For Community Education for the Book Legendary Locals of Wake Forest
Durward Matheny, a native of Wake Forest and a nationally known forensic documents examiner, has been active in the history and preservation of Wake Forest for decades. He has served on the Wake Forest Historic Preservation Commission, is a longtime board member of the Wake Forest College Birthplace Society, a volunteer at the Wake Forest Museum, and a 2013 recipient of the Town’s Peggy Allen Lifetime Achievement Award. Durward’s memories of growing up in Wake Forest added many unique insights while researching and writing the town’s history.
Jennifer Smart is the Assistant Director of the Wake Forest Historical Museum; and, a resident of the Wake Forest Local Historic District. She is also the author of a previous Arcadia title, Images of America: Wake Forest. Together, Durward and Jennifer compiled over 300 photographs into a history of Wake Forest’s most memorable residents for the Arcadia publication, Legendary Locals of Wake Forest.
Historic preservation professionals tend to focus on the buildings and the stories they can tell; nevertheless, it is often the individuals who built these buildings that are the major players in the story. In this compilation, Durward and Jennifer artfully weave the history of the places with the lives of the people who made Wake Forest what it is today; and, with the legacy that will continue into the future.
Jennifer summed it up best on the Wake Forest Historical Museum website with the following: “I hope readers will understand that Wake Forest isn’t wonderful by accident. For almost two centuries, this town has been shaped and guided by amazing people with remarkable gifts. It is these past generations that have left us with a lasting legacy worth cultivating, remembering, perpetuating, and preserving. Whether these citizens were intellectuals, ministers, business owners, athletes, volunteers, politicians, or children, their hard work and dedication established the foundation on which our community exists today.”
The Board of Directors of Capital Area Preservation, Inc. is pleased to present a 2015 Anthemion Award to Durward Matheny & Jennifer Smart for Community Education for the book Legendary Locals of Wake Forest.