Exeter presents inaugural John Merkel Heritage Awards to volunteers, local businesses and Merkel family

The Exeter Heritage Commission presented the inaugural John Merkel Heritage Awards on the front stairs of the bandstand minutes before a July 6 brass band concert, recognizing people and groups that preserve the town’s built heritage. The event was led by the commission’s chair, Francoise Elise, and included nominations from commission members and local townspeople.

“We named the awards after John Merkel,” said a committee member at the ceremony, explaining that John Merkel was an architect, a long-term Exeter resident and the founder and longtime chairman of the Heritage Commission. The awards were established “to highlight the people, the activities, and groups that have contributed to our heritage in Exeter and preserving it and beautifying it,” the speaker said.

Recipients included a long-time volunteer, Keith White house, who was honored for work on projects such as Gale Park, Raines Barn and Pear Point Park, and Tony Calandrello, owner of the Exeter Apothecary cocktail bar on Water Street, who was recognized for preserving and restoring his building’s historic features. The final awards went to Chris and Scott Merkel, who were honored in their father John Merkel’s name; one family member reflected at the ceremony that “My dad built a lot of really cool things,” and emphasized that his legacy was as much about relationships and community engagement as about buildings.

Organizers capped the evening with a drone town photo in front of the historic town hall and said the John Merkel Heritage Awards are intended to be an annual recognition of preservation efforts in Exeter.