The Eureka Springs Community Center Foundation is the 2024 recipient of the W.L. Cook Award for Excellence in Preservation presented by Preserve Arkansas.

The award was presented Friday, Jan. 26, during Preserve Arkansas’ annual Arkansas Preservation Awards dinner and program to honor individuals and organizations for projects focused on historic preservation, education and advocacy throughout the state.

Honorees and guests celebrated with a reception and banquet at the Robinson Center in Little Rock.

The Eureka Springs Community Center Foundation was honored for its work in establishing the Eureka Springs Community Center.

“The former Eureka Springs High School underwent a 10-year renovation and redevelopment and now houses a thriving community center, boasting membership of more more than half the city’s population,” Preserve Arkansas said in a news release announcing the awards.

“We are honored by the preservation award,” said Anna Smedley, executive director of the Eureka Springs Community Center. “The decade- long project was a collective labor of love and we now have a vibrant community hub of activity with a fitness center, activity center, event space, outdoor space, and an active business center.”

Named for El Dorado preservationist W. L. Cook, the Award for Excellence in Heritage Preservation came with a $2,000 cash prize.