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Each year, the Oxford Area Historical Association reviews
participation of individuals, companies and organizations in the preservation
and promotion of the history of our area. Nominations are made and voted
upon by the awards committee and the final vote of approval for the awards
selection is made by the entire
Board of Directors .
The
organization did not issue Historical achivement awards in
2004.
Leadership | Hands-On | Building Preservation | Group /
Organizational
Faye R. Doyle
Leadership Award
An individual who has shown knowledgeable,
dedicated leadership of a group effort to preserve or present local area
history. In 2003, this award title was renamed from the Individual
Historic Preservation Achievement - Leadership to honor the past, present and
on-going leadership and commitment of Dr. Faye R. Doyle to the area's local
history.
| Year |
Recipient |
Comments |
|
2005 |
Kent and Debbie Vendrick
|
What can we say about the tremendous leadership
and dedication of Kent and Debbie to the Hopewell Bell Tower Project? Kent
conceived the project of preservation of the Oxford School Bell and Bell
Tower; raised the funds; arranged for publicity; designed and drafted the
blue prints; created an engineering time flow chart; kept records, both
construction narrative and financial; reported the project weekly to OAHA;
and if that weren’t enough, he and Debbie spent hundreds of hours at the
project site, preserving historical materials and doing hands on
construction. What a huge sentence, and what a huge project!
During this project he has led a small army of eager and inspired
volunteers toward successful project completion. All this through rain,
snow, cold, wind, sun, and heat! Kent has been persistent, thorough,
organized, patient, pleasant and encouraging to all, and diplomatic in his
dealings with Oxford Area School Administration, Oxford School Board, and
Oxford Borough. Perhaps we should say here- “Kent Vendrick for President,
and Debbie for First Llady”- they can do anything!
Kent and
Debbie, thanks for your dedication and persistence over the years of the
project. A project which began in 2000 with rescue and restoration of the
Bell and culminated in a visual representation of the Oxford Area Schools’
logo, an enduring memorial monument, and a unique historical welcome sign
to the Oxford Area School Campus.
See detailed project
reports |
|
2003 |
Dr. Faye R. Doyle |
Our
individual award for leadership in historic preservation goes to a person
who is described perfectly by the prize’s stated criteria: “Knowledgeable,
dedicated leadership of a group effort to preserve or present local area
history.” This year’s recipient, Dr. Faye R. Doyle, absolutely personifies
knowledge, dedication, leadership, effort, preservation, and presentation.
Her ceaseless endeavors in behalf of OAHA and tireless support of all of
its projects have played a vital role in the formation of our organization
and in guiding its steady growth. A lifelong resident of the community,
Faye grew up in Oxford and graduated from Oxford High School in 1946.
After four years of study at Maryville College in Tennessee she earned an
M.D. at Temple University School of Medicine. With her husband, Dr.
Russell Doyle, Faye returned to Oxford to take over the practice of family
medicine begun by her father, Dr. Fount B. Robinson. Now retired after a
long career as a health care provider to countless Oxfordians, she
continues to be known as “Dr. Faye.” Faye was one of the organizers of the
Oxford Area Historical Association and she has served on its board and as
president since the beginning of the group. Similarly, she was an early
member of the Oxford Historic Commission, an agency established by the
borough to promote historical consciousness and preservation in the
community, and to inventory historic resources. She continues to serve
both groups with devotion, keeping aware of their compatible but distinct
agendas. In fact, we believe that Faye is the only person who truly knows
the difference between the two groups!
Some of Faye’s numerous
accomplishments include promoting the restoration and reinstallation of
the historic Oxford Town Clock, advocacy of the creation of a Historic
District in the community, and direction of the popular Oxford Town Walks
during several recent summers. She has also given key support to the Evan
Pugh historical marker replacement project, encouraged OAHA’s acquisition
of historical artifacts and documents, and led our organization’s effort
to provide high quality educational programming through public meetings in
and around Oxford.
Faye pioneered the creation of OAHA’s unique
“story boards,” informative poster-sized displays containing photographs
and documents relating to the subjects of our public meetings. She has
also designed informative exhibits of historical objects for the OMI
storefront display area. And rarely does a community event take place
without Faye’s presence at a table seeking support or membership in OAHA.
