Paul Fisher gets Clement Cup

Longtime community activist and benefactor Paul Fisher received the Clement Cup Wednesday for his work in historic preservation.

The Clement Cup is the highest honor given out by the Historic Salisbury Foundation, which held its second annual Historic Preservation Luncheon at Salisbury Station. Overall, it was the 17th annual preservation awards program for the organization.

A crowd of roughly 150 people, including most of the award winners, gave Fisher a standing ovation as he accepted the cup. Presenter Bob Allen said Fisher has long understood the advantages historic preservation gives to a community.

Allen credited Fisher’s chairmanship of the Flowers Bakery Area Redevelopment Task Force for taking what could have been a “white elephant in the heart of the downtown into a creative mixed-use development that is back on the tax books.”

“Most recently,” Allen continued, “his ability to see beyond the aluminum prompted his purchase of the old Norman’s complex.

“The restoration of the former Mayfield Building into prime office space has turned what could have been a sea of asphalt into an asset for our downtown landscape.”

Fisher, head of F&M Bank, lives in one of Salisbury’s most recognizable historic homes, the Cannon-Guille House at South Fulton and West Fisher streets.

In a bittersweet moment for many in the audience, the foundation also recognized the longtime preservation contributions of the late Arnold Snider, who died unexpectedly over the past weekend.

HSF President Nancy Clement said Snider was excited and looking forward to receiving his award as a longtime preservation leader along with his wife, Kate Mills Snider, and Mary Holt “Holtie” Woodson.

Snider’s daughter, Kay, accepted the recognition for her parents. The crowd also gave the Sniders and Woodson a standing tribute of applause. They were recognized “for nearly 30 years of hard work, moral support and financial backing that has enabled Historic Salisbury Foundation to save the Hall House, Grimes Mill, the beautiful Salisbury passenger station and so much more.”

Other categories for awards included commercial revitalization through historic preservation, private preservation and neighborhood revitalization, preservation education and publication and preservation craftsmen and professionals.

Here were winners in those categories:

• Diane and Michael Young, for their purchase and restoration of commercial buildings at 212 E. Innes St. and 1400 S. Fulton St. (the former Albright Cash Store).
• Downtown Salisbury Inc., for development of its Master Plan.
• Doug Jones, for the restoration and use of 214 E. Innes St. as his insurance office.
• Ed Harris and Associates, for the restoration and an innovative reuse of the Cheerwine Building at 322 E. Council St. The building is now a mix of residential and office condominiums.
• Debbie and Rick Morefield, for their restoration of the Choat-Blount House at 203 Mitchell Ave.
• Kathi and Dennis Hill, for restoration of the Jones-Beard house at 309 W. Bank St.
• Pat and Dick Sylvester, for their continuing preservation efforts in the North Main Street Historic District, including the recent restoration of the Hines-Norman House at 820 N. Main St.
• Catawba College, for restoration and reuse of Newton Hall, now renamed to Hurley Residence Hall.
• Julius Waggoner, for the restoration of a highly endangered house at 817 S. Jackson St. The restoration has had a positive impact on a fragile area between Thomas and Harrison streets, according to the foundation.
• City of Salisbury Community Development and Salisbury Community Development Corp., for saving and remodeling several vacant, deteriorating houses identified by the Park Avenue Redevelopment Corp. The houses returned to the market and are now occupied by their new owners.
• Pat McGuire, for her “unfailing efforts” in producing the reprint of “The Architecture of Rowan County” by Davyd Foard Hood.
• Martha Hawkins, for her efforts and expertise in the selling of historic homes in Salisbury. She has recently completed the real estate program of the National Trust for historic preservation.
• Frank Goodnight, for his help and craftsmanship, through Diversified Graphics, in the production of “The Architecture of Rowan County” reprint.