The 2025 CDA Award for Excellence was presented to both Chapter V – San Francisco, CA and Chapter VIII – Houston, TX:

Chapter V – San Francisco supported historic preservation at the Sutro Library, known for its extraordinary, rare collections, and for being the largest genealogical library west of Salt Lake City. Specifically, Chapter V is hoping to restore a rare 1794 edition of Thomas Jefferson’s Notes of the State of Virginia, featuring original fold-out maps, and which is used for educational instruction of students at San Francisco State University.

Chapter VIII – Houston, TX supported the nonprofit Values Through History in its effort to provide a digital teacher-training curriculum to immerse upper elementary students in the Revolutionary and Founding periods.

The 2024 Award for Excellence was awarded to Chapter VIII – Houston, TX: Supported the purchase of two benches or a small podium for the Morris Family Center for Law and Liberty at Houston Christian University. The Center is a replica of Independence Hall in Philadelphia, and tours are given to schools and other groups explaining the process of American Independence. This is a companion project to the CDA Award for Excellence winner for “Lessons in Liberty” in 2022.

In the image to the right are: President General Rebecca Madsen presents the 2024 Award for Excellence to members of Chapter VIII at the Annual Meeting Luncheon; L to R: President General Rebecca Madsen, Chapter VIII President Lois Wright, Pegi Ivancevich, Lisa Pennington, Evelyn Aucoin.

The 2023 Award for Excellence was awarded to Chapter III – Washington D.C.: Created and implemented the “Excellence in History” award, an honorary certificate and monetary prize given annually to middle school aged students from five schools in the local community. Students submit original projects on Colonial and Early American History, with the winning entry is presented at a reception at the historic Abner Cloud House for students, teachers, and their families.

The 2022 Award for Excellence was awarded to Chapter VIII – Houston, Texas:  In conjunction with the chapter’s “Lessons in Liberty” initiative with the Morris Family Law and Liberty Center in Houston, the “Colonial Dames of Distinction” project will research, identify, fund, and frame two significant paintings/prints of notable women in colonial history to be displayed and utilized to educate 34,000 students annually.

The 2021 Award for Excellence was presented to Chapter XIV – Chicago, Illinois: Awarded funds will go toward plans to expand and refurbish the lobby and reception area of the National Museum of the American Sailor at the Great Lakes Navy base. When the project is completed, the space will accommodate larger tour groups. There will also be a new desk and storage area, and flooring, wiring, and other materials will be replaced. The museum building is of historic value itself, being the only surviving World War II-era example of architect Gordon Bunshaft’s work and a classic example of Mid-Century Modern (MCM) architecture. Originally named the “Hostess House,” Building 42 opened in 1942 as a place for sailors and their loved ones to meet and say their “hellos” and “goodbyes.”

The 2020 Award for Excellence was awarded to Chapter XXIV – Atlanta. Georgia: Funds will cover renovation work at the 1908 Women’s Comfort Station at Historic Oakland Cemetery. The award amount will provide for a preservationist to assess, rehabilitate, and replace, if necessary, priceless, custom floor tiles. The cemetery was established in 1850 on forty-eight acres of lush natural greenery, including mature magnolia, dogwood, and oak trees – hence the name “Oakland.” It is estimated that over 70,000 people are interred, including author Margaret Mitchell, golfer Bobby Jones, as well as Confederate and Union soldiers. The Women’s Comfort Station holds irreplaceable historic value, containing locally crafted materials for which patents no longer exist. It also denotes Oakland’s past popularity and the need for a facility to serve a community who spent leisure time in the cemetery.

The 2019 CDA Award for Excellence was awarded to Chapter XXXVIII—Santa Barbara. California: Awarded funds will cover the cost of colored architectural renderings for seismic retrofit and restoration of the Cota-Knox House (1871) to its original appearance. The Cota-Knox House is an important and unique building in Santa Barbara and these vivid color drawings will kick off and encourage local and regional donors to support an ensuing larger capital campaign.

The 2018 CDA Award for Excellence was awarded to Chapter XXXIX—Birmingham, Alabama:  Funding contribution to enhance the Junior Interpreter Program for American Village where each year more than 45,000 students come to take part in educational programs about America’s foundation. The chapter applied the award toward costumes and wigs for the actors who will portray Eliza Hamilton’s children as additions to a newly-initiated vignette.

The 2017 CDA Award for Excellence was awarded to Chapter XV-Jackson, Mississippi for the funding of the Columbia Courthouse’s records management program, and the project of making Marion County’s early records available to the public. The chapter used this award to support the expense of funding approximately 70 hours of scanning, and enabling the possibility for matching funds.