Faye is the mother of four children, all graduates of Oxford Area
High School, and she is the proud grandmother of three. If you can catch
her at home, you will find Faye dwelling in one of Oxford’s most
distinctive Victorian homes at the corner of Pine and Mount Vernon
Streets. Instead of settling back into a placid retirement occupied only
by gardening, canoeing, skiing and travel, Faye Doyle has sensed the
historical significance of Oxford, and she has alerted the entire
community to the importance and the excitement of discovering, preserving,
and publicizing that heritage. |
|
2002 |
Vivian C. Miller |
For
many years Mrs. Miller has been involved in the field of history and
family genealogy. She has been active in many Chester
County historical associations,
commissions, conferences and workshops; attending, assisting, planning,
and directing activities and exhibits. She has been instrumental in the
formation of local area historical commissions, by talking to the
supervisors and urging historic preservation action. She also has been a
leader in the Kennett Square High School Alumni Association. Her most
recent historical responsibility in addition to her duties on committees
of OAHA, has been as chairman of Upper Oxford’s newly created Historic Commission. The Commission is
recording township history, researching important places and events, and
planning presentations to highlight local history. It will also update the
historic resource survey of the township, initiated in 1982. Having a
special interest in the one-room schools of the township, she has
collected the signatures of those who attended them on quilt blocks, for
an historical record quilt of the old schools, illustrating one of the
many interesting ways that history can be presented. She says that her
commission has been very supportive and dedicated, but with such a leader
to guide and encourage, how can they fail to be! Other activities include
writing a biography of her father-in-law, Cecil Miller, relating his
interesting life and participation in Country Western Music. Participation
on the Oxford Library board brought her in contact with the papers of
Oxford
historian, Frank Peters, which she has cataloged and cross-indexed. We
applaud her many accomplishments and look forward to interesting
historical achievements to come. |
| 2001 |
John
Bradley |
For many years Mr. Bradley has been active in the field
of history. He has been a leader in education, as an author, as a planner
of displays, meetings, and conferences concerning the teaching of history
and the preservation of historical knowledge especially of the local area.
He has written Milton Walker, Builder of Oxford; The
Dickey Family; and Ephrata Cloister, a guidebook; assisted
with Around the Oak, and several local history articles for the
newspapers. Mr. Bradley says he enjoys history, finds the stories of what
people did fascinating, and feels inspired to preserve the knowledge of
history. We are grateful to have him in our area, viewing our past with
interest, and preserving and disseminating the information in interesting
ways. |
Individual Historic Preservation
Achievement - Hands-on
An
individual who exhibits skills and accomplishments in the techniques of historic
restoration of a local artifact; or has accomplished collection, preservation,
organization, and dissemination of local history; or has restored and added to a
local historical object.
| Year |
Recipient |
Comments |
| 2005 |
Marianne
Russo |
The late Paul Russo, Associate Professor of History at
Lincoln University at the time of his death in 1979, conducted the initial
research on the Hinsonville book project. A specialist in Modern Russian
and European History, Dr. Russo also devoted himself to research in local
history. In the early 70’s, he created a course in the methodologies of
local and oral history that grew out of his interest in the community of
Hinsonville, the subject of Hinsonville, a Community at the Crossroads. He
published several articles on the nature of that research. Marianne has
taken her late husband’s extensive research and placed it in the context
of nineteenth century African-American history. She researched his papers,
arranged and added to the information available, wrote a reasoned,
coherent, and interesting presentation of the subject and successfully
pursued its publication. Mrs. Russo still lives in the vicinity of
Lincoln, and knows many of the descendants of the families that originally
settled Hinsonville, the subject of Hinsonville, A Community at the
Crossroads.
Currently a freelance writer and editor, Marianne H.
Russo formerly taught Humanities at Lincoln University [PA] and was an
instructor of Freshman Composition at both Franklin and Marshall College
and West Chester University [PA]. At Lincoln, Mrs. Russo was the
Co-Director of the Humanities Program for which she and her colleagues
developed an interdisciplinary course required of all freshmen students.
