Historic Southern Indiana

Jeffersonville receives 2005 Community Legacy Award

Jeffersonville is this year’s recipient of Historic Southern Indiana’s Community Legacy Award.

Leslie Townsend, program coordinator for Historic Southern Indiana, presented the award to Jeffersonville Mayor Rob Waiz on June 24 in Warder Park in Jeffersonville.

Jeffersonville Mayor Rob Waiz accepts the 2005 Community Legacy Award. From left to right: Jim Keith (HSI Board member, Clark-Floyd Counties CVB), Mayor Rob Waiz, Leslie Townsend (HSI Program Coordinator), Laura Renwick (HSI Board member, Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana), and Darrell Voelker (HSI Board member, Harrison County Chamber of Commerce).

Jeffersonville is the county seat of Clark County, bordered on the south by the Ohio River, and part of the Greater Louisville area. Jay Ellis, executive director of Jefferson Main Street, Inc., submitted the city’s application for the HSI award.

As the 2005 Community Legacy Award winner, Jeffersonville received $1,000 in support of heritage-related projects and a plaque of achievement for public display.

Jeffersonville has worked hard to preserve its architectural heritage, embracing its early nineteenth century properties with the formation of two historic districts. The city has admirably recovered from a many disasters, including floods and fires.

The community has undertaken a number of projects to revitalize its downtown, including the Concerts in the Park series, building restorations, a farmers market, improved signage, beautification efforts, an outdoor movie series, the Front Porch Project, streetscape improvements, the Greenway Project, and more.

City officials moved to update zoning rules and help protect the city’s sense of place by re-classifying zones from the broad categories of residential, commercial, and industrial, to more area-specific terms, such as “Old City Residential” and “Neighborhood Commercial.”

Jeffersonville was the 2004 recipient of an Indiana Main Street Award for public and private partnership for their Front Porch program.

In 2003, Jeffersonville Main Street Inc. was named a National Main Street Program by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and Indiana Main Street for its revitalization efforts.

It also received the 2002 Innovation Award from the Indiana Department of Commerce and Indiana Main Street for its Smart Growth Outreach Project, which brings in national speakers to educate the public on land use and smart growth.

With its strong commitment to preservation and the dedication of many business leaders and citizens, Jeffersonville truly exemplifies the character of the Community Legacy Award.

The recipient of the Community Legacy Award is selected by a panel of judges comprising the following organizations: Historic Southern Indiana; Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana; the Indiana Economic Development Corporation and the Indiana Office of Tourism; and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology.

Previous recipients include West Baden Springs, Madison, Orleans, Rising Sun, and Aurora.

Historic Southern Indiana, a heritage-based regional outreach program of University of Southern Indiana, supports a coalition of individuals and agencies committed to preservation, development, and promotion of the cultural, historic, and natural resources of southern Indiana. Since 1986 it has offered a variety of programs and projects to improve the quality of life in the 26 southernmost counties of the state.

8600 University Boulevard - Evansville, IN 47712-3596 - 812/464-8600