Bridge photo by Wayne Kizziar, used with permission.

The Faulkner County Historical Society has been named a finalist for the Arkansas Heritage Award to be presented at the Henry Awards ceremony during the 44th Annual Arkansas Governor’s Conference on Tourism. The conference will be held in West Memphis, March 11-13.

The Arkansas Heritage Award is presented to an individual, organization, or community that has made a significant contribution toward the preservation of some aspect of Arkansas’s natural, cultural or aesthetic legacy.

The society also received word this week that the Springfield Bridge received the 2017 Ammann Award for Best Example of a Restored Historic Bridge from the Bridgehunter’s Chronicles.

The Bridgehunter’s Chronicles, a column produced written by Jason D. Smith, recognizes a group each year that successfully saves and restores a historic bridge that is now being reused for future purposes.

The award was given based on the number of online votes that the bridge received. The Springfield Bridge received 1,720 votes or 25.6% of the votes cast, edging out the Green Bridge in Des Moines, Iowa.

The awards were named for Othmar H. Ammann, a Swiss engineer who immigrated to the U.S. Nels Rayner of Bach Steel, the company that helped restore the bridge, also received the Lifetime Legacy Award for his time and efforts in preserving historic bridges.

On January 19, Faulkner County Historical Society President Rebekah Bilderback and Secretary/Treasurer Judy Corcoran will attend the Preserve Arkansas Awards Banquet at the historic Albert Pike Memorial Temple in Little Rock.

They accepted the Excellence in Preservation through Rehabilitation Award in the Infrastructure Category on behalf of the City of Conway, as the owner, and Workin’ Bridges of Grinnell, Iowa, as the contractor of the Springfield Bridge.