The 2016 CDA Award for Excellence was given to Chapter IX-Kentucky for the Doctor Ephraim McDowell Historic Home, Apothecary Shop and Herbal Gardens, to include the painting of the surgery in the McDowell House, a room that represents a turning point in American medical history. This treasured National Historic Landmark was built in the 1700’s in Danville, the first capital of Kentucky.

President General Sharon Vaino presented the 2015 CDA Award for Excellence to Chapter XXIV-Atlanta, which won for its proposal to hire a professional to evaluate a priceless collection of small, hand-whittled toys called the “Moses Robinson Collection of Folk Art” at the Sandy Springs Heritage Museum. The resulting information will be used for conservation, preservation and restoration of the collection. Accepting the award was chapter president Helen Rogge.

In 2014, The CDA Chapter XXXI-South Carolina received the CDA Award for Excellence for the Old Horry County Courthouse Handrails and Steps Restoration Project. A treasured landmark, listed on the National Trust for Historic Preservation Registry, the Old Horry County Courthouse built in 1825 is still in use today and serves as the City Hall for the town of Conway. Chapter XXXI will aid in restoring the handrails and steps for this historic building.

Two chapters shared the award:

Chapter VIII-Houston: Restoration of St. Thomas Anglican Church Cemetery, St. Kitts, West Indies.

Chapter X-Rome, Italy: E-Book and print on demand focusing on the 100 most notable Americans and continuing research to document 840 Americans buried between 1803-2010 in the Cimitero Acattolico, the Non-Catholic Cemetery, established 1712, in Rome, Italy.

Two chapters shared the award:

In 2012, the President’s Award for Excellence was given to Chapter XXIV-Atlanta, Georgia for a Grant for Continuing Education, The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation – Staff Development

Chapter XXXIII-Georgia Piedmont was awarded for Replacement of Signage for the William Harris Homestead

Chapter III-Washington, D.C.: The preservation and Historical Designation of the Abner Cloud Mill

Chapter XIII – Kansas City, Missouri: Project to restore the Harris-Kearney House

Chapter XVII – Palm Beach, Florida: Restoration of Sea Gull Cottage

Citations in 2009:

Chapter IV – Paris, France: American Species Gardens at the Franco American Museum of Blerancourt

Chapter VIII – Houston, Texas: American Heritage exhibits at the Museum of Southern History

Two chapters shared the 2008 award:

Chapter XXIV-Atlanta, Georgia: Restoration work at the Oakland Cemetery.

Chapter XXXI-South Carolina: Restoration of the brick steps at Hopsewee Plantation House (circa 1740) birthplace of Thomas Lynch, youngest signer of the Declaration of Independence, at age 26.

Two chapters shared the 2007 award:

Chapter X-Rome, Italy: Published a booklet about the Americans buried in the famous Protestant Cemetery in Rome.

Chapter XI-London, England: Replacing an ancient, worn sign with a new legible one in the American Garden in Bath.

Chapter XXI-Dallas, Texas: Project Cookies – for the Troops

Chapter IV-Paris, Chapter XXIII-Virginia & Chapter XXX-Venice, FL

Three chapters shared the 2005 award:

Chapter IV-Paris, France: Assisting L’Association Hermione La Fayette, in constructing a replica of the frigate upon which the Marquis de La Fayette sailed into Boston Harbor in 1780 to aid General George Washington during the Revolutionary war.

Chapter XXIII-Virginia: Support of the Jamestowne Rediscovery project to support a graduate student at the archeology dig on Jamestowne Island, in preparation for the 400th celebration of the settlement of Jamestowne, Virginia.

Chapter XXX-Venice, Florida: Support of the Venice Area Historical Society’s efforts to educate the public about the entities who used the recently restored Venice Train Depot and laying the groundwork for a Circus Educational Program which will tell the story of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Circus as it arrived and departed each year from its winter home.

Chapter XIV-Chicago: Schmidt-Burnham Log House; a restoration project on the historic house in Winnetka, Illinois.

Chapter XIX-Florida Everglades: Parents as Teachers research and educational project; a division of Early Years Educational Foundation of Collier County, Florida.

Chapter II-Philadelphia: Lemon Hill historic house museum; phase two of the educational program “Living History Lessons at Lemon Hill” that received the award in 1999.

Chapter XIII-Kansas City: Harris-Kearney House project; restoring the shutters on the oldest standing brick house in Kansas City, Missouri.

Chapter XVII-Palm Beach: Glades Tri-State Education Program; a program of the Palm Beach County Literacy Coalition.

Chapter II-Philadelphia: Lemon Hill historic house museum; a local school study project called “Kids Tour of Lemon Hill by Kids”.