Historic SPANS Task Force receives national award

The Indiana Historic SPANS Task Force in Indianapolis received a prestigious National Preservation Honor Award from the National Trust for Historic Preservation on Oct. 4.

The Task Force is one of 21 national award winners honored by the National Trust during its week-long 2007 National Preservation Conference in the Twin Cities of Saint Paul and Minneapolis.

Chairman of the Task Force is Paul Brandenburg of Indianapolis, formerly of Delphi. Brandenburg and John and Mary Mears of Carroll County attended the awards ceremony.

From 1987-1999, poor planning and conflicting interests led to the loss of 62 percent of Indiana's historic bridges. Built between 1860 and 1930 and made of wood, stone, iron and steel, hundreds of these structures were torn down even though rehabilitation would have been less expensive than new construction.

When both the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana put the Hoosier State's historic bridges on their endangered lists, an alarm bell sounded. Fighting to save these threatened bridges one at a time was proving to be ineffective. A more holistic, proactive approach was needed.

"These historic bridges are an integral component of the Indiana landscape as well as a symbol of civic pride," said Richard Moe, president of the National Trust. "The Indiana Historic SPANS Task Force has set an excellent example for other states, and their success has reinforced the fact that preservation is often a viable, cost-effective option when updating our road systems."

The Historic SPANS Task Force is a 20-member group involving the Historic Landmarks Foundation, the Federal Highway Administration, Indiana Department of Transportation, and preservation professionals. Determined to find a comprehensive solution, the SPANS Task Force brought together disparate parties and eventually produced a precedent-setting agreement - the Programmatic Agreement for the Management and Preservation of Indiana's Historic Bridges.

Signed in July 2006, the Agreement defined a process to identify historic bridges that are most suitable for preservation. It stated that all bridges built before 1964 - nearly 6,000 in total - would be surveyed and classified as either "select" or "non-select." Those designated as "select" would not be demolished as part of a bridge replacement program using federal or local funding. Instead, they would be preserved through rehabilitation and continued use. Bridges classified as "nonselect" would be subject to destruction only after other alternatives were determined to be neither feasible nor prudent.

Carroll County bridges

Brandenburg and others in Carroll County are credited with saving and preserving three Carroll County historic bridges - Wilson Bridge, Paint Creek Bridge, and Carrollton Bridge. Another historic bridge, the Stearns iron truss, was rescued from Pulaski County and now spans the canal in Delphi.

The National Preservation Awards are bestowed on distinguished individuals, nonprofit organizations, public agencies and corporations whose skill and determination have given new meaning to their communities through preservation of our architectural and cultural heritage. These efforts include citizen attempts to save and maintain important landmarks; companies and craftsmen whose work restores the richness of the past; the vision of public officials who support preservation projects and legislation in their communities; and educators and journalists who help Americans understand the value of preservation.

For more information and images of the 2007 National Preservation Award winners, visit www.nationaltrust.org/ preservation_awards/.