About The Rye Historical Society
Our Founding
The Rye Historical Society was founded in 1964 by a group of concerned citizens who banded together to preserve, restore and protect the Square House, an 18th century inn located on the Village Green in Rye.
After faithfully restoring the Square House, the Society has maintained it as a house museum. In 1980, Rye History received accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums. The Society acquired the Timothy Knapp House, Westchester County’s oldest surviving house, in 1992, restoring and opening it to the public in 2001 as an archival and research center.
The Society continues to serve the community through school visits and programs, vacation and summer camp programs, lectures, exhibits, walking tours and numerous family and community events throughout the year.
Our Mission
The Rye Historical Society is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization devoted to researching, preserving, and celebrating Rye’s unique historic heritage. Our mission, stated in our Charter from the New York State Department of Education, is as follows:
To bring together people interested in the history of the area
To discover, collect and preserve materials which help to establish or illustrate the history of the area
To provide for the preservation of historic buildings, monuments and markers
To disseminate a knowledge of local history, and to foster a public awareness of, and pride in, the historic heritage of the Rye community.