She co-authored the textbook for the course. For many years, Mrs. Russo
also worked as a writer and editor for the DuPont Company in Wilmington,
DE, where she served as coordinator of a freelance publications group. A
frequent contributor of articles to local and regional newspapers, Mrs.
Russo is currently working on two memoirs, one of which describes her
family’s experiences living and teaching at Lincoln University during the
Civil Rights movement.
Oxford Area Historic Association is honored to
recognize this preservation of local historical knowledge, which all too
soon can be forgotten and lost, if not durably recorded. Thanks
|
| 2003 |
Frances D.
Jackson |
Frances
Janney Davis Jackson has always been interested in Oxford Area history.
She has participated in many historical and genealogical projects,
especially of the Janney, Whiteside, Jackson, Anderson, Walton and Davis
families, compiling extensive archives of records, news clippings,
pictures, and articles. Born near Lewisville, she attended Lewisville
School, then Oxford High School, graduating in 1949. She worked at
Chrysler with IBM keypunch and card file systems, and has worked in
several local offices. Her hobby of taking local pictures and collecting,
duplicating, archiving, and sharing historic pictures has been a lifelong
interest. She bought her first computer in the early 90’s. Soon she could
make all kinds of cards, booklets and photographic copies. A project she
has pursued for the benefit of OAHA is the placing of small local
historical pictures on magnets. She accompanies each sale with a
discussion of its history. People often send them in letters to previous
residents, as a remembrance. She collects the oral histories of older
residents, by computer and by video camera, and makes video records of
meetings of local interest. She planned and executed a very well-attended
history program of Elk Township with local speakers, collecting and
writing a booklet of stories of The Lewisville Area, including her own
childhood experiences there. If you need a picture of something old and
historic, Fran can probably find it for you in her vast collection, make
you a good copy, or even put it on your T-shirt if you don’t watch out!
History would not survive so well in Oxford Area without Fran’s pleasant
persistent pursuit. She is the widow of Howard Davis, and J Robert
Jackson, has 2 surviving sons, 5 grandchildren, and lives with her son
Steve. |
| 2003 |
Nicolas V.
Yannucci |
A relative
new comer to Oxford. He became interested in Oxford Area history when he
moved here in 1996. He joined OAHA and was elected to the Board last year,
bringing modern computer, on line, and business skills to our Association.
When he heard of the accidental destruction of the state historical marker
for Evan Pugh [first President of Penn State] and Jordan Bank Farm, Nick
took charge of the replacement project. First determining the procedure
though PA Historical and Museum Commission, he arranged with John Bradley
and the Museum Commission for more effective wording on the sign, then had
the new sign cast. He did extensive and successful fund raising for the
project. Nick planned and had the new area of its placement approved, and
provided for the placing of an additional commemorative plaque in Jordan
Bank School, which was named after The Jordan Bank Academy conducted on
Evan Pugh’s farm. This plaque bears Evan Pugh’s picture and history. To
cap it all he invited local, Penn State, Chester Co., and PA officials and
teachers, to participate in a dedication ceremony held in September for
which he provided a biographical program booklet after the manner of the
one provided for the previous Evan Pugh marker dedication in 1964. All of
this was efficiently executed in just 7 months, amazing the rest of us
with the speed of its timely completion. With so much energy, it is
exciting, and almost scary to consider what he might do for an encore!
Nick works for MBNA as a software architect, and is assisted in his
endeavors by his wife Gina and 3 sons. |
| 2002 |
Kent
Vendrick |
As a parent
of 2 graduating seniors in 2000, Mr. Vendrick became interested in the
restoration of the 133 (now 135) year old Hopewell School bell. The bell
had been removed when the school was demolished in 1997, and stored in the
Elkridge maintenance room. The bell was a well remembered symbol, as it
was used to summon us to school and to announce athletic victories.
Dickerson’s Comp. Ltd., Sheffield, England made the bell of patent
cast steel in 1867. It hung on the Union school building when it was first
built, and was later moved onto Hopewell School. It was a great honor for a
student to be allowed to ring the bell.
