Westport Police Lieutenant John Bell and the Powder House restoration project he led are the winners of the Waterfront Historic League’s (WHALE) 2017 Sarah R. Delano Preservation Award.

The award, presented to Mr. Bell “for your extraordinary restoration of the Westport Powder House,” is given each year to individuals who have made “outstanding contributions to the rehabilitation, restoration and interpretation of the historic character and environment of Greater New Bedford.

He was nominated for the recognition by the Westport Historical Society.

Lt. Bell, a resident of Westport, took his children to visit the Westport Historical Society and said he was bothered by the deteriorating condition of the Powder House, built in 1812 to store munitions for the town’s defense.

He later told the Historical Society that he would like to help restore the small (9’ 4” square) post and beam building whose shingles, door and trim were in poor shape.

He received the society’s support, did research on the building’s history and on powder houses in general, and consulted with experts on historic preservation.

He also pursued and received financial support from the Westport Community Preservation Committee which recommended — and voters approved — a grant of over $11,000.

Key to the project was finding a contractor to handle the painstaking restoration. Taking the job was Nathaniel Allen, a contractor and preservation school graduate who grew up in the Head of Westport area where the Powder House has long stood at several locations.

All parts of the structure that could be re-used were saved — those that were beyond saving were replaced with materials found close to home including oak from a nearby tree.

The award, named for WHALE’s long-time president, will be presented at the group’s annual meeting on May 17 in New Bedford.