Dover, Ohio - The Heritage Home Association of Tuscarawas County is recognizing a group of local individuals for their efforts to preserve and restore historic homes and buildings. 

Members will be presenting their 2019 Heroes of Preservation Awards during a ceremony on Thursday evening beginning at 6pm at the LifeBridge Community Church in downtown Dover. 

Honorees include Susanna Strauss and Brian Ice, who spearheaded the restoration of the church, along with the Krantz family for their preservation of the Zoarville School House. Other Heroes of Preservation include Eric and Kari Kinsey and Mike and Autumn Poland for Hoodletown Brewing; Jeff and Susan Eadie for The Assembly House in Zoar; the Tuscarawas County Commissioners for the Tuscarawas County Courthouse; and Tim and Courtney Creighton of New Philadelphia for their home on Ray Avenue. More about these heroes and their properties will be shared during the award presentations. 

In addition, the association will also be recognizing Ernestine Kehl as this year's Hero of History.  She and her late husband, Carl Kehl, founded the Heritage Home Association of Tuscarawas County in 1976 with a little help from the Board of Realtors. In that first year, the fledgling organization presented Heritage Home plaques for 16 historic homes.  Ernestine served as the organization's president for many years.  She served the area as a realtor and appraiser for decades, and she still maintains her historic Gothic Revival home on South Broadway in New Philadelphia.

The public is invited to attend the awards ceremony and social hour that follows. The church is located at 301 North Wooster Ave.

About the Heritage Home Association of Tuscarawas County

The Association is dedicated to the preservation and documentation of the architecturally and historically significant homes and buildings of the County.  Its members endeavor to encourage interest in preserving these historic structures, cultivate an appreciation of this part of our local heritage, and educate individuals interested in preserving or restoring local homes and buildings.

That mission also inspires Association members to identify and recognize individuals who go above and beyond the call of duty to make their home or building and their neighborhood better -  those who help to restore, those who help to preserve, those who help to keep historic styles and character intact.