Orchid Award
Necia P. Seamons

The Oneida Stake Academy Foundation and the Mormon Historic Sites Foundation were both awarded a Friend of Preservation award on May 22, as part of Preservation Idaho's 27th annual presentation of their Orchid and Onion Awards.

The award was given "in recognition of superlative achievement in preserving Idaho's heritage," it states.

The foundations worked together to save the 114-year-old Oneida Stake Academy from destruction and move it to Benson Park in Preston, last year. They continue to work together to restore the building for public use. The foundations were nominated by Jerry Myers, an architect in Pocatello and Idaho Advisor for the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Preservation Idaho, also known as the Idaho Historic Preservation Council, was organized over 30 years ago "by a group of Idahoans concerned with the alarming rate at which historic sites and resources in Idaho were big lost," states their website, www.preservationidaho.org. Today, that group has grown to 250 individuals, corporations and foundations. It promotes not only preservation of, but education in Idaho's heritage.

"With mounting pressure from development and a continuously growing and changing population in the state, it is now more necessary than ever to preserve historic and cultural resources, to promote the smart re-use of historic facilities and to educate the community-at-large of the value of Idaho heritage," states the web site.

The Orchid and Onion awards are intended to recognize individuals and organizations that make positive contributions to historic preservation in Idaho and to bring awareness to projects and organizations which are insensitive to historic preservation, states Bruce Poe, president of Preservation Idaho.

The ceremony was held in Boise. Representing the Oneida Stake Academy Foundation was Elliott Larsen, secretary/treasurer, and representing the Mormon Historic Sites Foundation was Fred Woods, executive director.

"We are thrilled with the award. Getting the recognition of this statewide organization just substantiates what we've known all along, that the academy is a significant historical landmark in Southeastern Idaho," said Larsen. "Preserving it tells a story of our pioneer ancestors; it provides a link from our past to us to our future generations. Things like this do need to be preserved."