2026 SHPO Awards Announced

Washington State Historic Preservation Officer Announces 2026 Preservation Awards

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Olympia, Wash. - September 2026 - The Washington State Department of Archaeology & Historic Preservation (DAHP) has announced the recipients of the 2026 State Historic Preservation Officer's Awards, recognizing individuals and organizations whose exceptional work has preserved Washington's historic places, strengthened communities, and advanced the practice of historic preservation.

This year's awards recognize achievements ranging from the rehabilitation of historic buildings and preservation of cemeteries to the restoration of a historic locomotive, preservation education, and the transmission of traditional craftsmanship to a new generation.

Awardees will be recognized during a ceremony at the annual PLACES Conference on October 6 in Ellensburg.

Contact: [email protected]

2026 Award Recipients

Save Our Station, Cheney Depot, Cheney - Outstanding Stewardship Award

Save Our Station (SOS) is being recognized for their extraordinary efforts to save Cheney's historic Northern Pacific Depot from demolition. Beginning in 2013, SOS organized a community campaign to preserve the depot and ultimately relocate it near downtown Cheney. The building was moved in one piece and rehabilitated with extensive volunteer participation. Today, the depot once again serves as an active community gathering place, with businesses and restaurants occupying its historic spaces.

Christa Harvey, Bowker House, Lacey - Valerie Sivinski Award for Outstanding Rehabilitation

Christa Harvey is being recognized for her determination to rehabilitate the Bowker House, one of Lacey's important historic properties. Built around 1892 by George and Lucinda Bowker, the house was Lacey's first property listed on the local historic register. When Harvey purchased the property in 2019, it lacked plumbing, electricity, heat, insulation, and numerous windows, doors, and walls. Through a challenging rehabilitation process, Harvey restored historic features while adapting the property for contemporary use. The project demonstrates how persistence and thoughtful rehabilitation can return a severely deteriorated historic building to productive use.

Northern Pacific Railway Museum, Locomotive 1364 - Special Achievement Award

The Northern Pacific Railway Museum is being recognized for a remarkable 32-year effort to restore Northern Pacific Railway Locomotive 1364. Acquired in 1994 as a derelict steam locomotive, 1364 was painstakingly rebuilt by museum volunteers. Today, it is the only operational mainline steam locomotive from the Northern Pacific Railway. The restoration preserves an important piece of Washington's railroad heritage while allowing visitors to experience the technology, craftsmanship, and history of the railroad era firsthand.

Steve and Tresa Schmautz, Hotel Collins, Spokane - Valerie Sivinski Award for Outstanding Rehabilitation

Steve and Tresa Schmautz are being recognized for their rehabilitation of the historic Hotel Collins. The rehabilitation of the Hotel Collins transformed a historic downtown building into 42 deeply affordable homes, providing residents experiencing homelessness and housing instability with a stable place to live alongside the services and support needed to move toward greater stability. Employment and social support services provided by Dignified Workday are located on the ground floor, creating a model in which housing and opportunity are thoughtfully integrated within a single building.

The project also demonstrates the value of historic preservation as a tool for enabling critical community investments. Through the Federal Historic Preservation Tax Credit program, the project recouped 20 percent of its project budget, helping make a respectful rehabilitation of the historic building financially viable. The result is an exemplary rehabilitation that demonstrates how historic preservation can contribute meaningfully to addressing housing instability. The Collins Hotel creates more than a place to live-it provides a foundation for stability, dignity, and opportunity while offering a compelling model for reinvesting in Spokane's historic buildings.

American Legion Post 125 and Community Volunteers, Granite Falls American Legion Cemetery - Cemetery Preservation Award

American Legion Post 125 and community volunteers are being recognized for a remarkable effort to restore and document the Granite Falls American Legion cemetery. Over a two-year period, volunteers contributed hundreds of hours to clearing debris, cleaning and restoring gravestones, improving landscaping, straightening markers, and making the cemetery more accessible. More than 1,600 interment records were also documented and connected to physical grave locations, creating a new resource for visitors and researchers. The project not only improved the cemetery but also helped reenergize community participation in the American Legion.