Kent spent many
hours on research into bell restoration, and about 80 hours of hands-on
work. He disassembled it; replaced and repaired rusted, cracked, and worn
parts; removed rust and old paint; repainted, reassembled, and remounted
it. Mr. Vendrick then reintroduced the bell to the seniors at their post
graduation party, as a surprise. He hopes also to restore the bell cupola
tower and display the unit on the Oxford Area School campus. Since the
bell’s restoration, it has been in the hall of Jordan Bank School, and has
traveled to several events. We commend Mr. Vendrick’s thoughtfulness,
dedication and historic preservation skills in saving this valuable piece
of our Oxford Area School
memories. |
| 2001 |
Donald
Pierce |
Mr. Pierce is
a lifelong resident of Oxford, and a man of many talents and skills. Among
his accomplishments are barbering, master carpentry and cabinet making,
metal working, general repairman, former Mayor, local historian and story
teller, and dedicated hard worker! Mr. Pierce was the leader in collecting
the pieces of the Oxford Town Clock, beginning in 1992, and continuing
with restoration, acquisition of new parts as needed, and cleaning,
repair, and assembly of old parts as possible. With the encouragement and
funding of the PA Historical and Museum Commission, Oxford Borough Council
and many others, the project was finished, with the mounting of the clock
on Peoples Bank of Oxford in May 2001. Many hands-on hours were required.
Oxford area is lucky to have such industry and
talent. |
Building Preservation Achievement
An individual or company who has
accomplished preservation and restoration of an area historical structure or
structures, attractively maintaining their historic facades, while providing for
adaptive reuse.
| Year |
Recipient |
Comments |
| 2005 |
Not awarded
|
Not awarded
|
| 2003 |
Oxford Grain and Hay
and the Drennen Family |
S. R. Dickey began his grain, hay, lumber, coal and
farmers supply business in 1865. The distinctive and sturdy brick mill and
grain elevator was built in 1880. The premises occupied a large tract
beside the railroad, with a private siding. The business bore the name S.
R. Dickey and Co. into the early 1900’s and then became the Oxford Grain
and Hay, as can be seen painted on the historic brick grain elevator.
Lawrence Drennen became involved as a bookkeeper in 1919, progressing to
partner with L.E. Shoemaker in 1946, and later joined by his sons, Donald
and Lawrie, and grandsons Chris and Lawrie Jr. All the owners have kept
the historic buildings in repair and good use, but none more so than the
Drennen family. Lawrence’s sons, Donald and Lawrie joined the business on
graduating from High School in 1946 and 1948. Third generation family
members became involved in the 70’s and 80’s, Chris Drennen becoming full
time in1982, Lawrie Jr. in 1997. All have been interested in maintaining
the historic appearance and function of the old business while adapting to
new merchandise, and providing modern service to the public as seen in
their new store, Oxford Feed and Lumber. Old records, pictures, and
stories have been carefully preserved. Oxford is lucky to have native
businessmen and women who take an interest in our historic heritage and
are pleased to help maintain the historic core of Oxford and share its
history with us. |
| 2002 |
Vernon
Ringler |
Mr. Ringler is a lifelong resident of the area. As an
Oxford businessman,
he has been interested in preserving the historical flavor of the town.
When Vernon talks to you about the history
of Oxford, his eyes light up and historical pictures, old advertisements, old news
clippings and historical relics come flying out of his collections to be
marveled over. His respect for the post Civil War building boom, and
1890’s town development energy is quite evident. He hopes we can regain
that pride and energy for the town, preserving the best that we have
built. He and Edeine have preserved and cared for several buildings on our
main streets, maintaining their historical appearances, while providing
for adaptive reuse and updated interiors. Notable is Oxford Hall on the
corner of Market and Third, erected in 1864 to serve as shops, offices,
and auditorium. It has been renovated several time. Mr. Ringler’s careful
research into its initial historical appearance inspired its current
appearance. The area is fortunate to have an individual with the historic
interest, vision, and desire to achieve this. We hope for continuing
progress in such historic preservation along our
streets. |
| 2001 |
Joseph
Chamberlain |
Mr.
Chamberlain also is a lifelong resident of the area. Beginning in his
trade as a bricklayer and stone mason, he soon became skilled at
carpentry, home repair, remodeling, and home improvement. He became a
local contractor in 1953 and soon gained a reputation for doing things
right. He became interested in obtaining older buildings in the area and
refurbishing, rearranging, sometimes actually rescuing them from ruin,
adding his own decorative and functional improvements to the interiors,
while restoring and attractively maintaining the exteriors. This is what
he did to the old Masonic Hall building after the disastrous fire in 1995.
