VENANGO COUNTY — An Emlenton bank and a Barkeyville church were among the winners of the 2007 Oil Heritage Region Historic Preservation Awards.

The awards program recognizes restoration efforts undertaken in the past five years involving buildings that are at least 50 years old, according to Toni Kresinski, events manager for the Oil Region Alliance which gives the awards.

All winners will be recognized at a program May 16 at DeBence Antique Music World in Franklin. Dr. Arthur Steffee will speak at the event about the revitalization that has taken place in his hometown, Foxburg. The event begins at 7 p.m. and is open to the public.

The Rev. Robert Guy, pastor of Barkeyville Church of God, will be honored for his efforts to restore the Barkeyville Academy, once located on the site of the church, said Kresinski. The academy was a college preparatory school which operated for 26 years beginning in 1881.

"It was like a high school with an advanced curriculum," said Kresinski.

A small remodeled home next to the church was recently discovered to be one of the buildings used for the academy. Guy decided to restore the house as a living memorial to the academy, said Kresinski. The home was transformed into its original state and now includes a museum of academy artifacts which opened Sept. 30, 2006, Kresinski said.

The bank headquarters of Farmers National Bank in Emlenton was reconstructed during a $1.6 million project in 2002 and 2003. The project restored the original front façade to the original design, including restoration of leaded glass windows, according to Kresinski. Rotted support beams were replaced and an elevator was installed. The 52,000-square-foot building was built between 1901 and 1904 and includes the J.M. Grant General Store and a Masonic lodge on the third floor.