By Cain Madden/The Natchez Democrat

A special year deserves a special class of awards for the Historic Natchez Foundation’s annual celebration of excellence in history and preservation.

At its annual meeting in January, which unveiled the Natchez Tricentennial art exhibit “Coming Home: A Tribute to Renowned Natchez Artists,” the foundation also awarded two local men and three preservation projects.

Honored this year with the George and Ethel Kelly Restoration Award were Randy and Helen Smith, for their work on properties on Canal Street, and Fred and Sheila Lotterhos, for their work on a home on State Street.

Randy and Helen Smith restored the properties formerly known as the Priest’s House, now known as the James Andrews House and the Lawyers Lodge at 207 and 211 North Canal St.

Natchez Historic Foundation Executive Director Mimi Miller said the work began in 2012 with a new roof.

“It has been a phenomenal restoration,” she said. “And they have made two very beautiful residences out of them, which would also work commercially as an office space. They were developed so they could be versatile, depending on what the market was at any point in time.”

Originally on Market Street, Lawyers Lodge, as the name suggests, was once one of the many law offices surrounding the courthouse.

The Andrews House boasts one of the city’s finest examples of residential Federal-style architecture from about 1806.

Also honored is the house of at 609 State St. Fred and Sheila Lotterhos, currently of Jacksonville, Fla., restored the building as their home away from home.

During the mid-20th century, the Greek-revival property underwent sandblasting and cement repointing and the columns were moved back and the original portico was cut into, Miller said.

“It was a major restoration work for Fred and Sheila, and they have made attractive additions to it as well,” she said. “They totally repaired all of the brick work and have done a careful restoration of the portico, giving it back its full dimensions. They have made a wonderfully comfortable family home.”

The Mary Postlethwaite History Award went to Jim Wiggins, who recently retired from Copiah-Lincoln Community College Natchez, and Jeff Mansell, for his continued work with the Natchez National Historic Park.

After decades of work at Co-Lin Natchez, Miller said Wiggins should have been honored a number of years ago.

“It seems particularly fitting now with the retirement,” Miller said of Wiggins’ 2015 departure from teaching. “Jim Wiggins has just been an unbelievable Natchez historian. He has charmed us all, educated us all and is one of the city’s great treasures.”

It is Miller’s hope that retirement doesn’t slow Wiggins down.

“He is one of the best speakers and lecturers the town has ever had,” she said. “He is a local treasure, and I am glad he will have more time to research and more time to lecture.”

Wiggins was surprised to receive the honor.

“I am honored to receive the award, and would like to thank all who were involved in making the choice,” he said.

To Miller’s wishes, Wiggins confirmed that retirement would indeed mean that he would be able to devote more time to local history.

“My main concern in history through teaching has always been something else,” he said. “In the last couple of years, I have gotten interested in different aspects of Southern history, and ultimately Natchez history.

“Right now I am teaching a special class on slavery that is meant to be part of the tricentennial. In the fall of 2016, I am planning to do a class on the Civil Rights Movement that will be even more specifically related to Natchez.”

Mansell was honored for two particular projects, the work he did on the Civil War in Natchez for the war’s 150th anniversary and the Natchez History Minute video series for the tricentennial.

“As a result of his research, we now know so much about Natchez during the Civil War and the occupation by the Union Army,” Miller said. “The Natchez History Minute has been a great thing to involve students, people in community — a real cross section of people. It has been a great program.”

The projects, particularly the more recent history minutes, were special to Mansell. He said working with the area’s school children was a great experience.

“For a historian, having a project where you involve 140 school children studying the history of the area is pretty rewarding for you professionally,” Mansell said. “I couldn’t do it without Brandy Mann at Cathedral, Kristine Stokes at Trinity, Mark LaFrancis at ACCS and Steven Richardson with the public schools.”

Mansell also wanted to thank his staff as well as the foundation for this honor.

“I just appreciate the efforts of the park in undertaking this rather ambitious project,” he said. “Mayor Butch Brown had said that he wanted to see an event every day in 2016 for the tricentennial, and this is the park’s way to meet that goal.”

A special merit award went to Dub Rogers, for his work restoring Steampunk Coffee Roasters and Smoot’s Grocery in Downtown Natchez.

Miller said while Rogers didn’t do a traditional academic restoration of the two properties, what he did to revitalize two historic buildings was worth recognizing.

“He did an adaptive rehabilitation,” she said. “He took two very debilitated historic buildings that had been empty for a number of years, and rehabilitated them to become viable businesses in historic downtown.

“I think anytime someone opens a new business downtown, that’s almost award worthy.”