Two groups devoted to historical research and preservation are honoring Douglas Heller, the website designer and former Springfield Township Commissioner who died May 25.
The Philadelphia Archeological Forum established an award in Heller’s name this month to recognize individuals or organizations for significant contributions to archaeology in and around Philadelphia.
The first recipient of the Douglas Heller Award was Heller himself, whose widow, Nancy Parsons, accepted it Oct. 13 from Douglas Mooney, president of the archeological forum.
Closer to home, the Springfield Township Historical Society will bestow its annual Marie Kitto Award on Heller posthumously Nov. 8 during a program at the First Presbyterian Church in Springfield. The award recognizes Heller’s work on historic preservation in Springfield Township, most notably for the Black Horse Inn, the society said in a press release.
“He was instrumental to the Philadelphia Archeological Forum’s long-term goals to reach out to members of the public to let them know amazing things about what may still be preserved in the ground,” Mooney said Monday. “Doug very graciously volunteered his time.”
Heller developed the forum’s website, phillyarchaeology.org, and he volunteered as webmaster until this year. His contribution was especially appreciated, Mooney said, because most archeologists lack web skills.
Mooney became acquainted with Heller personally when they worked together on the archeological dig at President George Washington’s House on Independence Mall.
“I really got to know him during the president’s house work,” he said. “He was a great guy. He was sort of endlessly cheerful. Every time you met the guy, he just brought a smile to your face. He had boundless energy and enthusiasm about the history of the city.”
The actual, physical award consists of a redware plate of the sort that the city was famous for during the 18th century, with the name of the forum in white. It will be granted periodically as appropriate, though not necessarily annually, Mooney said.
Those involved in the archeology of Philadelphia belong to a small, close-knit community, he said.
News of the award took Parsons by surprise when a member of the forum called her about two weeks before the Oct. 13 ceremony and asked if she would “be OK with” it.
“I was so proud that he was being recognized for all his works,” Parsons said Monday. “This is the first year that they started the awards, and she said the thing that got them going was the fact that Doug passed away … It really got them into gear.”
The Nov. 8 meeting of the Springfield Township Historical Society at which the Kitto Award will be presented will include a program on the early European settlement of Springfield Township and Chestnut Hill. Speakers will be Jefferson M. Moak, senior archivist with the National Archives and Records Administration, and David Contosta, professor of history at Chestnut Hill College and co-author of “Metropolitan Paradise: The Struggle for Nature in the City: Philadelphia’s Wissahickon Valley, 1620-2020.”
The program, which will begin at 7:30 p.m., is free and open to the public. The First Presbyterian Church in Springfield is located at Bethlehem Pike and Mill Road, Flourtown. For information, call 215-233-4600 or visit springfieldhistory.org.
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