The Roanoke Valley Preservation Foundation presented 11 Kegley Preservation Awards at their Annual Meeting on Thursday, November 21
Individuals, organizations, local developers, and a public utility promoting the stewardship and preservation of the historic, cultural, and natural resources of the Roanoke Valley through advocacy, education, and rehabilitation are recognized by the Roanoke Valley Preservation Foundation.
Eleven awards were presented Thursday evening at the Foundation’s annual meeting and Awards Reception at the recently completed Belmont Lofts (former Belmont Baptist Church) in Southeast Roanoke. The Foundation promotes the protection and stewardship of historic, cultural, and natural resources in the Roanoke Valley through education and advocacy. “Recognition of people, programs and projects that help to promote good stewardship and preservation of these resources is an important part of achieving the mission of the Foundation,” explained Alison Blanton, Awards Committee co-chair.
Named in honor of George Kegley, a founding member of the Foundation and Awards Committee Chair for many years before passing away in 2022, the awards have been presented for more than 25 years. Blanton noted that this year’s list is notable in the breadth and depth of the people and projects being recognized as they range from grassroots and community organizations to the lifelong careers of individuals as well as local developers, private property owners, a mental health service, and a public utility. The commitment and accomplishments being recognized include stewardship, heritage education, cultural resource research, environmental advocacy, and community awareness. Projects located in Buchanan, Boones Mill, 3 of the 4 quadrants of Roanoke City and the counties of Roanoke and Botetourt range from stewardship and restoration to rehabilitation and adaptive reuse.
The 2024 Kegley Preservation Awards are as follows:
Cedar Hill Farm – Stewardship
Wheatland Manor – Rehabilitation
“Burrell Day” Life and Legacy of Dr. Isaac Burrell – Heritage Education
The LEAP Hub – Rehabilitation
Factory Flats (Former button factory) – Adaptive Reuse
Belmont Lofts (Former Belmont Baptist Church) – Adaptive Reuse
The 1947 Carvin’s Cove Filtration Building – Stewardship
Rupert Cutler, Ph.D. – Lifetime Achievement: Environmental Advocacy
Roanoke Civil War Round Table – Heritage Education
Boones Mill N&W Railway Depot – Restoration
Thomas (Tom) Klatka – Lifetime Achievement
Detailed information on each award recipient is provided below:
- Cedar Hill Farm – Stewardship
The Cedar Hill Farm, located north of Troutville in Botetourt County, consists of a collection of buildings that has been painstakingly preserved by Stephen Lemon since he purchased the property in 2007. It is largely surrounded by fields, woods, and creeks and is graced by a plethora of daffodils, iris, and native trilliums (many of which appear to be historic plantings).
Roland Rader began the construction of the house in 1861; left Botetourt to fight for the Confederacy; and returned to finish the house by 1867. He hailed from a family of well-regarded Botetourt brick masons; the farmhouse reflects this. It consists of two brick stories with exterior end chimneys. It is set on an undressed, uncoursed large-stone foundation with stones probably found on the farmland. A 100-year-old standing seam tin roof; original 6 over 6 windows with molded surrounds; and a front door topped with a four-light transom remain unaltered. A shed-roofed porch with wooden posts and a jigsaw balustrade completes the vision of this historic structure.
The original single-pile (4-room) brick section of the house was fully renovated in 2008. A 2-story frame wing at the rear, which was extensively damaged by termites, was removed; however, the painted brick indicating the location of this addition was retained to mark this evolution. Mr. Lemon saved fragments of historic wallpaper, all original floors but one, and when including a kitchen to accommodate his family he sensitively used wood for cabinetry from an unsalvageable barn on the property. The kitchen light fixture was crafted by Black Dog Salvage using artifacts found on the property. Other artifacts have been salvaged and are on display on bookshelves in the parlor. Salvaged bricks on the property were also used to build the entry gate. Mr. Lemon’s attention to maintaining the house’s history and integrity is unsurpassed.
In addition to the main house, Mr. Lemon has preserved many outbuildings that surround the farmhouse, including a stone spring house with a standing seam tin roof in the front. A tractor shed, chicken coop, stone curing shed, and bank barn with a unique band of lattice at the roofline to provide natural light and ventilation. The most recent project was the renovation of the chicken coop into a guest house in 2022. Mr. Lemon has also studied the deeds for the property and is exploring options to re-establish historic trees and other landmarks mentioned in the deeds. Committed to the continued maintenance and routine repair of the outbuildings, Mr. Lemon has an unwavering desire to maintain this intact historic agricultural complex – including the main house, outbuildings, and natural landscape – preserved for future generations.
