Leeds Clark was honored at the annual ('97) Texas Historic Preservation Conference in Austin, Texas with the Award of Excellence in Historic Architecture for Craftsmanship. This award was given for the firm's work on the Hill County Courthouse Phase I. Leeds Clark replaced the 172 exterior wooden windows, the bell tower louvers, and entry transoms on the Courthouse following the devastating fire of January 1, 1993. The nomination for the award centered on the craftsmanship demonstrated in the replication of the windows and the extra effort extended by Tom Clark to make sure the windows were historically accurate. A specification for the material to be used, for all window construction, was red cypress. Mr. Clark was able to locate a supply of "sinker" cypress in Louisiana. Sinker cypress comes from cypress logs that were harvested during the 19th century and which, due to their unusually dense resin content, would sink to the bottom of the bayou while being floated to the sawmills. In the latter half of this century, these logs have been salvaged from the bayou mud for use today. Sinker cypress is original growth wood, as the original window material would have been, and is unusually tight grained and moisture (insect) resistant. The wood and Mr. Clark were mentioned in an issue of "This Old House". Mr. Clark was able to recommend and have incorporated other features that improved the windows energy efficiency and durability while reducing future maintenance costs.

 

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