SPRING INTO SUMMER

Hail the size of golf balls? Eerie yellow smoke-filled skies from wildfires 500 miles away? This spring may very well go down in our history books as a season to remember. Here at Rye History, we remember a spring filled with engaging walking tours and lectures, a historic Witness Stones Ceremony, and a record turnout for our Annual Spring Luncheon.

Looking forward, we will host our ever-popular Whiskey Tasting Event at the Knapp House in the fall (this event always sells out so check your inbox for an invitation in October). And . .  keep your eyes peeled for some very exciting news about our 60th Anniversary Celebration next year – you won’t want to miss it!

As always, we are grateful for this wonderful community and the very generous support you have given us over the years. Your enthusiasm and excitement about our programming and events is what drives us to offer new and exciting options for you to get involved and support Rye’s unique, vibrant history.

RYE HISTORY. We’re all a part of it!

NEWS & EVENTS

Witness Stones Ceremony

On April 27th, School of the Holy Child, in partnership with the Rye Historical Society, held a witness stones installation ceremony at the Knapp House in Rye to honor the

memory of the enslaved people who lived and worked at the site. Based upon their research, several Holy Child 7th and 8th grade students spoke eloquently about Rose and Jack, two enslaved people who lived and worked on the Halsted property (currently known as the Timothy Knapp House) in the mid 1800’s.

The rain held off as several distinguished speakers, including State Senator Shelley Mayer and Mayor Josh Cohn, spoke about the meaningful impact of the students’ hard work and dedication to this important project. Kathleen Glatthaar, middle school social studies teacher at Holy Child, said: “We are honored to install these witness stones to acknowledge the humanity and contributions of those who were enslaved at the Knapp House. The Witness Stones Project is an important step towards recognizing the history of slavery in our community and working towards a more just and equitable future."

The Witness Stones Project is a non-profit initiative to recognize the lives and contributions of enslaved individuals in local communities. While Witness Stones has worked extensively with schools in New England, Holy Child is the organization's first partnership in New York. For more information, visit www.witnessstonesproject.org.

All the Pretty Places - Spring Luncheon and Boutique

We had a record turnout on May 11th  as 218 guests enjoyed historical fiction author Joy Callaway discuss her latest book: All the Pretty Places: A Novel of the Gilded Age. Shenorock Shore Club provided the perfect venue on a gorgeous spring day as guests shopped at our Annual Boutique and caught up with friends while celebrating Rye’s vibrant history.

Callaway’s book is based on her ancestors who opened a landscape nursery in Rye during the Gilded Age on what is currently known as Nursery Lane. The main character, Sadie Fremd, follows her passion for horticulture in an attempt to save her family‘s struggling nursery and provide natural beauty to those who can’t afford it. Callaway spent time at our Knapp House Archives during her research for this book, and her affinity and passion for Rye and it‘s rich history were clearly evident as she shared tales about her great-great grandmother‘s devotion to saving the family nursery.

Sincere thanks go out to Event Chair Vanessa Mayo, the Auxiliary Board, the Board of Trustees and the entire RHS staff for putting on such a wonderful event.

Rye: A Coastal Community Exhibit at the Square House

Coming this summer, a new exhibit will debut at the Square House. Rye: A Coastal Community will explore Rye's history through its relationship with the coastline and the Long Island Sound. Waterfront geography has shaped Rye in many ways, from industry and recreation to environmental responsibility. We will work with local partners to highlight pivotal moments in our history as well as current initiatives to preserve this fragile resource. Highlights from our archives, including old fashioned bathing suits, Playland memorabilia and Native American artifacts will be on display alongside old maps and photos of our ever-changing coastline.

Rye Beach Area Walking Tours

We offered three dates during May and June for residents to enjoy our popular Rye Beach area walking tour. Starting at the Knapp House, this walking tour examined how the Milton Point neighborhood's history is interconnected with its location on Milton Harbor and the Long Island Sound. With stops at the Milton Cemetery, the Bird Homestead and the Meeting House, attendees could envision the Mill Town community from the 1800’s. Continuing in time, the tour then stopped at the Rye Town Park Pavillion to reflect on the evolution of our beachfront community. From the Halsted beach bungalows to the current beachfront destination, this area has always been shaped by its relationship with the water. 

Time Travelers Summer Camp (July 17-21)

We have revamped our popular Summer Camp to introduce an exciting new theme! “Time Travelers Summer Camp” will run Monday, July 17-Friday, July 21, 10am-2:30pm, with plenty of outdoor activities included. The camp is for children ages 6-13 and located at the Square House Museum on Purchase Street in Rye.

In addition to our core program of colonial activities and Native American crafts, we will explore the history of Playland, Rye Town Park, and other green spaces in Rye. Campers will work together to build their very own park to be displayed in the Council Room at the Square House. Our camp is primarily outdoors with walking field trips.

The Kay Donahue Memorial Kitchen Garden

The Little Garden Club of Rye has been hard at work completing the Kay Donahue Memorial Kitchen Garden at the Knapp House. The brick pathway has been repaved and the four garden sections have been completely cleaned out, re-planted and labeled with drip hoses installed. They also replanted the cement containers and moved several evergreen trees behind our Boy Scout bench. We are grateful for their contribution to this lovely, historic garden – please swing by the Knapp House to see the beautiful results!