- Wheatland Manor – Rehabilitation
Wheatland Manor, listed individually on the National Register in 1992, was built in 1827 by the Rowland family of Botetourt County. One of the larger brick houses in the county, the simple, Federal-style design was modified in 1859 with the addition of an ostentatious Greek Revival-style porch that is without match in the county. Although the previous owner placed a conservation easement on the property, the house stood vacant for several years and began to deteriorate. In 2019, the RVPF included Wheatland Manor on the annual Endangered Sites List to call attention to its significance and poor condition. Robert and Kelly Dye purchased the home in December 2023 and have done extensive work to repair and restore the home to its original state. Major repairs were needed for the Greek Revival porch, all 350 panes of original glass are now intact, damaged plaster has been restored, the roof has been repaired and painted and damaged bricks have been replaced with brick found on the property. With the application for tax credits the work has all been done based on State guidelines.
- “Burrell Day” Life and Legacy of Dr. Isaac Burrell – Heritage Education
On March 11, 2024 “Burrell Day” was held at the Blue Ridge Behavioral Health Center at 611 McDowell Ave. This event was to encourage the public to visit the facility which was originally built as the Burrell Memorial Hospital and to raise awareness of its significant history through interpretive panels in the lobby.
These panels tell the history of Burrell Hospital, the City’s original African American physicians and the evolution of healthcare for African American citizens of the region. In 1914, a group of local African American doctors founded the Medley Hospital in a house with 12 beds. This was followed by the renovation of a nearby two-story house that became the not- for – profit Burrell Memorial Association to care for the Black community. Then in 1921 it moved to 611 McDowell Ave NW to occupy the building that had housed the Allegheny Institute, a private school for boys. In 1955 a new building was constructed, and the old Allegheny Institute building was torn down. Burrell Hospital closed in 1978 following the integration of hospitals in Roanoke. purpose of the Burrell Day celebration is to make the public aware of this important story about the achievements of early African American physicians in Roanoke and the role of the hospital within the Black community.
- The LEAP Hub – Rehabilitation
LEAP sensitively renovated the 1925 retail building for a new retail and community use. The building originally served as the Largen Brothers and the Roanoke Clearance House, a furniture repair outlet and used furniture store. The right-side storefront served as the retail space and the upstairs served as a separate residence. A Lebanese family once operated a grocery store out of the building and likewise lived upstairs. Built in a residential area, this small-scale store was typical of other neighborhood stores in its simple design and Main Street Commercial style with a three-bay storefront of large display windows flanking a recessed central entrance. The LEAP building also shows the influence of the Colonial Revival style and features a two-story porch to fit in with the residential buildings of the neighborhood. The building most recently served as a church and then was vacant for seven years; exterior cladding from previous tenants was removed and those areas of the building were restored. The renovation has maintained all original fenestration, interior wood floors, metal ceilings, and soaring ceiling heights as much as possible. The right-side storefront remains as the LEAP retail store, the left-side as a community space, and the LEAP offices are located upstairs via the central entrance or a new back entrance.
LEAP began in 2009 as a new kind of farmers market — one that encouraged sustainable growing practices, where vendors sold food that they grew themselves, and young farmers could find a foothold. Originally hosting the Grandin Village Farmers Market, LEAP soon opened the West End Farmers Market, then a Mobile Market, to bring more fresh produce into communities that have limited access. In June 2024, they opened a permanent store in the newly renovated 1925 building, giving the community greater access to fresh fruits and vegetables. The building and adjacent lot feature a Mobile Market, processing kitchen, food hub, and a newly expanded West End Farmers Market. All LEAP outlets have robust food access programs to help make produce more affordable and accessible to more people. Learn more about LEAP at leapforlocalfood.org.
- Factory Flats (Former button factory) – Adaptive Reuse
Built ca. 1903, the industrial complex in Buchanan served as a major local employer for more than a century – operating as the Virginia Can Co. (1903), the Hafleigh Button Factory (1930) and the rubber-products manufacture Groendyk Co. (1965) – before closing in 2008. Comprised of a historic office building, manufacturing plant, and warehouse, the property includes the most significant and distinctive components of the button manufacturing process by Hafleigh & Company (1930-1965) and continues to contribute to the Buchanan Historic District (NRHP 1999). The one-story brick buildings exhibit influences of the Italianate style in the detailing of the pilasters and segmental or Jack arches over window and door openings. The utilitarian components of monitor roofs, steel-sash windows, open floor plans, and an unfinished interior of exposed wood and steel structural systems, painted brick walls, and concrete floors reflect their industrial function.
Redevelopment of the complex began in 2022 with plans for the adaptive reuse of the former manufacturing plant and office as 21 residential apartments and the warehouse as a brewery. The $5.6 million project completed all work according to The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards to qualify for the state and federal historic rehabilitation tax credits. The sensitively designed project preserves the historic character of this early 20th century industrial complex by retaining the monitor roof skylights, the segmental and jack arches, and repairing or replacing in kind the historic windows as well as the exposed structural systems, brick walls and concrete flooring on the interior while introducing new walls and contemporary doors for the new use. Factory Flats opened in 2024 as a unique mixed-use development that. Once again, it contributes to the local economy.
