Preservations who worked on the Daniel B. Harrington Steam Locomotive Restoration effort are recognized on the statewide level. The Michigan Historic Preservation Network has announced that the project will receive the 2024 Preservation Gem Award at this year’s annual conference, taking place next week in Kalamazoo. The Harrington has been fully restored through the combined efforts of Port Huron Museums, the Community Foundation of St. Clair County, and SC4, and was put on display last year at the Wrigley Center in Downtown Port Huron. Original parts for the 1879 locomotive were refurbished whenever possible or painstakingly replicated using historic blueprints and photographs.
The MHPN recognizes the contributions made by;
- Port Huron Museums
- Community Foundation of St. Clair County
- St. Clair County Community College
- T. J. Gaffney, Streamline Historic Services LLC, Project Manager
- Dave Domitrovich, Aaron Farmer, Steam Railroading Institute
- Robert Foglesong, R&D Foglesong Construction
- Thomas Diehl, reconstructed tender body
- Jason Johnson, Gemini Engineering
- Stacey Karnes, Painter
- Dan Meinhard, Woodworking
- Thomas Read, Student/School Liaison
- Mark. St. Aubin, Metal Worker
Every year, the Preservation Gem Award goes to an outstanding preservation project completed within the last three years that includes restoration or rehabilitation of an element of a building, or of a structure or an object: for example, a front porch, major window rehabilitation, or single interior room, or a commercial façade, theater marquee or similar single commercial building element, or of a structure or object, or other project that does not include a complete building or landscape rehabilitation.
Photo credit: Port Huron Museums collection.
