2014 Josiah Durfee Award Winners
The Josiah Durfee Award is given at the discretion of the NPA’s Board of Directors on behalf of the NPA membership to the local citizen or organization that has made the most significant positive contribution to NPA’s mission. Outstanding achievement in historic preservation may be a single event or a cumulative contribution over several years.
For Corporate Stewardship: David Heighway
David Heighway, a native Hoosier, is the Hamilton County Historian and an expert in 19th-century Central Indiana history. He works at Hamilton East Public Library, sits on the Noblesville Historic Preservation Commission, and is on the board of directors of the Hamilton Country Historical Society. For Noblesville and the rest of Hamilton County, he
has become far more than just a knowledgeable man. He is one of our true stewards of history and everyone’s “goto guy” when they need to know more about anything related to Hamilton County history. He has become a vital resource for the Noblesville Preservation Alliance’s conservation efforts. David not only knows his history, but he knows how to tell it in
a way that grabs your attention and makes you want to learn more. He creates history lovers out of all with his fascinating and unusual stories.
When a community can truly have an understanding of what they are preserving, that is when true preservation can take place—and David is helping facilitate that. He is not only helping us save historical structures and features, he is helping our community preserve a love and appreciation of history. For any community on the quest for preservation, it starts with knowledge and passion, and that is where you will find David Heighway. For this, we sincerely thank him for serving our community and the Noblesville Preservation Alliance all these years.
For Community Spirit: Joe Arrowood
Joe Arrowood was the director of Noblesville Main Street for nine years, retiring in 2013. During that time, he started the “First Friday” program, the downtown concert series Jazz on the Square, and the annual Soup Cook off (and recruited the Lions to serve their now-famous grilled cheese sandwiches). He built the annual Street Dance into a mid-summer spectacle that attracts thousands to the Courthouse Square, and built the Noblesville Farmers Market into the most popular market in the county. Joe is a hands-on manager and could be found unloading and reloading his truck just about every Friday night during the summer. His cheerful demeanor and can-do attitude, along with that soft Tennessee accent, made it hard to refuse his repeated requests to volunteer at downtown events. Last year, Joe won a seat on the Noblesville Township board, where he continues to build his legacy of service to our city.
For Individual Merit: Emily Compton
Emily was born and raised in Noblesville. Both parents were also NPA board members, and she carries on the family tradition of teaching. An IU graduate, she is an accomplished Master Artist, a graduate of The Herron School of Arts, and teaches young adults through arts at VSAI. Emily is a teacher, wife, mother of two and, besides all that, takes the time to support the NPA. She and her mother, Dottie Young, have initiated and continually monitor and update the Most Endangered List that raises awareness of historic or significant properties which could be lost or demolished, therefore effectively helping to keep Noblesville’s neighborhoods intact.
Emily has chaired and/or assisted with many of the Annual Historic Home Tours, our major source of revenue. This allows us to give back to the community through our Homeowner Facade Grant Program. Throughout the years, Emily’s unselfish “I can help” attitude, her wealth of community history, and her organizational skills have encouraged and enabled the
NPA to be a more focused organization for the betterment of Noblesville. Thank you, Emily!
For Corporate Philanthropy: Jon Kroehler & Navient
When the Kincaid House was faced with demolition in 2014, the cooperation of government and business leaders to move quickly toward a solution was critical. Finding a new site for an old building can be a huge challenge and can stall or even end a preservation effort. The most convenient site was just up the road from 106th Street but it was owned by a large corporation that was headquartered elsewhere, and we all know how difficult that can make communication. That is, unless they are Navient.
From the start, Navient’s Senior Vice President of Human Resources, Jon Kroehler, took an intense interest in saving the Kincaid House. Not only did they fully cooperate in Emily has chaired and/or assisted with many of the Annual Historic Home Tours, our major source of revenue. This allows us to give back to the community through our Homeowner Façade Grant Program. Throughout the years, Emily’s unselfish “I can help” attitude, her wealth of community history, and her organizational skills have encouraged and enabled the the effort, but Navient donated the land to which the house was moved, and where it currently sits, very visible along I-69. Jon’s and Navient’s cooperation were crucial to making this operation happen, and their behavior serves as a shining example of how big business, even when it’s headquartered out of town, can play a huge role in helping enhance the local community.
