NEW YEAR LOOKING AHEAD
Another year has flown by and we are beyond grateful for this wonderful community and the very generous support you have given us over the past year. Your enthusiasm and excitement about our programming and events made 2022 a year to remember. Our calendar was jam-packed with the return of our Annual Luncheon, Rockin’ the Sound Beach Party, Fall Food and Whiskey Bash, Walking Tours, School Tours and so much more.
We expect 2023 to be just as busy - with exciting new exhibits (Rye: A Coastal Community-coming in April), fan-favorite events (Annual Luncheon at Shenerock on May 11th), a walking tour of Milton Point and Oakland Beach (mid-March) and engaging new programming for both children and adults.
We can’t wait to see you and celebrate Rye’s unique and vibrant history in 2023!
RYE HISTORY. We’re all a part of it!
NEWS & EVENTS
Family Lego Building Blocks Workshop
Thanks to the generosity of the Silber family, we held our first annual Building Blocks Workshop on Saturday, December 3rd. The event sold out and was a huge success with 50 teams (up to 4 people per team) filling the Rye Middle School Multipurpose Room. Each team chose a building from the 60 historic Rye buildings that we had researched and photographed. There were no plans or instructions – participants used the photos, their imaginations and the thousands of LEGO pieces supplied by architect Stephen Schwartz to create their masterpieces. Thank you to the more than 30 local businesses and individuals who sponsored this wonderful family event.
Fall Food and Whiskey Bash
On a delightfully temperate November evening, the Rye Historical Society held its Fall Food and Whiskey Bash outdoors at the Knapp House. Over 160 guests enjoyed hearty fare and hand-crafted cocktails made with our exclusive, private label Square House Bourbon. A beautiful tent, festive fall décor and light music made for a casual, fun-filled evening for all. Special thanks to co-chairs Vanessa Mayo and Catherine Guszack and the entire auxiliary board for putting together a fantastic evening. Funds raised from the event will go towards the restoration and revitalization of the Knapp House, the oldest house in Westchester County.
Greenwood Union & African American Cemetery Tour
We partnered with Greenwood Union Cemetery and the Friends of the African American Cemetery to host a cemetery walking tour on November 6th. More than 40 people joined us for a fascinating tour on a lovely, warm Sunday afternoon. In addition to prominent local leaders dating back to the time of the American Revolution and through the 1900s (Peck, Parsons, Fremd, Wainwright), we also featured the stories of other interesting people who are buried in the cemetery (silent film star Carine Seymour, Hungarian actress and singer Marta Eggerth).
Dave Thomas, Founder of the Friends of the African American Cemetery, led the African American Cemetery portion of the tour. The restored African American Cemetery is a local treasure that speaks to both local and national history. An estimated 300 people are buried there, many in unmarked graves, and the restoration project includes a kiosk detailing their life stories. There are at least 22 veterans from the Civil War to World War II, as well as local business owners and religious leaders.
Annual Spring Luncheon with Speaker Joy Callaway
We are thrilled to host historical fiction author Joy Callaway as keynote speaker at our upcoming Spring Luncheon on May 11, 2023 at Shenerock Shore Club. Callaway will discuss her new book, All the Pretty Places: A Novel of the Gilded Age, to be released just days before the luncheon. Callaway’s captivating story is based right here in our hometown:
“1893: In the little town of Rye, New York, it seems everyone—like the rest of the country—is in an economic panic. Once acclaimed for its rare and exotic plant species, Rye Nurseries—the largest nursery on the East Coast—is the supplier of choice for the most respected landscape architects, but now businesses in the community seem to close by the handful weekly. The threat to her family’s livelihood keeps twenty-two-year-old Sadie Fremd up at night. Her father seems unconcerned by the crisis and is determined to pass the nursery on to one of his sons—despite Sadie’s ardent study of horticulture. Her dreams are all wrapped up in the nursery, a company on the brink of closing, which would leave hundreds of people out of jobs and Sadie’s dream lost forever.“
Keep your eyes out for our Luncheon Invitation coming in early spring – this event is sure to sell out fast!
Rye: A Coastal Community Exhibit at the Square House
Coming this spring, 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.
