Old First Wins The Ortner Preservation Award For Its Skillful Restoration

On March 1, 2018, the Park Slope Civic Council awarded Old First its Evelyn and Everett Ortner Preservation Award. The achievement: exterior restoration of the church, allowing it to remain a historic landmark in Park Slope.

The award was presented to Pastor Daniel Meeter at another Park Slope landmark — the Old Stone House, located in Washington Park between 3rd and 4th Streets and 4th and 5th Avenues.

According to the Park Slope Civic Council website, the Awards were inaugurated in 2014 to recognize and encourage construction projects and interventions that make a positive contribution to the appearance and unique identity of Park Slope.

Evelyn & Everett Ortner

Evelyn Ortner (1924-2006) and Everett Ortner (1919-2012) were residents of Park Slope and had advocated for community improvement back in the 1960s, when the neighborhood was in decline. They championed for urban renewal programs and protested demolition of historic buildings. The couple also were in the forefront of the creation of the Park Slope Historic District, the largest landmarked district in New York. Their passion helped bring Park Slope back to its current vibrant life.

Click here to find out more about the Park Slope Civic Council and our much-apppreciated award.

Click here to find out more about the awards’ process and here to learn more about Old First’s restoration project.

Exterior restoration work by PRESERV, April 2016. Photo by Jane Hively Barber.

Exterior restoration work by PRESERV, April 2016. Photo by Jane Hively Barber.

Exterior restoration work by PRESERV, April 2016. Photo by Jane Hively Barber.