Historic Preservation Commission Celebrates 2023 Award Recipients

By Cathy Kuehner

Each May during National Preservation Month, the Clarke County Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) honors community members who have made significant contributions to the preservation of the county’s architectural landscape and unique cultural identity.

“It is truly an honor every year to recognize the hard work that owners of historic properties put into restoring and preserving their homes and buildings,” said HPC chair Betsy Arnett. “Restoring a historic property is definitely a labor of love.

These awards are a small way of letting people know the county has noticed and appreciates their efforts to retain Clarke’s historic character.”

On May 17, Arnett and other HPC members presented their 24th annual Historic Preservation Awards during a luncheon at Camino Real Mexican Restaurant in Berryville.

Nancy Polo and Forrest Pritchard received a Certificate of Merit for their rehabilitation of the building at 20 W. Main St. in Berryville.

In 2018, Polo and Pritchard purchased a Main Street building likely constructed around 1900. Its ground floor had been vacant for decades. The twostory, gable-end vernacular commercial building was at one time the town’s first A&P grocery store in addition to other commercial enterprises. Historical records note “a small building sometimes used as a marketplace” was on the site by 1867. In 2021, Polo and Pritchard rehabilitated the building to meet modern standards while retaining its historical integrity. They opened the ground-floor space as Homespun, a family owned farm-totable market and restaurant. An accomplished artist, Polo painted a bucolic Clarke County scene on an exterior side of the building.

Romey Michael was honored with a Certificate of Merit for her rehabilitation of a unique stone building at 29 W. Main St. in Berryville.

The diminutive one-story building that has been a barbershop and hair salon for almost 100 years was, in fact, Clarke County’s first jail. It was constructed around 1850 and used until 1892, when a new jail was built on North Church Street near the county courthouse. The Main Street building was then converted into a general store. It became a barbershop in the late 1920s and was used as such until Michael bought the property a few years ago. She carefully updated the building while retaining its historical character, and she continues to use it as a hair salon.

Bill and Marcia Waite ac- cepted a Certificate of Merit for their rehabilitation of a frame cottage at 18983 Blue Ridge Mountain Rd. in Bluemont.

Bishop’s Gate, located on the mountain near the Bishop’s Gate Chapel, was built in the early 1900s for a pastor associated with the Methodist Church and often referred to as “bishop.” In 2018, the cottage, which is in the Bear’s Den Historic District, was restored by the Waites who live on an adjacent property. The Waites carefully rehabilitated the two-story, wood frame, gableroofed house for use as a vacation rental, bringing it up to modern standards while maintaining its historical charm.

Alvin “Pigeye” and Kimberly Poe were presented a Certificate of Merit for their renovation of a concrete block building at 214 White Post Rd. in White Post.

“Pigeye” Poe has been fixing up historical buildings in Clarke County for decades. In 2018, the Poes purchased a circa-1950 commercial building in White Post. The small building with stepped parapet facade had been unused for many years. The Poes carefully restored it, added a compatible front porch, and now use it as an office for their construction business. Bringing an otherwise derelict building back to life near the iconic white post in the center of the village has helped beautify the community in general.

The Historic Preservation Commission is a seven-member group appointed by the Board of Supervisors to review projects and developments that may change or alter the character of historic districts in the county. For more information about the Historic Preservation Commission, go to www.clarkecounty.gov.

For general information about Clarke County history, visit the Clarke County Historical Association located at 32 E. Main St. in Berryville (540-955-2600), or contact architectural historian Maral Kalbian at 540-955-1231 or maral@mkalbian.com.