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Named for the longtime chair of the Connecticut Historical Commission and a founder of Preservation Connecticut, the award honors outstanding contributions to the preservation and revitalization of Connecticut’s historic places. The State Historic Preservation Office and Preservation Connecticut are honored to present the Harlan H. Griswold Award to Jared I. Edwards, FAIA

Through his professional accomplishments as an architect and his personal leadership at the local, state, regional, and national levels, Jared I. Edwards has devoted much of his life to infusing communities with a lasting preservation ethic. From architectural projects that proved historic buildings could be not only repurposed, but also reimagined with more dynamic spaces; to gentle direction of local and regional boards; and through serendipitous meetings, Jared finds a way to convince people that preservation is worthwhile.

From his student days at Yale’s School of Architecture, Jared’s interest in architecture has always been intertwined with a commitment to volunteer service. Over the years, he has served on an impressive number of boards and advisory committees: Hartford Fine Arts Commission (which reviews public art and architecture projects), AIA Connecticut’s Preservation Committee, the Weir Farm Heritage Trust (establishing Connecticut’s first national park), the Victorian Society in America, Strawberry Banke, Historic New England, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Trustees of the Colt Bequest, Wadsworth Atheneum and the Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation. He has served on the Connecticut State Historic Preservation Review Board for more than forty years, chairing it since 1989. This makes him the second longest-serving state historic preservation board member, and the longest serving board chair, in the nation. As chair, Jared has guided more than 1,000 National Register nominations for Connecticut properties to listing—and read each one thoroughly.

In 1973, when the Loomis-Woolley house in West Hartford was threatened with demolition, Jared was introduced to Tyler Smith, another young architect with an interest in old buildings. At a fateful lunch, the two decided that Hartford needed a historic preservation organization, and the Hartford Architecture Conservancy was born. The pair recruited picketers at the Loomis-Woolley house and divided up leadership tasks—Tyler serving as executive director, and Jared as board chair. Before it folded, in 1997, HAC surveyed historic sites in Hartford, created a revolving fund to renovate abandoned buildings, and effectively advocated for community preservation.

After founding the HAC, Jared and Tyler Smith cemented their partnership by opening SmithEdwards Architects and building the firm into a recognized leader in historic preservation architecture. Within the partnership, Tyler tended toward adaptive use projects while Jared’s work was often more restoration focused—making them a productive force in building rehabilitation efforts. Throughout its existence, SmithEdwards worked on many of Connecticut’s most significant buildings, including the State Capitol, Chick Austin house, Colt Parish House at the Church of the Good Shepherd, Trinity College’s Long Walk—all in Hartford—as well as the Exchange Building in New Haven, the Oliver Ellsworth house in Windsor, and the Richard Alsop house in Middletown. In recognition of their work, the firm received the Governor’s Award for Excellence in Historic Preservation in 2009.

Following retirement from his architectural practice, Jared has continued to serve as an active volunteer, still shaping the way preservation is done in Connecticut and giving us all a good history lesson.