Rye's Jay Heritage Among 10 To Earn NY Historic Preservation Awards

RYE, NY — The Jay Heritage Center in Rye was named among just ten winners in the 2022 New York State Historic Preservation Awards.

Gov. Kathy Hochul revealed the honorees at a ceremony on Wednesday.

"Preserving notable landmarks across New York allows us to celebrate our shared history and honor our collective past," Governor Hochul said. "I congratulate this year's recipients on their efforts to capitalize on our historic and cultural resources to build a brighter future for our state."

The Jay Heritage Center was recognized for "Excellence in Non-Profit Achievement" in recognition of its rehabilitation and stewardship of the Jay Estate Gardens.

"The transformational design of the gardens not only reflects the historic context but emphasizes an intentionality to restore native species and original voices and to cultivate an appreciate and understanding of sustainable landscapes through partnerships and public outreach," Parks Commissioner Erik Kulleseid said of the newly restored gardens at the Rye estate.

Kulleseid singled out the ingenuity of a three-room garden design by landscape architects Nelson Byrd Woltz. He also lauded Jay Heritage Center's "curriculum of innovative programming."

In addition to the transformational design of historic garden space in Westchester County, projects highlighted with this year's awards included a community-led establishment of a historic district in Chautauqua County and the completed restoration of a historic pier in New York City.

“JHC is immensely grateful for this recognition and our powerful partnership with New York State Parks," Jay Heritage Center President Suzanne Clary said of the honor. "This award affirms our shared belief that a sustainable landscape rehabilitation can simultaneously restore ecological balance, attract wildlife, while also aiding in the interpretation of American history, cultural identity and placemaking.”

JHC officials noted that the project has received support along the way from concept through execution and usage, including from the African American Men of Westchester, the Japan Society of Fairfield County, the Port Chester Youth Bureau, Meals on Main Street, American Women of African Heritage, Westchester County Parks, and Lower Hudson Partnership for Invasive Species Management (LHPRISM). The center in Rye said that the garden was constructed and opened during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, becoming a refuge and beacon of hope for volunteers who continue to contribute hundreds of hours of time to help maintain the health and beauty of the walled rooms.

This year's 2022 State Historic Preservation Awards recipients included projects across the state and one individual honoree:

Cynthia Howk

Outstanding Contributions to Historic Preservation

Cynthia Howk is recognized for Outstanding Contributions to Historic Preservation. Her decades long career and dedication to historic preservation planning, mentorship, and community engagement has had an incalculable impact on the state's cultural and historic resources.

East Harlem South/ El Barrio Reconnaissance Level Survey, New York City

CountyExcellence in Historic Preservation Documentation

The East Harlem South/ El Barrio Reconnaissance Level Survey is recognized for Excellence in Historic Preservation Documentation. As the first comprehensive historic/cultural resources survey in this part of New York City, the report is an important tool in understanding the built environment and cultural significance of the neighborhood. It will also serve as a model reconnaissance level survey report for other communities statewide.

F.R. Bain House, Poughkeepsie

Excellence in Historic Building Rehabilitation The F.R. Bain House is recognized for Excellence in Historic Building Rehabilitation. The project is the culmination of a multi-year effort by homeowner Kimberlee Breden to diligently restore her historic 1888 Queen Anne style home by utilizing the Historic Homeownership Rehabilitation Credit.

Historic Bridge Rehabilitation Projects, Wayne and Wyoming Counties

Excellence in Historic Preservation Consultation

Cross-collaborative efforts to thoughtfully and creatively revive historic bridges-specifically the Schoellkopf Road Bridge in Wyoming County and the Quaker/ O'Neil Road Bridge over the Erie Canal in Macedon, Wayne County-are recognized with theExcellence in Historic Preservation Consultation award.

Jay Estate Gardens, Jay Heritage Center, Rye

Excellence in Nonprofit Achievement

The Jay Estate Gardens at the Jay Heritage Center is recognized for Excellence in Nonprofit Achievement. The transformational design of the gardens not only reflects the historic context, but emphasizes an intentionality to restore native species and original voices and to cultivate an appreciation and understanding of sustainable landscapes through partnerships and public outreach.

Lily Dale Assembly Historic District, Lily Dale

Excellence in Community Achievement

Lily Dale Assembly Historic District is recognized for Excellence in Community Achievement. The effort to nominate this community for its historic contributions to Spiritualism and the women's rights movement was spearheaded by community members whose advocacy and persistence successfully identified more than 200 historic resources for the district, which is now listed on the National and State Registers of Historic Places.

Niagara River Gorge Access Stairway Rehabilitation Projects, Niagara Falls

Excellence in OPRHP Project Achievement

The Niagara River Gorge Access Stairway Rehabilitation Projects at Devil's Hole and Whirlpool State Parks is recognized for Excellence in OPRHP (Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation) Achievement. The projects blended historic preservation with utility and respected the historic stone stair design while prioritizing safety improvements.

Old Snell Hall, Potsdam

Excellence in Historic Building Rehabilitation

Old Snell Hall is recognized for Excellence in Historic Building Rehabilitation for a highly visible reinvestment project in the heart of Potsdam that adopted a successful historic preservation model and breathed life into an underutilized community resource by transforming it into a new mixed-use space.

Pier 57, New York City

Excellence in Historic Building Rehabilitation

Pier 57 is recognized for Excellence in Historic Building Rehabilitation. This adaptive reuse project of a historic pier in New York City is a unique first example of preservation work for a structure type that is iconic to the city's history. The pioneering vision, made possible through New York State and federal historic rehabilitation tax credits, now blends innovative construction technology from the 1950s with a cohesive contemporary design.

T Building, Queens

Excellence in Historic Building Rehabilitation

The T Building is recognized for Excellence in Historic Building Rehabilitation. In addition to creating much needed supportive housing and space for local community services this adaptive reuse project, which was made possible through New York State and federal historic rehabilitation tax credits, restored many of the building's original Art Moderne-style features and is a remarkable illustration of revitalized architecture.