RHS Student Interns

Each spring, we host several interns from local high schools as part of their graduation requirements. This year, Ben Roath (Rye High School) and Austin O’Connell (Greenwich High School) spent four weeks at the Square House helping to develop our upcoming Coastal Community Exhibit. Ben and Austin sifted through the Society's extensive collection of pictures and maps, selecting and organizing them into the exhibit's categories. They also digitally documented some of our general collection. These tasks allowed our interns to learn about local history from a wide range of pictorials, including survey maps of Rye, pictures of the original Playland, and lithographs of iconic locations like Kirby Mill. We are grateful for their hard work and wish them well as they head off to college this fall.

Historic Home Markers – Be a Part of Rye History!

Our Rye History Marker program is designed to celebrate the visible local history in the homes and buildings that surround us – we believe a community that celebrates its history is a community that preserves and maintains its history. Take a quick drive around town and you will see the beautiful bronze plaques proudly displayed on historic homes all over Rye.

Introduced in 2016, RHS continues to offer this program to recognize and celebrate homes and other structures in Rye that exemplify our community’s rich heritage. The focus is on homes built prior to 1942 (the year the City of Rye was incorporated) that maintain much of their original architectural style.

Learn more details about the program and how to apply for a home marker:

Patricia Geoghegan

Pat Geoghegan moved to Rye, NY in 1974 with her husband and two daughters, Kate and Kendra.  Rye appealed to her as a New England town in New York.  Having been raised on a dairy farm in East Norwalk, CT., the Village Green and the small town felt more like home than other communities.  Discovering that Rye was a part of CT for a long time made her smile.

Over the years she has volunteered throughout the City of Rye on PTO's at Osborn and Rye High Schools, on Resurrection Academy Mothers Guild.  She was also an active member in the 22nd Twig which supported the now defunct United Hospital.  Through the Twig Organization she became involved on the Mayfair Board of Directors and co-chaired the event at Playland. She has also been active as a volunteer for LLS (the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society) and organized their first gala and auction many years ago. 

She and her family have always been supporters of the Rye YMCA. In the early days that activity included actually painting the office area in the original Y building as funds were tight and volunteers were needed.  The Geoghegans have long enjoyed that relationship and continue it today.

As a student of political science and history Pat has always admired the volunteer aspect of Rye's local government and boards and the close knit community that fosters. In her professional capacity as a Realtor, her introduction to Rye extolls this volunteerism that makes Rye so special.  She is pleased that so many of her clients throughout the years have become active and valued members of the Rye community.

Pat looks forward to helping with the care and preservation of the story of this great little city!

Teresa May

Teresa is an architect and associate partner with RED Room Design, a Colorado based architectural firm. Born and raised in Brewster, NY, she has been a Rye resident since 2016 when she and her family returned to the east coast after living in Colorado for 10 years. In her 20-year architectural career she has completed high-end residential, commercial, mixed-use development, and public-school projects.  She is excited to bring her experience in architecture and construction to the Rye Historical Society as a trustee.

Andrew Padovano

Andrew is a Managing Director at Citi, leading the firm’s Automotive banking practice globally. Andrew holds BS and MA degrees from Georgetown University, and is married with two children and living in Rye since August 2014. Andrew has previously served on the RHS Board, and has a long-standing passionate interest in the Knapp House.

Jonathan Spurrell

Jonathan is an editor and translator for the United Nations and has lived in Rye with his wife Abigail and three daughters since 2020. Originally from England, he has been interested in history since childhood, and through many years of research into his family history has come to appreciate the important role of local historical societies. His research led to the publication in 2016 of a book about the history of a village in Norfolk, England, with close ties to his family, and in 2018 he was asked by his old high school to edit a book about former students who had lost their lives during the First World War. Since moving to Rye, Jonathan has been involved with organizing and cataloging the archives of Christ’s Church, where he also serves on the vestry as clerk, and in 2022 he was invited to join the Rye Historical Society’s archives committee.

Allison Young

Allison moved to Rye in 2020 with her husband, Chris Beardsley, and two children, Owen, aged 8, and Charlotte, aged 6.  An avid reader, Allison has always enjoyed learning about history and community involvement, however, it is Owen's passion for all things historic and his enthusiasm for Rye Historical Society programming that prompted her to join the RHS Auxiliary Board in 2022. Allison serves as General Counsel for a global exhibitions business and looks forward to contributing as a trustee and assisting to further the RHS's mission.

SUPPORT US

We are forever grateful to this wonderful community and hope you will continue to support us going forward! Donating is so easy – you can give on our website, donate by Venmo (@ryehistory1660) or PayPal (ryehistory), or send your donation to Rye Historical Society, 1 Purchase Street, Rye, NY 10580.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

We have numerous volunteer opportunities for both children and adults. Examples include school year student internships (short-term or long-term), summer camp volunteers and adult tour guides. Students can also earn community service hours for their schools while expanding their knowledge and perspective on local history. To inquire about volunteer work, please email Alison Relyea (alison.relyea@ryehistory.org).