Heritage Ohio’s 2025 Preservation Month Photo Contest | Where Life Happens
Heritage Ohio’s annual Preservation Month Photo Contest returns this May with a new theme: Where Life Happens.
This year, we focus on how buildings and architectural details carry life forward—through use, memory, and presence. We welcome images of places that serve their communities now, have recently come back into use, or still wait for someone to step in. Each stage tells a different part of the preservation story.
The contest opens the first week of May and runs through the end of the month. Full entry details will be available at heritageohio.org and shared on our social media accounts: @heritageohio on Facebook and LinkedIn, and @ heritageohiomainstreet on Instagram. We’ll highlight select entries throughout the month and feature one winning image on the cover of the next issue of Revitalize Ohio.
Contribute a photo that helps document what preservation looks like in Ohio right now.
Dates to remember
Entries accepted: Thursday, May 1st – Saturday, May 31st
Winner announced: Friday, June 6th
Photo Submission Requirements
Image Quality: Ensure images are sharp, well-lit, and free of distractions. No collages.
Format: JPEG or PNG format.
Resolution and Size: At least 300 DPI with a minimum physical size of 1,000 PX x 1,000 PX.
Avoid Overly Edited or Manipulated Images: While minor adjustments are acceptable, avoid
excessive editing that could distort the image’s authenticity.
Copyright: No watermarks on photos.
2025 Preservation Month Photo Contest
Use this form to enter your image in our photo contest, and remember: one entry per person.
Heritage Ohio’s 2024 Preservation Month Photo Contest | Faces of Preservation: And the winner is…..
The votes have been tallied and it’s time to announce this year’s winner. Congratulations go out to Maria Dehne for her image Cincinnati Face Off!
Here is Maria’s statement about the image from her entry:
One of the many historic gems of Cincinnati, Ohio, is Cincinnati Union Terminal, a 91-year-old National Historic Landmark. Originally built as a passenger railroad terminal, and as a current treasured art deco city icon, it was recently restored back to its original 1933 condition. In a multi-‘face’ted process, one important aspect of the work included meticulously repairing the exterior ‘face’ of the building. Made of limestone, aluminum and other materials, preservationists made sure to use safe products and procedures to remove layers and years of grime to provide a ‘facelift’ to this cultural asset’s façade. At one time, the building was on the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s list of one of the Most Endangered Historic Places and ‘faced’ doom, but today it continues to hold significant meaning to the nation’s heritage, transportation, architecture, and more. As I reflect on what this preserved building means to me, it was neat to have the chance to capture a reflection of downtown Cincinnati in my car mirror as the restored ‘face’ of the building was in front of me. My face lights up every time I look at this photo where I was able to capture a symbolic ‘face off’ of a beloved and memorable building, and the city that loves and saved her, all in one image!
Be sure to catch the winning image on the cover of a future issue of Revitalize Ohio. Thank you to everyone who entered the contest and who voted for their favorite image.
Heritage Ohio’s 2024 Preservation Month Photo Contest | Vote for your favorite!
We’re in the thick of Preservation Month 2024 and it’s the moment we know you’ve been waiting for: time to vote for your favorite finalist image! But first we want to thank everyone who submitted an entry this year. Whittling our entries down to our four finalists was no easy task, and everyone who participated submitted great images. But, we have the best of the best, and now it’s your opportunity to vote. Take a look at the finalist images and their statements, exercise your voting power, and choose your favorite.
Please note: online voting will only be available through Wednesday, May 29, so don’t delay. Once the votes have been tallied, we’ll close out Preservation Month 2024 by announcing the winning image on Friday, May 31. Good luck to our finalists! You can access the voting page here.
Dates to remember
Online voting of finalists: Friday, May 24-Wednesday, May 29
Winner announced: Friday, May 31
Heritage Ohio’s 2024 Preservation Month Photo Contest | Faces of Preservation
Update May 18: The submission period has closed. Stay tuned to heritageohio.org as we open online voting on Friday, May 24.
As we post this, Preservation Month is just around the corner, and that means Heritage Ohio’s annual Preservation Month Photo Contest is too. This year’s theme is Faces of Preservation and we’re looking forward to seeing some great image submissions. But when we say “Faces of Preservation” what exactly do we mean? It could be the faces of the people who make preservation happen in your community, it could be the “face” of the building that has been part of the community, or it could be both. Whatever the case, capture that winning image and submit it to us by the entry deadline of Friday, May 17.
Once you get that perfect image and tell us a bit about it, submit your entry using our online submission form below. Our Preservation Committee and Board of Trustees will choose finalists from all of the entries we receive, and then we’ll open the contest to online voting. As in years past, your online votes will determine the winner, and the winning image will be featured on the cover of a future issue of Revitalize Ohio. Good luck!
