Nominations are being accepted through April 30 for the 12th Annual Valdosta Historic Preservation Awards.

The event is held each May in observance of National Historic Preservation Month, organizers said. 

The theme for National Historic Preservation Month is “This Place Matters” which "encourages people across the country to celebrate the places that are meaningful to them and their communities," organizers said. Check out the National Trust for Historic Preservation website https://savingplaces.org/this-place-matters for more information. 

The Historic Preservation Awards are a way to recognize significant contributions to the preservation and enhancement of historic buildings in the Valdosta Local Historic District. 

Residents are encouraged to nominate a person or group who has made "outstanding efforts to preserve historic buildings in our city within the last three years," organizers said. 

Nomination forms can be found on the VPA application located on the City of Valdosta website under the Planning and Zoning Department.

Nominations will be reviewed by the awards committee, comprised of members of the Valdosta Historic Preservation Commission, Lowndes County Historical Society and the Valdosta Heritage Foundation. 

The committee will determine winners for the following awards based on the contributions of the project to the architectural and historical character of the Valdosta Historic District:

Outstanding Achievement Award: Recognizes exemplary accomplishments in historic building rehabilitation or restoration, specifically for complex or large-scale projects.

Distinguished Merit Award: Recognizes preservation improvements made to historic buildings through simple, small-scale projects that contribute to Valdosta’s heritage.

Stewardship Award: Recognizes property owners for their long-term care, maintenance, stabilization or protection of a contributing historic building.

Excellence in Compatible New Construction Award: Recognizes excellence in the design of new construction that complements and reflects the architectural character of the Valdosta Historic District.

Harold M. Bennett Lifetime Achievement Award: Recognizes a person from our community who has dedicated many years of his or her life to historic preservation and impacted preservation efforts in the City of Valdosta.

Completed nominations may be emailed to [email protected], or mailed to the Planning & Zoning Division, P.O. Box 1125, Valdosta, GA 31603-1125. Hand deliveries can be brought to the planning and zoning office, 300 N. Lee St., in the City Hall Annex. 

Nominators and award winners will be notified the second week of May. Awards will be formally presented at the Valdosta City Council meeting May 21.