Sarah Turner "Weezie" Butler was a passionate, even feisty, preservationist. She was Historic Columbus’ first female President, serving from 1967 until 1971; Chairman of the Board from 1977 until 1986; and then Chairman Emeritus from 1986 until her passing in 2012. She spent her adult life working to make Columbus a better place.
The Sarah Turner Butler Heritage Award is the Historic Columbus Foundation’s highest honor, awarded annually since 1984 to an individual or organization for outstanding contributions to historic preservation in our city and region through demonstrated leadership and commitment to the mission of Historic Columbus.
This year’s recipient is a Columbus native and graduate of the University of Georgia School of Law. After law school, he worked as an assistant solicitor in Muscogee County before joining his father in his law firm. Following his father’s retirement, our recipient practiced law independently for more than 30 years. Fortunately for our community, he shifted his focus to real estate development, playing a key role in the revitalization of Columbus by restoring several historic properties and developing much-needed housing to enhance the vitality of High Uptown.
Among his most notable preservation achievements are the recent transformations of the 1905 Coca-Cola bottling plant and a joint venture with Historic Columbus to purchase and stabilize City Mills in 2015, an abandoned mill along the Chattahoochee River, which is now the City Mills Hotel. At the time, City Mills was Historic Columbus’ largest singular investment in a project. Without Ken Henson, saving this National Historic Landmark from certain demolition, would not have been possible.
His other significant preservation projects include the renovation of the John Paul Illges House at 1425 3rd Avenue, the development of four new infill apartment buildings in High Uptown, three historic house renovations on 3rd Avenue in High Uptown, the ongoing renovation of the Union Station train depot on 6th Avenue, and the Scarborough House on Wynnton Road next to The Columbus Museum. In under ten years, Mr. Henson has purchased and restored more than a dozen historic properties, all while maintaining his patience and passion for future revitalization projects.
Beyond his work in historic preservation, Mr. Henson is deeply engaged in the community. He is a founding member of the Columbus Area Habitat for Humanity, is active in the Chattahoochee Valley Land Trust and Dragonfly Trails, and has worked with organizations like the Housing Authority, the Community Foundation of the Chattahoochee Valley, and the Mill District. In addition to his local efforts, Ken has also served on the UGA School of Law’s Board of Visitors for more than a decade.
Ken and his wife Chris, who is heavily involved in the community as well, have five children who live in Atlanta, Charlotte, and San Francisco. Just last week Ken and Chris welcomed their first grandchild and in true Henson fashion will welcome their second grandchild a week later!
With his extraordinary vision, leadership, and commitment to both preserving our past and building a better future, Ken exemplifies the spirit of the Sarah Turner Butler Award. We are honored to recognize him for his many contributions to our community. Congratulations, Ken!
Sarah Turner Butler Heritage Award Recipients
1984 Sarah Turner Butler
1985 Emily Woodruff
1986 F. Clason Kyle
1987 Edward W. Neal
1988 W.C. Bradley Company
1989 Janice P. Biggers
1990 TSYS – The Depot
1991 Columbus Bank & Trust – Uptown Center
1992 J. Barnett Woodruff
1993 Brown Nicholson, Jr.
1994 Rozier T. Dedwylder
1995 Beverly S. Taylor
1996 Citizens of Columbus, Georgia – Olympics, 1996
1997 Dr. John S. Lupold
1998 Community Projects Foundation, Inc. – The Columbus Challenge
1999 J. Edward Sprouse
2000 Frank T. Schnell
2001 Thomas S. Gates
2002 Dr. and Mrs. M. Garrett Pound
2003 Mr. and Mrs. Paul D. Lindquist
2004 Charlotte M. Frazier
2005 Virginia T. Peebles
2006 Edward C. Burdeshaw
2007 Columbus State University
2008 Kenneth H. Thomas, Jr.
2009 Mason H. Lampton
2010 Dr. and Mrs. Philip T. Schley
2011 Historic District Preservation Society
2012 J. Kyle Spencer
2013 John T. Turner
2014 C. Dexter Jordan, Jr.
2015 Siavosh Etemadi
2016 Dr. and Mrs. Lloyd B. Sampson
2017 Sara B. Hatcher
2018 Kenneth W. Nelms
2019 William W. Winn
2020 Columbus Housing Authority
2021 No Award Presented
2022 Mary B. Bradley
2023 George G. Flowers
2024 Kenneth M. Henson, Jr.
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