07/02/2026
We are so grateful for this award and recognition!
On Friday, June 19th, Idaho Heritage Trust (IHT) Board of Trustees and Executive Director Katherine Kirk presented the 4th annual Frederick Walters Award for Excellence in Historic Preservation to the Central Idaho Historical Museum (CIHM) and City of McCall, Idaho for their exemplary stewardship of the Southern Idaho Timber Protection Association (SITPA) Work Site. Representatives from the involved groups were joined by Idaho’s First Lady, Teresa Soulen Little, Director of Idaho State Parks & Recreation Susan Buxton, and a host of volunteers, craftspeople, past residents of the historic Fire Warden’s House, and members of the community joined in celebrating the incredible history and bright future of this important piece of Idaho’s history.
The award includes $5,000 for future restoration projects, which will be put toward refinishing the floors in the Assistant Fire Warden’s House and repainting the exterior of the main Fire Warden’s House. This follows a string of recent developments to the site, which include plumbing repairs to the main house (and a new boiler soon), new windows, furnace, and lighting in the bunkhouse (which provides lodging for SITPA workers), and new siding on the 10-bay garage (now serving as Parks and Rec’s shop) created by milling wood from large trees on the site that needed to be taken down due to bark beetle infestations.
The shared vision between the CIHM Board and McCall Parks & Recreation is to create a community gathering space for visitors to enjoy inside and out, while still retaining the site’s historic character and function as both a museum and active work site. IHT has awarded more than 10 grants in support of the preservation of this site, the first occurring all the way back in 1993.
The award is named for renowned historical architect and longtime IHT collaborator Fred Walters, who provided technical assessments and guidance to innumerable preservation projects over his nearly three decades with the Trust. His award recognizes outstanding adherence to the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties with special consideration given to those showing outstanding craftsmanship, use of period accurate materials, and appropriate methods throughout the restoration and preservation process.
Read the full story for more information about the history of the SITPA site and the award-winning restoration efforts to ensure this special place will be celebrated and enjoyed for many years to come.
https://www.idahoheritagetrust.org/4th-annual-fred-walters-award-for-excellence-in-historic-preservation-presented-to-central-idaho-historical-museum-and-city-of-mccall-parks-recreation-for-exemplary-stewardship-of-southern-idaho-tim/
*Photo Provided Courtesy of McCall Star-News
