California Preservation Awards Sponsorship

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The 2026 Design Awards Event

We're celebrating 24 award winning projects, as well as the Trustee's Awards for Excellence and four President's Awards at the Mission Inn in downtown Riverside. This special celebration is followed by a ticketed reception with food and drinks. Purchase your tickets before they sell out!

Sacramento LGBTQ+ Historic Experience Project

Project Co-Lead: Sean deCourcy, Preservation Director, City of Sacramento, Sacramento
Project Co-Lead: Henry Feuss, Preservation Planner, City of Sacramento, Sacramento
Lead Architect, Engineer, or Designer: Clare Flynn, Page & Turnbull

Project Affiliates:

Other: William Burg, Board President, Preservation Sacramento, Sacramento
Other: Mauricio Torres, , Board of Directors, Lavender Library, Sacramento

Sacramento LGBTQ+ Historic Experience Project

Sacramento LGBTQ+ Historic Experience Project is a winner for the 2025 Preservation Design Award for Cultural Heritage, Intangible Assets. Award recipients are selected by a jury of top professionals in the fields of architecture, engineering, planning, and history, as well as renowned architecture critics and journalists. Tickets and sponsorship options are available at californiapreservation.org/programs/awards/.

About Sacramento LGBTQ+ Historic Experience Project

The LGBTQ+ Historic Experience Project is a groundbreaking effort by the City of Sacramento to document, protect, and celebrate the city’s LGBTQ+ history. Funded in part through the California OHP Certified Local Government Grant Program, the project produced a Historic Context Statement and conducted a survey identifying significant sites, including the potential Lavender Heights Historic District and five individual landmarks. Through extensive archival research, oral histories, and community engagement, the project highlighted themes such as the gay liberation movement, the AIDS crisis, and LGBTQ+ political activism. Public outreach was able to successfully reach diverse community voices through meetings, small group sessions, and individual interviews, ensuring inclusivity. The project’s findings lay the groundwork for listing the historic district and individual landmarks on the Sacramento Register in the near future, fostering greater public understanding, and enhancing civic pride. By preserving this underrepresented history, the project enriches Sacramento’s cultural narrative and sets a precedent for more inclusive historic preservation efforts across California.

A cover page titled Sacramento LGBTQ+ Historic Experience Project with five oval photos showing historic LGBTQ+ moments and people. Includes a rainbow bar, project logos, and a QR code at the bottom left.

Two people sit behind a table with a blue tablecloth that reads City of Sacramento Community Development, with informational papers spread out on the table. They are outside a building with large windows.

A woman gestures while explaining archival shelves filled with old books to a small group of four adults during a tour in a storage facility. The shelves are tall and labeled, and the area is brightly lit.

A city council meeting in progress, with officials seated at a long desk facing the audience. Some people stand or walk around, and “RESERVED” signs are visible on the backs of several chairs in the foreground.

Seven people sit around a conference table in a meeting room with laptops, papers, and drinks. A large screen displays a spreadsheet. Everyone is looking at the camera and smiling. The atmosphere appears collaborative and professional.

A group of people sits around tables in a meeting room, listening to a man standing and speaking at the front. The room is well-lit with white walls, framed art, and plants. Papers and notebooks are on the tables.

Two men stand at the front of a classroom, presenting a slide on defining historic context statements to a group of seated adults. There are papers and a basket on the table, and large windows show greenery outside.

A group of seniors sits at a table in a meeting room, reading and discussing papers. One man in a blue shirt and orange cap speaks while others listen or read. There are notebooks, a water bottle, and a TV in the background.

A young man stands and speaks to a group of older adults seated around tables in a classroom. The group listens attentively, with notebooks and a basket on the table. Large windows and a clock are visible in the background.

A person stands at a podium giving a presentation to a seated audience in a well-lit room. Attendees are eating food while listening, and a projected screen displays information on the wall.

A group of people sit at round tables in a conference room, listening to a presenter speaking at the front next to a screen displaying a slide. The audience appears engaged, and the room is well-lit.

Three people sit on chairs along a hallway wall eating food, while two people stand behind an information table with a Sacramento banner. The hallway is well-lit with light-colored walls and a framed photo.

Two people sit and talk at a blue picnic table on an outdoor patio, while a camera crew films them. String lights hang above, and trees, palm trees, and buildings are visible under a clear blue sky.

Community Importance

The LGBTQ+ Historic Experience Project is vital to the Sacramento community because it addresses a long-standing gap in the recognition and preservation of underrepresented histories. For decades, the contributions of Sacramento’s LGBTQ+ community have remained hidden or unacknowledged, despite their profound impact on the city’s cultural, social, and political development. This project ensures that these stories are no longer overlooked.

Through the identification of significant sites, including the potential Lavender Heights Historic District, and the documentation of key events and figures, the project honors the resilience, activism, and achievements of the LGBTQ+ community. It fosters a sense of belonging and pride among LGBTQ+ individuals by validating their history as an integral part of Sacramento’s identity.

The project’s extensive community engagement also strengthens bonds across the broader Sacramento population. By involving diverse voices – BIPOC, Latinx, and trans communities, among others – it promotes understanding, inclusivity, and mutual respect. These efforts enhance civic pride, support cultural tourism, and contribute to Sacramento’s identity as an inclusive and progressive city.

Furthermore, the project sets the stage for long-term preservation and education. It enables future generations to learn about and celebrate the diversity of their city while encouraging other groups to undertake similar initiatives. The LGBTQ+ Historic Experience Project is not just a preservation effort; it builds on the success of the African American Experience Historic Context and Survey project (2023), to take a transformative step toward a more inclusive and equitable representation of Sacramento’s rich history.

About CPF and the Awards

Held in conjunction with CPF’s 2026 Annual Conference in Riverside, the 2026 Mission Inn Preservation Design Awards Ceremony and Reception will spotlight excellence in historic preservation in a setting that reflects the very spirit of the work being honored. This special evening brings together award recipients, conference participants, preservation leaders, and supporters from across California to celebrate outstanding preservation projects and leadership through the Preservation Design Awards and President’s Awards.

Founded in 1978, the California Preservation Foundation (CPF) is California’s statewide nonprofit organization dedicated to the protection of historic places and cultural heritage. Through education, advocacy, and community-centered programs, CPF supports the people, projects, and policies that keep California’s historic resources vital and valued. We now support a national network of more than 36,000 members and supporters. Click here to learn how you can become a member.