Milton Point Walking Tour
Always a fan favorite, our Milton Point and Oakland Beach walking tour will take place in mid-March. We will be exploring Milton Point, looking at how the neighborhood's history is interconnected with it's location on Milton Harbor and the Long Island Sound. The tour starts at the Knapp House and Milton Cemetery, then continues down Milton Road to Dearborn Avenue, then over to Rye Town Park. From the earliest days to the present, this area has been shaped by its relationship with the water. Registration for this exciting walking tour will open soon.
Knapp House Update
As we continue to focus on the restoration and revitalization of the Knapp House, we will be obtaining an artist’s rendering of the entire property to share our vision for the future of both the buildings and surrounding grounds. The Knapp House property (approximately 1 acre) is ideally located with plenty of opportunities to expand the physical structure for archive storage and take advantage of valuable, underutilized outdoor space. Upon completion, we will display the artist’s rendering to share our excitement with the entire community about the future of the Knapp House, the oldest home in Westchester County.
Student Ambassadors Program
The Student Ambassadors Program is off to a great start – 8 Rye Middle School students have joined the program and we expect the group will continue to grow in the months to come. Students meet once a month at the Square House and participate in two or three activities each month. In addition to attending monthly meetings, the students are encouraged to get involved with our various community events. In mid-December, the students ran a bake sale at our Knapp House Custom Decorated Tree Sale. They also conducted guided tours of the Square House during our Village Green tour in late January. When Mistletoe Magic was cancelled due to weather, the students came to the rescue and provided a fun cornhusk doll workshop at the Square House which was very well received. To get involved with the Student Ambassador program, please contact Alison Relyea (alison.relyea@ryehistory.org).
Time Travelers Summer Camp
Are you looking for a unique twist on the traditional summer camp experience? Try our Time Travelers Summer Camp, where children ages 7-13 can spend two fun-filled weeks learning about everyday life in Rye history. Each week camp will run Monday-Friday, 10am-2:30pm, with plenty of outdoor activities included. Registration will open in late February/early March on our website.
We have revamped our popular Summer Camp to introduce two exciting new themes!
WEEK 1: (JULY 17-21) - Parks and Recreation
We will explore the history of Playland and Rye Town Park. In addition to site visits, campers will work together to build their very own amusement park to be displayed in the Council Room at the Square House
WEEK 2: (JULY 24-28) – That 70’s Show
We will explore 70’s pop culture (music, movies, TV and more) as well as current events.
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:
SPOTLIGHT ON: Lauren Ackerley – RHS new staff member
We are excited to welcome Lauren Ackerley to our staff to work on our Museum Exhibits and Publications. Lauren will be responsible for writing a modern and comprehensive history of Rye, as well as designing and implementing exhibits on the rich history of Rye and the compelling stories of its communities. She will also create a long term plan for how to better engage audiences on Rye fascinating history.
ABOUT LAUREN: Lauren has always been passionate about history, archaeology, and anthropology. As a child, she found a deep love of learning about people, culture, and the past, and this love carried on into her adulthood. Lauren attended Smith College (B.A. in History with a concentration in Irish History, Archaeology minor). She spent six months studying at the National University of Ireland, Galway and completed archaeological field school in County Mayo.
Upon graduating in 2013, Lauren completed an internship at the Dayton Art Institute, a museum in her hometown of Dayton, Ohio, before beginning graduate studies the following year. She received her M.A. in Museum Anthropology from Columbia University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences in 2015. This unique program took an anthropological approach to museum studies, focusing on the way communities influence museum practices and collections and vice versa. From this program, Lauren became interested in the ways museums mediate and create accessibility for public engagement with the past and how people can ultimately learn from that engagement to shape the future. Since receiving her M.A. degree, she has taken on a variety of jobs, internships, and volunteer work in museums and non-profits, and is excited to join the Rye Historical Society as point person for Exhibitions and Publications.
Lauren loves spending time with her family and friends. She enjoys baking - her snickerdoodle cookies are usually in high demand amongst friends and family. As evident from her time at Smith, one of her greatest interests has been in Ireland. She has been in love with Irish history, archaeology, and culture since she was 8, and she plays Irish music on her fiddle (and sometimes on the mandolin). She fenced foil in high school and college and hopes to continue again soon. She is also an avid reader and movie enthusiast.
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).