WASHINGTON, D.C.– The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) and the National Trust for Historic Preservation (NTHP) today honored the Zoar Village National Historic Landmark (Zoar Village) Levee Project in Zoar, OH, with the National Trust/Advisory Council on Historic Preservation Award for Federal Partnerships in Historic Preservation. The award was presented by ACHP Acting Chairman, Travis Voyles, during the NTHP’s annual PastForward Conference in Milwaukee, WI.
The joint award honors outstanding partnerships that advance the preservation of important historic resources and have a positive impact on the community. It celebrates a project or program in which a federal agency and one or more nonfederal partners have achieved an exemplary preservation outcome.
“We are proud to honor the Zoar Village National Historic Landmark Levee Project and all those who worked tirelessly to steward it,” Acting Chairman Voyles said. “Throughout the project, the Army Corps of Engineers truly understood the historic value of Zoar Village, emphasized public communication, and maintained visitor access to the historic buildings. We applaud the unparalleled dedication and commitment of the project partners to protect this historic Ohio community.”
Zoar Village was established by German settlers in 1817. Many of the historic buildings that remain in the town are near the levee, a buffer that protects the area from flooding. Concerns for the levee, which was built in 1930, arose after a 2005 high water event. The U.S. Army Corp of Engineers (USACE) proposed several solutions, including removal of the levee and moving the village. The USACE’s early request for comments on the proposed plans for the undertaking sparked an incredible volume of responses from across the United States. The public support for Zoar Village made it clear to USACE that the project required creative design components to protect the unique historic site.
Over the course of almost two decades, the USACE worked with its partners, including the Ohio State Historic Preservation Office, Ohio History Connection, Zoar Community Association, Ohio Archaeological Council, and Ohio and Erie Canalways Association, finally completing the $14 million dollar levee repair project in 2023.
The Federal Partnerships award was one of eight awards presented at this year’s ceremony honoring those who excel in preservation.
"Preservation is a creative force. Historic places hold shared memories that can bring us together. By saving and thoughtfully adapting them for new uses, we can strengthen community engagement, nurture local culture, promote economic opportunity, and reduce waste," said Carol Quillen, president and CEO of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. "The winners of this year’s National Preservation Awards have each demonstrated the creative potential of historic preservation to serve the public good. Whether it’s the transformation of a Beaux-Arts industrial landmark into housing, or the brick-by-brick relocation of an important historic house so that it can offer the local community a place for civic gatherings, these sites and preservationists give a face to the maxim that ‘preservation creates.’”