Houston’s history buffs turned out in refined style for the 2025 Cornerstone Dinner, Preservation Houston’s annual tribute to the visionaries safeguarding the city’s architectural soul. Held on February 28 at the River Oaks Country Club, the evening honored this year’s Good Brick Award recipients — guardians of restoration and champions of adaptive reuse — while raising $245,000 to further the organization’s mission.

Chaired by Nancy and Walter Bratic, the gathering of 350 preservationistas were delightfully entertained by the emcee duo of Deborah Duncan and Bill Stubbs — buoyant with banter, wit, and a reverent nod to tradition. Naturally, that included a loving ode to the pecan ball. That would be the infamous ice cream-meets-chocolate-and-nut finale that has become a hallowed dessert ritual. As one guest quipped between bites, “Come for the preservation, stay for the pecan ball.”

But it wasn’t just about sweet treats and historic treats.

The evening’s highlights was the presentation of the 2025 President’s Award to developer and preservationist Jon Deal, founder of The Deal Company. Known for transforming forgotten buildings into cultural and creative havens, Deal was lauded for his projects such as the reimagining of the Riviana Rice silos, the Jennings Cleaning and Dyeing Building (now 13 Celsius), and the dynamic Sawyer Yards arts campus. His latest endeavor, breathing new life into the Moncrief-Lenoir complex, promises yet another chapter in Houston’s evolving heritage.

The Good Brick Awards, now in their 45th year, spotlighted a cross-section of projects exemplifying innovation and integrity. Honorees included the Buffalo Soldiers National Museum for restoring the century-old Houston Light Guard Armory, Annise Parker and Kathy Hubbard for sensitively updating their 1904 Crawford House, Diane and Ray Krueger for transforming a modernist MacKie and Kamrath-designed office into a sleek residence, and Julia Long, who elevated her 1965 Warshaw House to withstand floods without sacrificing its mid-century charm — a first-of-its-kind win.

For those in the room, the night reaffirmed what Preservation Houston has long championed: that honoring the past fuels the city’s future. And if that message comes dipped in chocolate and rolled in pecans — all the better.

Nancy Ames and Danny Ward, Sarah Balinskas and Jeff DeBevec, Twila Carter, Lynn and Ty Kelly, Mary Lambrakos, National Trust for Historic Preservation president and CEO Carol Quillen, Susan and Alan Rafte, Milton Townsend, Phoebe and Bobby Tudor, Carey Kirkpatrick, Lil and Matt Kades, Minette Boesel, Nicole and Joey Romano, and Ed Schneider and Toni Oplt.

  

Photo by Wilson Parish Photography

Beth Wiedower Jackson, Phoebe Tudor, and Shawn Stephens.