Architectural historian Calder C. Loth will be recognized with the Architecture Medal for Virginia Service at the Visions for Architecture gala on Friday, Nov. 3, 2017, at the Hotel John Marshall. The Architecture Medal for Virginia Service is AIA Virginia’s most prestigious public award, honoring an individual or organization that has made an unusually significant contribution to Virginia’s built environment or to the public’s understanding and awareness of the built environment.
A tireless teacher and prolific author, Calder Loth’s efforts to preserve Virginia’s architectural legacy have impacted all residents of the Commonwealth. Loth spent four decades on the staff of the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR) as an advocate, educator, and historian after earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees in architectural history from the University of Virginia. Even after his 2009 retirement, he continues to be consulted for his expertise by individual landmark owners, Virginia historic site managers, universities, and international forums.
As former Branch Museum Director Dr. Craig Reynolds notes, through his “unmitigated passion and depth of knowledge, Loth has shielded buildings from the wrecking ball, championed historic tax credits, made preservation easements the standard, and helped develop excitement for our historic places among new generations.”
Kathleen Kilpatrick, Loth’s former DHR colleague and retired Executive Director of the Capitol Square Preservation Council, calls him an ego-free “rock star” committed to generously sharing his knowledge. Indeed, Loth has published dozens of articles and books, including the prize-winning volume, Virginia Landmarks of Black History (1995). He compiled the Virginia Landmarks Register’s fourth edition (1999), with nearly 1,800 entries representing the most comprehensive inventory of Virginia’s rich and varied architecture. And, he has championed architectural literacy through speaking engagements across the globe.
In recognition of his near half-century of service to Virginia and his accomplishments in communicating the full meaning of historic preservation and Virginia’s architectural heritage to both professional and lay audiences, AIA Virginia honors Calder Loth with the Architecture Medal for Virginia Service.