony Hills on June 9 from 1 to 4 p.m. Six houses will be open on Colony Road, Normandy Road, and Park Drive.

Colony Hills was developed beginning in 1921 between Converse Street in Longmeadow and Forest Park. Its streets and landscaping were designed by the noted Olmsted Brothers firm of Brookline. Prominent regional architects designed many of the houses in the popular Colonial Revival and Tudor Revival styles.

“Colony Hills is one of the best neighborhoods in the region from the 1920s,” said Strahan, “We’re fortunate to be able share this unique area with a wider audience.”  

Advance $15 tickets will be available after Memorial Day at www.SpringfieldPreservation.org; The Flower Box, 596 Carew St.; and Flowers, Flowers, 758 Sumner Ave. On tour day, $20 tickets will be available at the intersection of Park Drive and Colony Road between 12:45 and 2 p.m. For information, call 413-736-0629.