Requirements & nomination

Requirements and Nomination of Preservation Awards

The Victorian Society in America's Board of Directors has established the annual Preservation Awards Program to honor projects of outstanding merit in the preservation or restoration of significant artifacts of Victorian material culture.

In addition to the prestige of the Society's respected award, winners receive a hand-illuminated certification presented at a dinner during the Society's annual meeting.  The Society also publicizes its awards through a press release and on this web site.

The Board's Preservation Committee, responsible for administering the program, has promulgated the following requirements:

Project criteria

The preservation or restoration of architecture, landscape architecture, planning, technology, a significant artifact or collection of artifacts.  Not-for-profit organizations whose mission is preservation or restoration in any of these categories are also eligible. 

Individual private residences not open to the public are ineligible for preservation awards.

A project must:

• represent Victorian influence on material culture during the period 1837 to 1917, inclusive, and must be of work constructed or created during that period.

• be outstanding nationally, regionally, or in its professional field.  If a structure or site, it should be listed or eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places individually or as a contributing structure within an historic district.

• have been completed not more than two years prior to submission of the nomination.

• encompass the completed restoration of a property or artifact; however, exceptions may be made depending on the magnitude and nature of the project.  Discussion with the Chair of the Preservation Committee is recommended prior to submission of a nomination (see name and contact information below).

Nominations must be:

• submitted by an individual VSA national member or a Chapter in good standing.  If a project is within the jurisdiction of a VSA chapter, it must receive the endorsement of that chapter.

• postmarked no later than February 15 and mailed to the Chair of the Preservation Committee (see name and address below).

Nomination documents must include:

• a completed nomination form

• A narrative of no more than five pages that:

Relates pertinent information about the history, dates, creator, etc. of the property, artifact, or organization, including its importance on a local, state, and/or national level; and

Describes the preservation and/or restoration work accomplished, including methodology of procedure; problems encountered and solved; adaptive reuse (if any); systems upgraded; decisions concerning period of significance, historic re-creations, historic  furnishings, or replication of missing elements; and names of significant professionals and craftsmen involved in the project.  Public access to or benefit from the property, if any, should also be described.

• Sufficient hardcopy color photographs to illustrate the work that has been done on the project, including, as appropriate, views of the exterior, interior, outbuildings, landscape; before-and-after photographs are strongly recommended, if available.  Digital images of exterior and interior views transmitted on disc or by e-mail suitable for display on the VSA website.

• Letters of endorsement are welcome, though not required, from qualified individuals or officials attesting to the importance or professional quality of the work on the project.

The Preservation Committee will review the nominations and transmit its recommendations to the Society’s Board of Directors, which shall make its decisions normally at its Winter board meeting.

The Society’s board may make more than one preservation award in any year and may characterize awards in accordance with their importance, such as award, commendation, honorable mention, etc.

Awards will be presented at the next annual meeting of the Society.  If a representative of the recipient is unable to attend the meeting, alternative arrangements will be made.

Go to: Nomination Form

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The Preservation Committee will be pleased to answer any questions regarding the requirements, documentation, or procedures for the Preservation Awards Program.

Charles J. Robertson
Chair, Preservation Committee
1516 T Street, NW
Washington, DC  20009-3910

Telephone:  202-265-6669
E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it