FOTBCH Work Recognized by Preserve Nevada
Preserve Nevada, a statewide nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation of Nevada’s cultural, historical, and archeological heritage, announced recently that Friends of the Belmont Courthouse will be awarded one of the organization’s 2020 Bonnie Awards in the “Organization Contributions” category.
Other Bonnie Award categories include Legacy, Individual Contributions, Educator and Government Service. Individuals and organizations statewide are considered for this annual honor. Michael Green, Associate Professor of History, said “We created the Bonnie Award to honor people, organizations, and agencies doing the best work we know of to save our historical treasures. The Friends of the Belmont Courthouse have worked long, hard, and well to preserve this wonderful building. We’re honored to be able to honor them.”
During its fall conference in Reno, a special dinner will be held to recognize all nominees and award winners. The winners will receive a historic railroad lantern with the name and award etched on the chimney, as well as the nickname for the award: “The Bonnie,” in honor of Bonnie Bryan, Nevada’s First Lady from 1983-89. Mrs. Bryan was an advocate for historic preservation in that position and as a longtime member of the Junior League of Las Vegas, she helped that group obtain and restore the Morelli House. Bonnie is the late wife of Senator Richard Bryan, who is a member of the Preserve Nevada board of directors and one of its founders.
Preserve Nevada was conceived in 2001 as a partnership with UNLV and is housed on the UNLV campus as part of the Department of History and the Public History Program. The organization brings together, from different parts of the state, a board of directors whose members share a common interest in historic preservation. The range of perspectives represented by the board plays an important role in shaping a common understanding of Nevada’s preservation needs.
Preserve Nevada is a model for other states looking to address their preservation needs or to reinvigorate existing preservation organizations. The Preserve Nevada project builds bridges between the community and the university, educaton and advocacy, and methods and practices to benefit all who participate. The publish Nevada’s 11 Most Endangered List each year to bring attention to significant buildings, sites and lanscapes that are threatened and to gather support for the effort to record and preserve the history of our unique state. This year, both the Tonopah Army Air Field and the Tonopah Courthouse are included on the organization’s 11 Most Endangered list.
