A current student and alumna of the University of Mary Washington have received recognition by the National Park Service for their documentation of historic buildings.
Senior Teresa Boegler received an honorable mention for the 2015 Leicester B. Holland Prize from the National Park Service’s Heritage Documentation Program for her drawing of the St. James House, a Washington Heritage Museums site in Fredericksburg.
A second honorable mention went to Sara Sanders, a 2013 alumna of UMW and recent graduate in the joint historic preservation master’s program at Clemson University’s and the College of Charleston. Sanders’ submission was based on the 18th-century Pon Pon Chapel in the Jacksonville area of South Carolina.
The Holland Prize is an annual national competition open to students and professionals that recognizes the best single-sheet measured drawing of a historic site, structure or landscape prepared to specific industry standards. Boegler’s submission was based on the Saint James’ House, one of the few 18th century frame houses left in Fredericksburg today.
Both Boegler’s and Sanders’ works will be published in “Preservation Architect,” the online newsletter of the Historic Resources Committee of the American Institute of Architects, and they each will receive a $500 cash prize.
The two are the only recognized entries for the 2015 prize as none of the entries met the industry standards to be named a winner.
According to Michael Spencer, associate professor of historic preservation, this is the first time a student from UMW has been recognized for the award.
“Within the field of historic preservation, the documentation required for the award is often regarded as the gold standard,” Spencer, who was faculty adviser to both Boegler and Sanders during their independent study projects at UMW. “To have an undergraduate student capable of drawing to such high standards as well as competing with industry professionals and graduate students says a lot about our program and the capabilities of our students.”
Boegler was the recipient of the Anne Bradley Guerrant ’47 Scholarship for Historic Preservation and is a student aid with the Office of Historic Preservation. A historic preservation major, she had completed the Holland Prize submission for an independent study project. In addition to her studies, Sanders works as an executive projects assistant for the Montpelier Foundation.
“Both Teresa and Sarah have been incredible students,” said Spencer. “The high level of drawing that the Holland Prize competition requires speaks volumes as to their attention to detail, solid work ethic and self-determination.”
To learn more about the 2015 Holland Prize, visit http://www.nps.gov/hdp/competitions/holland_winners.htm.