Dates to remember
Entries accepted: Monday, April 29-Friday, May 17
Online voting of finalists: Friday, May 24-Wednesday, May 29
Winner announced: Friday, May 31
Heritage Ohio’s 2023 Preservation Month Photo Contest: And the winner is…..
The votes have been tallied and it’s time to announce this year’s winner. Congratulations go out to Brian Hiles for his photo of Elder High School in Cincinnati!
Be sure to catch the winning image on a future issue of Revitalize Ohio. Thank you to everyone who entered the contest and who voted for their favorite image.
Heritage Ohio’s 2023 Preservation Month Photo Contest | The Story of Historic Preservation
Help us celebrate Preservation Month this May by participating in our annual Preservation Month Photo Contest. This year’s theme is “The Story of Historic Preservation” and we’ll be looking for your great images that capture what YOU think celebrates historic preservation. In tandem with your image, we want to hear the great story that goes with it. Whether it’s a story of a formerly endangered building that has been saved, a story of the people who built it, or a story of the people today who love it, we want to know why your subject material is important.
Once you get that perfect image and write the story behind it, submit your entry using our online submission form below (available beginning April 14). Our Preservation Committee and Board of Trustees will choose finalists from all of the entries we receive, and then we’ll open the contest to online voting. As in years past, your online votes will determine the winner! The winning image will be featured on the cover of a future issue of Revitalize Ohio. Good luck!
Dates to remember
Entries accepted: Friday, April 14-Friday, May 12
Online voting of finalists: Friday, May 19-Thursday, May 25
Winner announced: Friday, May 26
Heritage Ohio’s 2022 Preservation Month Photo Contest: and the winner is…
Thank you to everyone who voted this past week for our entries. We’re pleased to announce the winning entry: A Moment Frozen in Time, submitted by Mary Beth Sills.
An intriguing setting combined with great public support for the entry translated into an emphatic contest win. Congratulations to Mary Beth! We’ll be featuring her winning image on a future cover of Revitalize Ohio. Thanks to everyone who voted.
Heritage Ohio’s 2022 Preservation Month Photo Contest: vote for your favorite!
The entries have come in and our finalists have moved on to the online voting round of our Preservation Month Photo Contest. Check out our finalists below and vote for your favorite. Voting closes Monday, May 30, so don’t sleep on casting your vote for your favorite. We’ll announce the winner Tuesday, May 31. Good luck to our finalists, and thanks to everyone who submitted an entry.
Remember, the stakes are high: the winning image will be featured on the cover of an upcoming issue of Revitalize Ohio! Good luck!
Learn more about how each image conveys the spirit of preservation, in the photographer’s own words.
1. For the Love of Liberty: Our Powell Liberty and Delaware County Historical Societies, as well as our Liberty Township Trustees have been instrumental in ensuring the preservation of this, our 1876 farmhouse and home to generations of Bartholomews and Cases. We are so grateful to live in a community that protects its history while embracing its future.
2. Preserving Ohio’s Past for the Future: The white stone exterior of the Ohio Judicial Center captures the pride felt in Ohio’s history. On the front are 14 carved stone panels showing the important industries when the building was completed in 1933. The large art deco statues on either end of the building were proud statement of Ohio’s booming economy. The pride in preserving this historic building is the pride we have in the state of Ohio.
3. Walk Through: Often, I walk through buildings for many reasons including: evaluating conditions, showing property, checking construction progress, etc. When I captured this image, I was really focused on the door frame and how it invited me to walk through. Beyond the door frame, the stairs drew my eyes upward toward a future of possibilities for this space. Then there’s the light. The way in streamed in. It’s like the past was right there and so was the future.
4. Kaleidoscope Carnivore Cafe: The Toledo Zoo’s Carnivore Cafe is one of the most creative adaptive uses in NW Ohio, having been converted from the Carnivora House to the Carnivore Cafe. Now the Toledo Zoo’s most popular eatery, during the famous “Lights Before Christmas” display the cafe literally glows.
5. A Moment Frozen In Time: Taken in Cambridge’s Underground store front this image showcases a prop used during the few tours given to the community to help preserve this rare space.
Heritage Ohio’s 2022 Preservation Month Photo Contest | The Spirit of Historic Preservation
May will be here before we know it, and that brings Preservation Month. And we’re planning to celebrate in style. Already a momentous month for the organization (we’ll be saying good bye to Joyce Barrett, and welcoming Matt Wiederhold as our new executive director) we’re also working on a Preservation Month Webinar Series. Plus, our Preservation Month Photo Contest will launch in late April.
This year’s theme is “The Spirit of Historic Preservation” and we want to know what that means to you, and how you convey that spirit in your photo entry. It could be an artistic image of your favorite historic Ohio building, a vibrant Main Street in action, or a beautiful home awaiting its rehab hero.