The building, erected in 1895 by Jennie Dickey, on the site of the old
farmer’s market, has housed the Post Office, numerous shops, offices, the
Oxford Library, and the Masonic Lodge [in a large upstairs meeting room].
It had an absentee owner and looked ready for demolition, but Joe rescued
it and made it a wonderfully functional and attractive asset to the
community. Again, the area is fortunate to have an individual with the
skill, vision, and desire to achieve
this. |
Organizational or Group Achievement
A group who has worked cooperatively and
successfully to accomplish historic preservation goals or a local history
achievement.
| Year |
Recipient |
Comments |
| 2005 |
The
Hopewell Bell Tower Project Volunteer Worker Group |
In 2003 and
following, Kent Vendrick appealed to the Oxford Area community and
businesses for funds and volunteer workers to erect the Bell Tower
Monument. He called for engineers, carpenters, contractors, cement
workers, masons, painters, preservation and restoration personnel, and any
one who could help these people, and learn while doing.
The
project seemed daunting and unending, but one step after another led to
amazing progress and achievement throughout 2004 and 2005. Many responded
for short or long intervals, old and young, skilled and unskilled. Dust
flew, while mortar was removed from the bricks of the old school and an
old house of the same era. Trenches were dug , Bricks, concrete blocks,
and granite slabs were moved and carried. Cement was mixed. People who had
never touched a brick before, learned to lay them straight and true. Paint
was chipped, sanded and replaced. Copper was repaired and refinished.
Molds for fiberglass casting were devised, and replacement members cast.
Wooden members were shaped and finished. Others brought food and drink for
the workers. Scaffolding was erected, moved, and removed. Roof and railing
, dome and bell were placed, a crane topping out all. The structure stood,
flag waving grandly on top as an historical welcome sign to Oxford Area
Schools, and a monument to the perseverance and astonishing abilities of
the volunteers.
We are amazed by and grateful for their success,
and applaud their efforts with this award for Group Historic Preservation
Achievement from Oxford Area Historical Association. Thank you all!
Please see detailed project
reports for a full list of names of
volunteers.
|
| 2003 |
Not awarded |
Not awarded |
| 2002 |
Russellville
Grange |
Patrons of
Husbandry #91 was organized in 1874. There were 25 charter members, and
the first Master was Joseph H. Miller. The organization prospered, and
they built their own building in 1877, for meetings and sale of groceries,
seeds, and fertilizer to the members. Interest and membership in the
grange rose and fell, and there were no meetings from 1896 to 1901. Then
with new members, meetings resumed in 1901. Farmers Institutes were held
in Russellville Hall in 1906, with lecture programs in 1906-10. In 1916
the members purchased Russellville Hall [built in 1889]. Meetings,
socials, and fund-raising projects and events continued. Notable was the
14 piece orchestra led by Laura Prange for dances and entertainment in
1944 and following. Chicken barbecues began in 1961. Throughout the 90’s
major improvements were made to the Hall, preserving its historic
appearance, and improving the interior.
The Grange continues
to take action on community issues, while providing a community center for
Upper Oxford Township. Russellville Grange has always recorded and
preserved its history, buildings, traditions and membership. There are
about 69 Members now. Again, we are fortunate to have this historic
organization in our area and hope it can survive the changes of the
present and the
future. |
| 2001 |
Oxford Borough Council and Oxford Historic Commission |
In 1992 when
the old 5&10 was demolished for the Presbyterian Church parking lot,
church members notified the Borough Council that parts of the Town Clock
had been found. Oxford Historic Commission was given the project to
discover what could be done. Council gave encouragement and funding, and a
grant was obtained from the PA Historical and Museum Commission. Thus
began the Commission’s 9-year historic preservation project implemented by
the capable hands of Don Pierce, OHC, and many others. Recognition of the
necessity for preserving our heritage is an important part of community
government. In the Town Clock Restoration Project, the Borough Council and
Oxford Historic Commission have achieved this goal nicely. We look forward
to more preservation efforts. |
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