2026 historic preservation awards
Nebraska's oldest historical society honors people behind preservation
NEBRASKA CITY - The Nebraska City Historical Society presented its 2026 awards Friday recognizing the organizations and people behind historic preservation.
Peru State College Professor Sara Crook received the president’s award for her instruction of political science and history the past 38 years.
She is the co-founder of the Nebraska literature program Trails & Tales and portrays Barbara Kagi Mayhew with the Humanities Nebraska speakers bureau.
As a board member for the Nebraska State Historical Society Foundation she helped create Wander Nebraska and led celebrations for Nebraska’s 150th anniversary of statehood.
Crook said history shapes who we are.
Crook: “You have to understand your own personal history to understand your own personal values and what you expect out of life.”
Society President Kathy McKillip said Crook has not only taught history, she has made it.
St. Benedict Parish received the award for new build adaptation. A new parish hall was constructed of about 55,000 bricks that were chosen to blend with the original church from 1856.
The Missouri River Basin Lewis and Clark Center was honored with the preservation award in education for the Camp Dubois/Camp Wood River fort replica.
Mission Field was recognized for historic preservation adaptive re-use.
Friends of Riverview Nature Park received the organization award for work to paint a handrailing of iron that is linked the Cambria company and great bridges over the Missouri River.
Park volunteer Bobby Logan said painting the railing is part of an overall park revival to strengthen the things that remain at the nature park.
Logan: “I grew up here. Since I was five years old that was my park. I’ve lived real close to that park all my life. I just hated to see it get dilapidated like it did and I found these people who were interested in refurbishing it and so I wanted to join in and be part of it.”
Brent Jacobsen, a Nebraska City cabinet shop owner, earned the Laurence Falk award for his craftmanship building storm windows and restoring doors to fit the Old Freighter’s Museum historical period.
Jacobsen: “The board came to me and asked if I could build them some storm windows in the historic fashion, the antique look, and so I did. I used all single panes on 26 storm windows.”
He said the doors had been kept in the basement, but needed to be refinished because of a flood. He said the project was complicated because the doors are English walnut rather than the black walnut that is more common today.