Once you get that perfect image, submit your entry using our online submission form below (available beginning April 25). Our Preservation Committee will choose finalists from all of our entries, and we’ll open the contest to online voting. As in years past, your online votes will determine the winner!
Remember: the winner’s prize includes their winning image featured on the cover of Revitalize Ohio! Good luck!
Dates to remember
Entries accepted: Monday, April 25-Monday, May 16 at noon
Online voting of finalists: Monday, May 23-Monday, May 30
Winner announced: Tuesday, May 31
Preservation Month Photo Contest 2021: And the winner is…
Update 5/31: We’ve tallied the votes and we’re pleased to announce the winner of the 2021 Preservation Month Photo Contest:
Devin Brautigam of Sidney submitted this striking image of the Big Four Bridge, Sunrise Over Big Four, and the voters have voted. Congratulations, Devin!
We’ll feature Devin’s winning entry on the cover of a future issue of Revitalize Ohio.
Thanks to all of our photographers who submitted their images, our finalists who provided five stunning entries for us to choose from, everyone who voted, and our website chatters who talked up their favorites and supported our photographers.
Photographer’s statement:
Sunrise Over Big Four
The “Big Four Bridge” in Sidney, OH. Many call it the “Gateway into Shelby County”. The bridge was constructed in 1923-1924. Some folks lost their lives during the construction of this, which I believe, adds to the historical nature of the structure.
The bridge has been deteriorating over the last several years. While downtown Sidney has started alot of revitalization, improving it’s courthouse area, I really hope one way or another we can keep this bridge maintained before it’s too late. In the photo you can see the cracks and chucks of concrete that’s either been weathered away or have fallen. The condition of the bridge has been a popular topic among the community, many folks worrying about safety. As a hometown photographer of Sidney, this bridge has not only served a purpose for what it is, but it’s allowed me to really be creative and grow as an artist.
And the Preservation Month Photo Contest Winner is…
We’re excited to announce the winner of this year’s Preservation Month Photo Contest! Congratulations go to Harrison Wicks for his image titled “Kent’s Historic Train Depot.” Here’s an excerpt from his entry about the building that served as the photographic inspiration for this year’s theme, Urban Renewal:
Kent’s historic Erie Depot boasts a long, storied history of community support since it was built in 1875. Under the direction of Kent’s namesake, Marvin Kent, townspeople showed their support by donating funds to build the train depot for The Atlantic and Great Western Railroad. The depot was left vacant in the late 1960s after a series of economic downturns. With demolition looming, the Kent Historical Society saved the then almost century-old structure. It was around this time in 1974 when the Kent Industrial District in downtown was added to the National Register of Historic Places, including the depot.
A decade later, the Historical Society found an investor who renovated the building, transforming it into the Pufferbelly Ltd. restaurant. After many years of success, the Pufferbelly Ltd. restaurant closed its doors and an opportunity arose for a new concept.
Now, 40 years after that renovation, the Kent Historical Society continues to maintain ownership of the depot and has leased the building to a partnership of local businessmen and investors to bring to life a culinary exploration of northern Italian fine dining.
Here’s Harrison’s image:
Today’s Treno Ristorante serves as a reminder that patience, persistence, creativity, and people who care, are critical ingredients in the recipe for a thriving downtown. Thanks to everyone who submitted an entry, and for our online voters who again crowned this year’s winner. Look for Harrison’s image gracing a future cover of Revitalize Ohio!
Heritage Ohio’s Annual Preservation Month Photo Contest | Urban Renewal
Preservation Month is nearly here and 2019 marks the 10th year of our Preservation Month Photo Contest. This year’s theme is Urban Renewal, but with a twist. While Urban Renewal may have once consisted of demoing whole blocks of city buildings, without any care or thought about the people in the buildings, let alone the character of the buildings, Urban Renewal today means the revitalization of cities, its people, and its heritage.
So, here’s your contest assignment: take a picture that captures your community’s best Urban Renewal efforts, whether an event image in a revitalized business district, a historic building once slated for demo that’s been saved and rehabbed, or even the underutilized block of buildings that will, once restored, again contribute to the renewal of the neighborhood.
Once you get that perfect image, submit your entry using our online submission form below, or post to Facebook or Instagram using the hashtag #HOUrbanRenewal. Our Preservation Committee will choose finalists, and we’ll open the contest to online voting. As in years past, your online votes will determine the winner!
Here’s your chance at photographic fame and a spot on the cover of Revitalize Ohio! Good luck!
Dates to remember
- Entries accepted through Friday, May 10
- Online voting of finalists Monday, May 20-Wednesday, May 29
- Winner announced Friday, May 31
