CENTURY HOUSE PROJECT AWARDED RECOGNITION
2005 GOVERNOR’S HUMANITIES AWARD IN COMMUITY HERITAGE

Neita Geilker, Elaine Koepke, and Christopher Harris have been selected to receive a 2005 Governor’s Humanities Community Heritage Award, conferred by the Missouri Humanities Council. This award recognizes a special contribution to a community’s understanding of its heritage.

The Century House Project, proposed by Geilker in 2002 to the Liberty Historic District Review Commission, began to identify and authenticate all of the hundred-year-old houses and buildings in Liberty.

Through promotion of owner plaques, and the publication of a poster, then the book, Liberty’s Living Legacy: 19th Century Buildings 1830-1899, these awardees have raised the consciousness of the Liberty community about its architectural treasures. Publication of the book in 2004 coincided with the 175th anniversary of Liberty’s incorporation as a city.

In addition to serving as spokesperson for the project, Geilker contributed text for the book and server as editor. Koepke, a Hallmark artist, photographed the houses, and designed the book and poster layout and cover. Harris, who proposed the idea of the book, did authentication research and also provided text.

Since 1971, the Missouri Humanities Council has provided thousands of programs to help Missourians enjoy a rich cultural life and develop community citizenship. Our mission is to enable families and communities to broaden their appreciation of history, literature, and the ideas that shape our democracy. Our programs include: READ from the START, family reading initiative; Chautauqua, community celebration of history: Charettes, consulting for local museums & cultural institutions; Museum on Main Street rural initiative of the Smithsonian Institution; as well as Grants and Initiatives to fund locally generated programs.

To learn more about the Governor’s Humanities Awards, this year’s honorees, or to nominate someone for the 2006 Public Involvement, Community Heritage, Excellence in Secondary Education, or Book Awards, please visit our website, www.mohumanities.org.

MHC is a tax-exempt, non-profit organization affiliated with the National Endowment for the Humanities, a Federal agency.