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.

Project Team

Project Leader / Designer‐Specifier
John Fidler – John Fidler Preservation Technology Inc

Owner/Client
Steven Crow – First Congregational Church of Long Beach

Consultant Architects
Kaitlin Drisko – Drisko Studio Architects
Bob Knight – Drisko Studio Architects

Structural Engineers
Eric Stovner – Critical Structures Inc.
Kathy Kovshilovsky – Critical Structures Inc.

Façade Engineer
Scott Pons – Preservation  Engineers

Architectural Conservators
Rosa Lowinger – RLA Conservation
Christina Varvi – RLA Conservation

Owner’s Stained Glass Conservator
Michael Oades – J. Michael Designs Inc.

Main Contractor & Masonry Specialist
Michael Courtney – Giampolini  Courtney

Specialty Sub‐Contractor(s)
Jon Wilson – Darwen Terracotta Ltd
Dan Machness – House of Stainless
Scott Campbell – Restoration Sash & Door

First Congregational Church of Long Beach

First Congregational Church of Long Beach is a winner for the 2021 Preservation Design Award for Craftsmanship/Preservation Technology. 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/awards.

Read more about the Preservation Design Awards

About the First Congregational Church of Long Beach

This multi-year, multi-disciplinary, $2.4 million project sought to preserve, repair, and restore damaged areas of the terra cotta Rose Window as well as other character-defining features of the First Congregational Church of Long Beach. The project involved the removal of the stained-glass for studio conservation and dismantling of the East Rose Window’s embrittled tracery. This revealed a simple but undersized and heavily-corroded mild-steel armature with few physical connections to mortar-filled terra cotta blocks. A more seismically-robust but compact, corrosion-resistant, stainless-steel armature replacement was designed without the need and expense to disturb the Window’s original inboard Mahogany tracery lining and decorative plaster rim. New hollow terra cotta blocks matched the original on their faces, but with amended backs to accommodate the armature and attachment via small anchor clips. The outboard face of the extent interior wooden tracery was waterproofed before terra cotta installation. Neoprene shims and structural elastomeric sealant respectively cushioned meeting joints, anchor clips and dowels. Face joints were then waterproofed with sealant. Damaged bricks were replaced to match. Intact but rotating, unbonded bricks were “pinned” to the substrate with helical friction anchors and their holes filled with color-matched mortar.

A person in a hard hat and safety vest examines detailed architectural carvings on a building façade, using a magnifying glass. Text highlights the First Congregational Church of Long Beach winning a 2021 Preservation Design Award.
A tall, red-brick church with arched windows, a large circular stained glass window, and a clock tower stands on a city corner under a clear blue sky. A few people and cars are visible nearby.
A person in a hard hat and safety vest examines cracks in a large stone structure with a flashlight, possibly conducting an inspection or restoration work. Scaffolding and other people are visible in the background.
A construction worker in a hard hat and safety vest writes on a clipboard while standing on scaffolding beside an ornate building facade.
A large stone window frame under restoration, with scaffolding above, ropes hanging down, and several numbered blue tape markers on the stone. A plastic bucket and tools are nearby.
Large decorative stone or plaster architectural pieces arranged on the floor, forming parts of a circular window with intricate designs, likely for a Gothic-style building restoration or construction.
A partially assembled decorative architectural structure made of white, curved segments lies on a wooden surface, surrounded by tools, metal pieces, a pink bucket, and the feet of workers.
A crane lifts a large circular window frame onto a red brick building under construction, surrounded by scaffolding and green netting, with a partly cloudy sky overhead.
A worker in jeans and a gray shirt kneels beneath scaffolding, installing or restoring ornate cream-colored architectural details on a large building structure. Tools and buckets are nearby.
Intricately designed stained glass window with colorful patterns and figures, partially surrounded by scaffolding and construction materials, indicating ongoing restoration work. Sunlight shines through the glass, illuminating the colors.
Scaffolding set up in front of a large, ornate stained glass window with intricate white stone carvings inside a building, illuminated by sunlight.
A brick building with a circular window.
A red brick church with a large circular stained glass window above the entrance, a tall bell tower, two parked white trucks, and two people standing on the sidewalk. Trees line the building and the sky is blue.
A tall, red-brick church with a square bell tower, arched windows, and large rose windows stands on a city corner under a blue sky. First Congregational Church Los Angeles is displayed on the tower.
Featured Image Courtesy © Copyright John Fidler Preservation Technology