- Belmont Lofts (Former Belmont Baptist Church) – Adaptive Reuse
The Belmont Baptist Church was built in 1913 at the corner of Stewart Avenue and 9th Street Southeast. The original building is rectangular and built in the Gothic Revival style, with the main façade’s two large Gothic stained-glass windows facing Stewart Avenue. The nave is flanked by two towers, the taller of which is a bell tower. In 1929, a four story, L-shaped Sunday school was added, which wrapped the original sanctuary at the south and west sides. The Sunday school continued the Gothic Revival styling and features a two-and-a-half-story crenellated bay window facing Stewart Avenue. The interior included a gymnasium and classrooms. A gable-roofed three-story educational annex containing additional classrooms was added to the west side in 1955. Though simpler than the older buildings, the annex continues some of the same Gothic motifs, including stained-glass Gothic windows and decorative buttresses. This large church complex is testimony to the vibrancy of the Belmont community throughout the first half of the 20th century.
After more than 100 years of continued use as a church, local developer Brent Cochran purchased the buildings in 2021 and rehabilitated the classroom areas into 32 apartments while retaining the sanctuary in its existing form. The project team – which included Balzer & Associates (architect), Jordan Harmon (contractor), and Hill Studio (preservation consultant) – worked to retain the Gothic-Revival components of the original exterior design as well as the original circulation and much of the historic finishes, including steel-and-glass-panel walls in the 1955 annex. All work was consistent with The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards to comply with the state and federal historic tax credit programs. Belmont Lofts will provide much-needed housing and bring new life to this anchor building amid the Belmont community of Southeast Roanoke.
- The 1947 Carvin’s Cove Filtration Building – Stewardship
The Carvins Cove Water Treatment Facility was built in 1945 to filter and disinfect drinking water from the Carvins Cove Reservoir for the benefit of City of Roanoke residents and businesses. While plans for the building were submitted to the War Production Board in late 1944, it wasn’t until the middle of 1945 that approval was granted. Until that time, the Board considered the war demands for critical materials too high to authorize construction. Bids for construction were received August 20, 1945. Ralph E. Mills Co. & Blythe Bros. Construction of Charlotte, NC had the winning bid for the filter building at $189,000. These companies also received the contract to build additional treatment structures on the site and in the distribution system.
The design and dimensions of the filter plant interior was dictated by the utility requirements and original need to filter six million gallons of water per day (mgd); however, the style of the exterior of the building was left up to the City of Roanoke to design. Because the facility was constructed on an old 85-acre farm located on Old Plantation Road, a southern Colonial type design was selected for the exterior of the building. The site of the facility was also carefully selected to allow water from the Carvins Cove Reservoir to flow by gravity to the treatment facility and then treated water could flow through the distribution piping to customers.
While the treatment plant was being constructed, work continued at the Carvins Cove Reservoir. The City of Roanoke Water Department signed a Contract for Prisoner of Water Labor with the War Department on September 6, 1944, for 1,920-man hours of labor to clear the timber for the new reservoir. The German POWs, who were housed in Salem, Va, were under contract for one year to complete this work. Twenty POWs per day worked at the Cove for 8-hours a day. They were compensated at 50cents per hour.
On March 25, 1947, treated water first flowed from the Carvins Cove Water Treatment Facility, and it has been in constant operation since. The Western Virginia Water Authority now owns the facility. While it was originally designed to treat 6mgd, it has been enlarged progressively as population growth required additional water. The facility now has the capacity to treat up to 28mgd.
The Western Virginia Water Authority is recognized for their stewardship of this building as it has remained remarkably unaltered as it has continued to serve its original function for more than 75 years.
- Rupert Cutler, Ph.D. – Lifetime Achievement: Environmental Advocacy
Rupert Cutler arrived in Roanoke in 1991, where he served as the executive director of Virginia’s Explore Park. His long and storied career path was primarily focused on his passion for environmentalism, including wildlife, conservation, and resource management. For a time, he worked as the Assistant Secretary of Agriculture for Conservation, Research, and Education under the Carter Administration.
An introduction to Bern Ewert, then-city manager of Roanoke, brought Rupe to Roanoke to lead Virginia’s Explore Park. Then came the Blue Ridge Land Conservancy, where he also served as Executive Director.
Since his official retirement in 1998, Rupe has been involved with many organizations and projects. He has been active in a Kiwanis club since 1991. He has played roles with the Virginia Outdoors Foundation, The Nonprofit Resource Center for Southwest Virginia, Opera Roanoke, the Col. William Preston memorial, the Fincastle Regulars Chapter of SAR, and the Greenfield Preservation Area Commission. In 2002, he successfully ran for a term on Roanoke City Council.