Tacoma Public Schools, Oakland Secondary School - Valerie Sivinski Award for Outstanding Rehabilitation

Tacoma Public Schools is being recognized for the rehabilitation of Oakland Secondary School, a historic Tacoma landmark originally constructed in 1912. The project preserved the building's historic exterior while comprehensively modernizing the interior for contemporary educational needs. Work included seismic reinforcement, restoration of the original brick and stone exterior, and rehabilitation of approximately 100 historic wood-framed windows. The renewed campus also includes a health clinic and daycare, demonstrating how historic schools can be adapted to serve students and families today while preserving their architectural and community significance.

Keith Phillips, Master Stone Carver, Tenino - Career Achievement Award

Keith Phillips is being recognized for more than four decades of work preserving Washington's traditional stone-carving craft. Phillips helped revive the historic Tenino sandstone carving tradition after arriving in the community in the 1980s, apprenticing under master stone carver Lorenz "Larry" Scheel. His work can be found on important historic landmarks throughout Washington, including buildings on the Washington State Capitol Campus, Stadium High School, museums, churches, and lighthouses. Perhaps most significantly, Phillips has passed his knowledge to a new generation through apprenticeships, workshops, demonstrations, and the Tenino Stone Carvers Guild. His career demonstrates that preserving historic places also means preserving the traditional skills needed to care for them.

The Historic Trust Docent Team, Vancouver - Historic Preservation Education Award

The Historic Trust's 17 volunteer docents are being recognized for their exceptional contribution to preservation education. In 2025, the team contributed more than 3,000 hours leading tours and supporting programs at Providence Academy and Marshall House in Vancouver. Their work connects visitors with the histories of these important sites while helping the public understand the people and communities behind the buildings. Through regular tours, special events, Preservation Month activities, and community outreach, the docents demonstrate the important role volunteers play in bringing historic places to life.

Jeffrey Karl Ochsner, Architectural Historian and Educator - Career Achievement Award

Jeffrey Karl Ochsner is being recognized for nearly four decades of teaching, scholarship, and mentorship in architecture and historic preservation. Since joining the University of Washington College of Built Environments in 1988, Ochsner has introduced generations of students to architectural history, preservation, and urban design. His scholarship includes extensive research on the architecture of Seattle and the Pacific Northwest, and his work as editor of Shaping Seattle Architecture has made an important contribution to understanding the region's architectural history. His former students have gone on to become architects, planners, preservation professionals, public officials, and community leaders, extending his influence throughout Washington and beyond.

Guy Moura - Posthumous Career Achievement Award

Guy Moura is being recognized for his 40-year career contributing Washington's cultural heritage, archaeology, Native American Tribal education, and historic preservation.

Guy was the Tribal Historic Preservation Officer of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation. He was long associated with the Colville working in a variety of positions with the tribes' Historic and Archaeology Program in Nespelem.

Guy worked as a professional archaeologist beginning in Maine and across Washington state in precontact and historic archaeological sites. He is the author of cultural resource reports spanning the state and was a critical voice for the protection of Native American cultural places. Guy endeavors as the Tribal Historic Preservation Officer were significant in the success of tribal efforts along the upper Columbia River and the protection of cultural resources associated with the Chief Joseph and Lake Roosevelt cultural resource protection efforts.

Guy lifetime commitment to Washington's heritage is a stellar example of professional and personal commitment and he is profoundly missed.

Celebrating Washington's Historic Places

The Washington State Historic Preservation Officer's Awards recognize the people and organizations whose efforts demonstrate that preservation is an active part of building strong communities.

From a railroad depot and historic school to a cemetery, locomotive, apartment building, and traditional craft, this year's recipients demonstrate the many ways Washington's historic places can continue to serve communities while connecting present-day residents with the state's history.

"Each of these projects tells a different story, but they share a common thread," said Brooks. "They show what is possible when people recognize the value of historic places and are willing to invest in their future."

The Washington State Department of Archaeology & Historic Preservation is the state agency responsible for preserving and promoting Washington's archaeological and historic resources. DAHP works with communities, property owners, Tribes, federal and state agencies, and preservation organizations throughout Washington to identify, protect, and interpret the state's cultural heritage.

More information at www.dahp.wa.gov.

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