LA PLATA, Md. (June 10, 2011)—Franklin A. Robinson, Jr., chairman of the Charles County Historic Preservation Commission, is a 2011 recipient of the 36th Annual Maryland Preservation Awards. The Maryland Preservation Awards are presented annually by the Board of Trustees of the Maryland Historical Trust. The Trustees are appointed by the Governor of Maryland and represent all regions of the state.
The awards honor outstanding achievements in historic preservation, architecture, archaeology, museums, cultural conservation, education, and related fields and represent the best of preservation in Maryland. Awards are made in seven categories: Stewardship, Service, Project Excellence, Educational Excellence, Heritage Book, and the Calvert Prize. In 2009, the Trustees created two new categories for the Stewardship of Historic Properties by a Government Agency and Preservation Partnerships.
Mr. Robinson has been a leader in historic preservation efforts in Southern Maryland for more than a decade. His work has included not researching, preserving, and protecting only buildings and landscapes, but also people and entire communities. Mr. Robinson regularly donates his time to assist a broad range of projects, including researching specific properties, preparing National Register and Maryland Inventory forms, identifying and writing grants for preservation projects, conducting free seminars on archiving and preserving papers and historical artifacts, advocating for historic properties and projects throughout Southern Maryland, and testifying at hearings and other public forums in defense of preservation measures.
Mr. Robinson’s recent accomplishments include spearheading the National Register listing of St. Thomas Episcopal Parish Historic District in Prince George’s County, researching and writing text for Roadside Historical Markers in Southern Maryland, and participating in preservation projects at the Parlett Farm in St. Mary’s County, St. Thomas’s Church, and the Chapel of the Incarnation in Prince George’s County.
Mr. Robinson has served on numerous task forces and commissions throughout Maryland, D.C., and Virginia. In 2001, he received the St. George’s Day Award from the Prince George’s Historical Society. Mr. Robinson is employed as an Archives Specialist with the Archives Center in the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History.
The charge of the Charles County Historic Preservation Commission is to recommend properties for local historic landmark designation, review exterior changes to locally designated landmarks, and support documentation of historic resources throughout the County.
Source: Charles County Government