Historic Savannah Foundation Announces 2026 HSF Preservation Award Winners
Monday, May 11th, 2026
Historic Savannah Foundation (HSF) — the leading nonprofit cultural institution dedicated to saving the buildings, places and stories that define Savannah’s past, present and future — honored eight 2026 HSF Preservation Award winners at a special ceremony at Common Restaurant in Savannah, Ga. on May 7. In honor of National Preservation Month, HSF presented awards to individuals and organizations whose projects demonstrate the highest level of excellence for preservation in Savannah and Chatham County.
“At Historic Savannah Foundation, we believe that preservation is progress,” said Historic Savannah Foundation President and CEO Collier Neeley. “From the thoughtful preservation of an iconic landmark like the Forsyth Park Fountain to the impressive revitalization of The Municipal Grand on Broughton Street, these award-winning projects demonstrate the fact that we can simultaneously honor our city’s past and contribute to its vibrant future.”
At the 2026 HSF Preservation Awards ceremony, Historic Savannah Foundation announced the following winners:
2205 - 2207 Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard
President’s Choice Award
Purchased from the HSF Revolving Fund, the principal dwelling at 2205 Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard was the only remaining historic structure on the block and was left vacant, leading to significant disrepair, water intrusion and rot. The project team used a preservation-minded approach to address property maintenance and blight and added a new principal and accessory dwelling at neighboring 2207 Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard, resulting in four additional units to help combat Savannah’s housing shortage. This project served as a catalyst for nearby preservation work and continues to have a positive impact on the appearance and vitality of the Cuyler-Brownville National Register Historic District. The President’s Choice Award is the highest honor presented at the HSF Preservation Awards and is reserved for local projects that represent excellence across all categories, including craftsmanship, rehabilitation, restoration and stewardship. Civis Savannah; Ward Architecture + Preservation; The Basin Company; Community Housing Services, Inc.
Emma Hamlet House, 705 Barnard Street
Excellence in Rehabilitation
Built in 1856 by Savannah carpenter and civic leader John Hamlet and recorded in the name of his wife Emma, the Emma Hamlet House sat vacant and was severely deteriorating. The rehabilitation team overcame the significant challenge of no rear lane access and a dense urban context with party wall conditions that required tight staging and meticulous protection of adjacent historic structures. Through disciplined repair over replacement and documentary-based restoration, the team was able to restore the townhome’s Greek Revival-inspired porch and return three housing units to a district, where most historic resources had already been rehabilitated. Ethos Preservation; Rose Architects; Compass Design and Management; Peter Roessler
Espy-Egan Cottage, 5 7th Street
Excellence in Rehabilitation
Located within the National Register-proposed Central Tybee Island Residential Historic District, the Espy-Egan Cottage (c.1934) is a rare intact example of the Raised Tybee Cottage, a unique building type that is a physical embodiment of Tybee Island’s local environment and materials. Originally owned by prominent Savannah businessman Carl Espy, Sr. and later sold to Michael and Elise Egan in 1951 and, more recently, Brent and Rebecca Watts, the building was continuously suffering from water damage. The rehabilitation team utilized federal and state historic tax credits to relocate the building to a higher part of the lot and elevate the structure with such success that the National Park Service intends to use this project as a prime example of flood adaptation for rehabilitating historic buildings. Brent and Rebecca Watts; Ward Architecture + Preservation; Neal Contracting Company; Waters Construction and Concrete
The Municipal Grand, 45 Abercorn Street
Excellence in Rehabilitation
The Municipal Grand, a newly renovated boutique hotel, is the result of the beautiful rehabilitation and adaptive reuse of the First Federal Saving and Loan, a mid-century modern banking institution that later served as the Broughton Municipal building on the prominent corner of Broughton and Abercorn Streets. The rehabilitation team successfully utilized federal and state historic tax credits to remove non-historic alterations, convert former basement mechanical areas into a speakeasy bar and restore the lobby, mezzanine and finishes with the historic teller stations and the original bank vault included in the new design. The Municipal Grand was unanimously approved for listing in the Georgia Register of Historic Places and recommended for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. Midnight Auteur; Lynch Associates Architects; Choate Construction Company; AAmp; Tharpe Structural Design; Method Engineering Group; Coastal Civil Engineering; Ward Architecture + Preservation; AE Design; D.L. Adams Associates
Savannah Culinary Institute, 7 West Bay Street
Excellence in Rehabilitation
Once home to the Savannah Republican newspaper and a number of nightlife entertainment venues, this c.1856 building with structural instability was lovingly restored and rehabilitated into the Savannah Culinary Institute, a working cooking laboratory that offers Savannah Technical College students hands-on training. The rehabilitation team replaced damaged Savannah Grey bricks with salvaged ones, re-opened historical chimneys and fireboxes and installed historically accurate wood windows. The Savannah Culinary Institute has attracted students from across the country, allowing enrollment to double and elevating Savannah’s status as a premier culinary destination. Savannah Technical College; Hansen Architects; The Pinyan Company; Tharpe Engineering Group; Method Engineering Group
The Streamliner Diner, 120 West Henry Street
Excellence in Restoration
The Streamliner Diner is a rare example of a Worcester Streamliner diner car, originally manufactured in 1938 and later relocated to Savannah, where it became a distinctive architectural landmark and community gathering place. In February 2025, a devastating fire severely damaged the Streamliner Diner, destroying the adjacent smokehouse and compromising significant portions of the kitchen, dining areas and roof system. The restoration team overcame the highly technical challenge of reconstructing the original curved perimeter roofline, which required specialized craftsmanship, custom metal bending and close coordination between trades. By balancing preservation goals with operational needs and not compromising on historic character, the restoration team was able to complete a successful restoration and preserve a vibrant part of Savannah’s historic landscape. SCAD; JTVS Builders; Lynch Associates Architects; Tharpe Engineering Group; Method Engineering Group; W Projects
The Lucas Theatre for the Arts, 32 Abercorn Street
Excellence in Craftsmanship
Since the Lucas Theatre opened in 1921, it has functioned as a central icon within Savannah’s art and entertainment culture, but the years of use and paint layering had taken a toll on the plaster and gilding throughout the theater’s auditorium, balcony and lobby spaces. Due to already contracted programs and established school schedules, the preservation team had only three short months to complete this massive restoration project. In that time, preservationists repaired or recasted plaster elements to match the historic design and master painters meticulously applied more than 15,000 sheets of Giusto Manetti gold leaf. This successful restoration beautifully returned The Lucas Theatre to its extravagant splendor. SCAD; Landmark Preservation
Forsyth Park Fountain
Excellence in Stewardship
Originally installed in 1858, the classically inspired cast iron Forsyth Park Fountain came from the historically significant iron foundry Janes, Beebe & Co. In 2025, the City of Savannah requested an all-encompassing restoration of the fountain, including the surrounding swans and tritons, and replacement of the internal plumbing mechanisms for each of the fountain’s components. The restoration team fully disassembled the fountain, carefully repaired or recast all of the elements, proactively installed a new waterproof coating on the basin and restored the spray to a more historically accurate pattern. In just over six months of dedicated work, the team of professionals completed a full restoration of the fountain and made great strides in preserving one of Savannah’s most iconic landmarks for future generations. City of Savannah; Landmark Preservation; Robinson Iron Corporation; Pineapple Fountain, Pool & Spa; Integrated Power Connections LLC
The 2026 HSF Preservation Awards and HSF National Preservation Month events are sponsored by The Kessler Collection, Austin Historical, Cay Insurance Services, Critz Auto Group, Georgia Power, Ethos Preservation, Savannah Technical College and Atlantic Waste Services.
