Fort Ticonderoga recently awarded Dr. Richard Washington Longstreth the 2024 Henry Knox Award. The award was presented at the Ticonderoga Ball held in New York City at The Union League Club on March 22, 2024. The award was given in recognition of Dr. Longstreths’s herculean support and leadership as a Board member of The Fort Ticonderoga Association and his life-long contributions to the field of history and historic preservation.
“The Henry Knox Award acknowledges the herculean efforts of Richard in his work on behalf of The Fort Ticonderoga Association,” said Beth L. Hill, Fort Ticonderoga President and CEO. “Henry Knox is best known for his role in hauling 60 tons of artillery from Ticonderoga to relieve the siege of Boston over the winter of 1775 to 1776. This feat was justly regarded as a model of fortitude and perseverance. Similarly, Richard has shown that same spirit which motivated Henry Knox on that mission to do the heavy lifting needed to ensure that this institution, like the revolution, would survive and flourish.”
“Richard has committed his lifetime to history and historic preservation,” said Sanford Morhouse, The Fort Ticonderoga Association Board Chairman. “It is a great honor to recognize Richard for his leadership over the past several years which fundamentally impacted Fort Ticonderoga for the better. Further, he has contributed substantially to the field of history and continues to uncover new perspectives on Ticonderoga’s role in historic preservation and restoration. It is a great honor to recognize Richard for his lifetime of accomplishments and thank him for his monumental support.”
Richard W. Longstreth is an architectural historian and recently retired professor at George Washington University where he directed the program in historic preservation. Longstreth received an A.B. in architecture from the University of Pennsylvania in 1968, and a Ph.D. in architectural history from the University of California, Berkeley in 1977.
Longstreth has also been involved in the preservation field at the national, state, and local levels and in the public and private sectors. He has served as president of the Society of Architectural Historians (1998-2000), president of the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy (2013-2015), first vice president of the Vernacular Architecture Forum (1989-1991), trustee of the National Building Museum (1988-1994), board member of Preservation Action (1980-1995), Adirondack Architectural heritage (1998-2010), the Fort Ticonderoga Association (2004-present), and of the Historical Society of Washington, D.C. (1994-1998). He was a member of the National Historic Landmarks Advisory Group (1989-1994). He also received an Award of Excellence for Architectural Scholarship and Preservation Advocacy from the Society of Architectural Historians, of which he was a Fellow.
He first served on Fort Ticonderoga’s Board of Trustees in 2004 and has continued his engagement and leadership with Fort Ticonderoga over the years including his latest service on the Board since 2021. Longstreth has been a tireless advocate on Fort Ticonderoga’s behalf over the years and has provided critical guidance particularly related to the historic site’s historic preservation endeavors, including the recently restored 1826 Pavilion. Longstreth is currently writing a book on Fort Ticonderoga’s history as an institution including its preservation and restoration story.
About Fort Ticonderoga
Welcoming visitors since 1909, Fort Ticonderoga is museum, historic site, major cultural destination, and center for learning, on-site and across the globe through Fort Ticonderoga’s Center for Digital History. As a multi-day destination and the premier place to learn more about North America’s military heritage, Fort Ticonderoga engages more than 70,000 visitors each year. Presenting vibrant programs, historic interpretation, boat cruises, tours, demonstrations, and exhibits, Fort Ticonderoga and is open for daily visitation May through October and special programs during Winter Quarters, November through April. Fort Ticonderoga is owned by The Fort Ticonderoga Association, a 501c3 non-profit educational organization, and is supported in part through generous donations and with some general operating support made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts. To view Fort Ticonderoga’s electronic press kit, click here. © The Fort Ticonderoga Association. 2024 All Rights Reserved.
Photo: Richard Longstreth and Fort Ticonderoga President and CEO, Beth L. Hill, stand in front of the Pavilion. Under Richard’s guidance, the Pavilion, a National Historic Landmark, underwent a recent $9 million restoration which preserved this national treasure.