Justin Newhart, Pioneer Tower honored at Preservation Awards

Published on November 17, 2022

The City of Fort Worth was well represented in Historic Fort Worth Inc.’s 2022 Preservation Awards. A City employee was recognized for ongoing work contributing to preservation, and a City effort that refurbished a beloved landmark was named a top preservation project.

Justin Newhart

Newhart, Fort Worth’s historic preservation officer, received the Preservation Achievement Award, which honors individuals, groups or organizations that have made significant contributions to the preservation of Fort Worth’s historic resources.

Newhart “persisted with a department that was short-staffed and underfunded, and still made preservation progress,” the awards committee said.

Michael Tucker-McDermott, director of historic preservation for the Fairmount Neighborhood Association, nominated Newhart.

“We are nominating Justin for his ongoing helpfulness in preserving the integrity of our special neighborhood, the largest such historic district in Texas, and for working so well with our Historic Preservation Committee and the residents of Fairmount,” Tucker-McDermott said.

Pioneer Tower

The City of Fort Worth received the Preservation Project Award for restoring and lighting the 1934-36 Pioneer Tower at the Will Rogers Memorial Complex, 3301 W. Lancaster Ave.

In 2019, the City Council approved $3.7 million to rehabilitate the iconic Pioneer Tower, giving it a high-tech facelift in time for the opening of the nearby Dickies Arena.

Pioneer Tower, flanked by the domed coliseum to the east and an auditorium to the west, are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Architect Wyatt C. Hedrick designed the buildings for the Texas Centennial celebration using a mixture of Classical Revival and Moderne styles. All three buildings are constructed with buff-yellow brick and are significant as one of the most outstanding examples of Art Deco architecture in Texas.

Photo: Justin Newhart receives the Preservation Achievement Award from District 9 Councilmember Elizabeth Beck and Michael Tucker-McDermott, who nominated Newhart.

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