State-of-the-art design seems to be the ‘in’ thing these days, but it’s good to see an historic building like the St. Edward Hotel located at 400 Market Avenue North in downtown Canton recognized for preserving a sense of history.
The Stark County Foundation (SCF) because of its dedication to improving Stark County through charitable grant making, including building community and neighborhood organizations, was recently awarded the Preservation Excellence Award by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Akron Chapter. The preservation award recognizes individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions in the area of historic preservation. The award serves to focus attention on responsible and creative preservation of our built environment. And the SoL - Harris/Day St. Edward Hotel historic preservation project met the criteria set forth by the AIA.
“SCF was nominated due to their vision and commitment to the historic preservation of the St. Edward Hotel project,” said Jeff Day, SoL - Harris/Day president. “This project has been a guiding light to the current revitalization of the Downtown Canton urban environment.” He added, “The SCF Board under the direction of James A. Bower, SCF President, has demonstrated how ‘great architecture’ and ‘sensitive historic preservation’ can create excitement and interest within their own community.”
Reinforcing community appreciation and commitment to historical preservation is something SoL - Harris/Day is very passionate about. “It was a great pleasure to work with the wonderful staff at SCF and to work with an Owner who sees the intrinsic value of historic architecture and it’s place in Canton’s heritage,” said Cathleen Senter, project manager overseeing the St. Edward Hotel building rehabilitation. “For a preservationist like myself, it was a dream come true type of project.” Senter will graduate in March from Belmont Technical College with a degree in Building Preservation Technology. She will be a Preservation Specialist in addition to a Project Manger on future SoL - Harris/Day projects.
In addition to the AIA Akron Preservation Award, the St. Edward Hotel also won the 2006 Preservation Award from the Canton Preservation Society.