(WNY News Now) – Bemus Point, NY – John Everett Jones will be honored with the prestigious Elial T. Foote Local History Award during a special ceremony at The Lawson Center on Thursday, August 15, at 7 p.m. The event, hosted by the Chautauqua County Historical Society, is open to the public.

The Foote Award recognizes individuals who have significantly contributed to the understanding of local history through scholarly research and dissemination. Previous recipients include Douglas Shepard and Lois and Norwood Barris.

Jones, a native of Chautauqua County, is an architect residing near Philadelphia. He graduated from Cornell University with a degree in agriculture, focusing on poverty and economic development, and later earned a graduate degree in architecture from the University of Buffalo, with studies at Arkitektskolen in Aarhus, Denmark, and a concentration in historic preservation. His professional journey in Philadelphia included tenure with the renowned Venturi, Scott Brown, and Associates.

After moving to Valencia, Spain, for a decade due to family commitments, Jones turned his attention to historical research. He developed a blog about early Swedish settlers in Jamestown, contributing significantly to articles on Swedish and Danish immigration in Chautauqua County. His 2023 publication in Italian Americana, co-authored with Paolo Semenza, explored the origins of the town of Busti, named after Paul Busti, an agent general for the Holland Land Company.

Currently, Jones is a licensed architect in New York specializing in net-zero residential projects. He serves on the board of trustees for the Fenton History Center and organizes lectures for Jamestown’s Scandinavian Folk Festival. He is also writing a book on the county’s early Swedish settlers.

The Chautauqua County Historical Society, based at the McClurg Museum in Westfield, preserves Elial T. Foote’s extensive collection of materials on early local settlers, events, businesses, and organizations. Foote, an influential physician, judge, and historian in the 1800s, was a staunch advocate for local history preservation. The Foote Papers are accessible at www.cchsmcclurg.org/elial-foote.