Of course, he has been a steadfast resource to, and supporter of the Roanoke Valley Preservation Foundation for many years. When asked by an interviewer last year, “What would you like to be remembered for?” Rupe replied: “Consistent advocacy for the environment. For wildlife and open space.” He has maintained and expanded upon these ideals and commitments throughout his distinguished career. We are indeed fortunate to have Dr. Rupert Cutler here in Roanoke, continuing his dedication and distinguished work which broadly benefits every one of us.
- Roanoke Civil War Round Table – Heritage Education
Now in its 41st year, the Roanoke Civil War Round Table has advanced the cause of heritage education in the Roanoke Valley by bringing scores of historians, authors, academics and living history re-enactors to Roanoke. These experts, with their insight, wisdom, pathos but sometimes humor, offer new perspectives on the four years of the tragedy that was the Civil War. Over the years literally hundreds of Roanokers have joined us on this journey into the past, both experiencing and learning from an event whose consequences reverberate today.
Topics of the Round Table’s presenters have included such diverse subjects as the effect of the environment upon the War, the impact of government policy upon the hopes and lives of newly-freed people, how death and mourning were experienced during the War, the use of artificial intelligence to identify unknown soldier photos, and the struggles faced by Unionists in the Shenandoah Valley.
Speakers have included such eminent historians as the late Dr. James “Bud” Robertson, founder of the Virginia Center for Civil War Studies, Dr. Caroline Janney, Director of the University of Virginia John L. Nau III Center for Civil War History, Dr. Jonathan Noyalas, Director of the McCormick Civil War Institute at Shenandoah University, and Dr. Paul Quigley, current head of the Center for Civil War Studies at Virginia Tech, as well as U.S. Park Rangers and numerous other noted authors and educators.
Providing both education and entertainment, the Round Table is a vibrant part of heritage education in the Roanoke Valley.
- Boones Mill N&W Railway Depot – Restoration
The Town of Boones Mill and the Depot Restoration Committee successfully relocated, restored, and reopened the Boones Mill Railway Depot. As we know, all good things take time—The depot was built in 1892, served until 1970, was threatened with demolition in 2013, relocated in 2014, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2017, stabilized and began to be restored in 2018, and re-opened for community use again in 2024.
The former railroad station at Boones Mill—commonly known as the Boones Mill Depot—was erected in 1892 by the short-lived Roanoke and Southern Railway Company (R&S). The depot was soon thereafter purchased by the Norfolk & Western Railway. A well-known local landmark, owing in part to the historical importance of the railroad in the region, the depot served as a central transportation hub of the Town of Boones Mill and the surrounding Franklin County. Local businesses relied heavily on the depot and railroad as the volume of area agricultural and industrial production continued to grow throughout the first half of the 20th century, and the depot served numerous passengers as well. Architecturally, the Boones Mill Depot is a well-preserved example of the Railroad Style favored by southern railroad companies during the period. It closed to passenger service, after 73 years, around 1965, although freight service continued until about 1970. The depot became property of the Norfolk Southern Railroad (NSR) in 1982 and withstood years of vacancy and neglect. In 2013, after being threatened with demolition, NSR offered the depot to the Town of Boones Mill on the condition that the town relocate it.
- Thomas (Tom) Klatka – Lifetime Achievement
Thirty-five years ago, Tom Klatka completed his degree at UVA and became the DHR Western Regional Archaeologist. Tom quickly became a regional authority covering 32 counties and 12 cities in southwestern Virginia working with property owners, localities, and museums to help them be effective stewards of the historic resources in their care. He has worked closely with the local ASV chapter, providing numerous educational experiences for the Roanoke community.
Beginning with the saving of threatened data from the Graham-White Site, a contact Indigenous town, Tom became the expert in the Tutelo /Totera historic, archaeological, and linguistic controversy at a regional level, expertise that has contributed to his recent participation in the online project “Eastern Siouan Speaking Peoples and Major Language Groups, circa 17th Century” in collaboration with Virginia Tech and representatives of the Monacan Indian Nation.
His work at sites from Pittsylvania County to the Cumberland Gap (which lies west of Detroit) means that what we know of the region rests in large part on him, and he has recorded more than 250 sites. Not limited to Indigenous archaeology, Tom has also done work on the blacksmiths of Craig County, soapstone quarries, and mapped many family, often African American, cemeteries. He conducted work at Kentland Farm where ethnic histories became the theme of study. Most recently his work with the Greenfield Plantation artifacts has augmented the work of the local preservation community. His decades-long relationship with the Monacan Indian Tribe serves as a model for tribal engagement and support.
Throughout Tom’s career, he has conducted work that is meaningful to many; work that leaves a legacy of knowledge and relationships that will continue to impact many.