Historic Preservation
The Rye Historical Society seeks to provide information to the public and contribute to an informed discussion on historic preservation. In our June 2006 newsletter, the Society provided a special section on the various aspects of preservation. These articles appear below.
What does it Mean to Landmark or Register a Property?
Applying to the National Register of Historic Places is a voluntary process undertaken to establish, document and recognize the historical significance of a property, landscape, structure or district. While any party can initiate the process, it can only be completed with the consent of the property owner.
In New York State, a property owner would typically contact the State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) to begin the process. If the property is accepted into the State Register of Historic Places, the SHPO would then forward it to the federal level. In addition to, or instead of, one could apply directly to the National Historic Landmarks Program, although it is more rigorous and many fewer receive this designation. Or one could apply only for local landmark status in Rye and not necessarily the others.
A federal or state Historic Register designation (or National Landmarks) carries with it no restrictions in terms of sale, or alteration to or improvement of the building or property if private funds are used. A local landmark status (in the City of Rye, for example) will typically carry some restrictions.
State and federal monies are available to owners of landmarked/registered buildings. An investment tax credit is available to income producing properties and grant monies are available to municipalities and nonprofits owning landmarked/registered properties.
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Interview with Sid Burke, chair of Landmarks
Committee for City of Rye
Q: What is the mission of the Landmarks Advisory Committee?
As noted in the city charter, our committee is advisory in nature. We recommend to the City Council properties that we believe should be designated. Buildings inhabited by famous persons, representative of a distinct style or designed by a master builder are the principle reasons for designation. We review changes to historic properties and recommend to the Board of Architectural Review whether we consider the changes to be appropriate. We also have a role to educate the public about the value in preserving the history of Rye through its architecture.
Q: Are the meetings open to the public?
Yes, all meetings are open to any interested party. We typically meet the 4th Wednesday of each month at City Hall. If anyone would like to be on the agenda to discuss a topic of concern they can contact me prior to the meeting.
Q: What should I do if I am concerned that a historic property in my neighborhood is in jeopardy?
Only changes to properties that are designated as landmarks are reviewed by the Landmarks Advisory Committee. However all properties must be reviewed by the Board of Architectural Review and many must receive approval from the Planning Commission or the Board of Appeals. If you are notified as a neighbor that a property you are concerned about is under review, it is well worth your while to attend and speak at the hearing. The voices of neighbors are taken very seriously into consideration by the boards. Plans are available for public review prior to the hearing at the Building Department in City Hall. Please also notify the Landmarks Committee of your concerns as we can speak at the hearings as well. Recently, the property at 235 Boston Post Road was designated as a landmark out of concerns initially raised by its neighbors of a subdivision plan of the property under review by the Planning Commission.
Q: Is there a way to find out what buildings are slated to be demolished?
No, I am not aware of this. Our Committee has been discussing this issue recently. A permit is required from the building department to demolish the building, but I am not aware that it requires public notice.
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Rye Landmarks
Register of Historic Places,
State & Federal Level
The African Cemetery
The Boston Post Road District*
The Knapp House and Milton Cemetery
The Square House
Rye Town Park
Rye Post Office
Playland*
Meeting House of Rye
*These properties are additionally designated as National Historic Landmarks. The Boston Post Road District includes the entirety of the Jay Property (the grounds, the Mansion, Carriage House and outbuildings) as well as Lounsberry and the Whitby Castle.
Local Preservation Districts
Village Green, including:
Square House
Rye Free Reading Room
City Hall
Local Protected Sites & Structures
Hains-Robinson House, Milton Rd.
Jay Family Cemetery
Knapp House
Parsons Estate, 260 Boston Post Rd
Stillman Residence, 235 Boston Post Road
5 Morris Court
Jay Property (Alansten, Mansion,
Carriage House)
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Preservation in Action
by Anne Stillman, former Executive Director, Jay Heritage Center
The following article is a guest column written by Anne Stillman, former executive director of the Jay Heritage Center. Anne has an extensive background as a preservation advocate and writer on history, architecture, and land use.
Why are preservationists so passionate about historic buildings? Why does saving them matter? Historic buildings are the tangible reminders of our past. Living among them roots us in the history of our communities and our nation. Historic architecture tells us about the hopes and dreams, the values and ideals of past societies and gives us a sense of where we have been as a people.
The Jay Heritage Center on the Boston Post Road was born from a great preservation struggle that lasted more than a decade and ultimately came to a successful conclusion in 1992. The Center has forged links with preservation groups and hosts preservation conferences and workshops. Recently, the Jay Center continued its tradition of preservation activism, helping to secure landmark status for an adjacent property, which used to be part of the Jay estate.
The Jay Heritage Center site was the childhood home of John Jay, first Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. In 1838, Jay’s eldest child, Peter Augustus Jay, replaced the original farmhouse with a mansion, a masterpiece of the Greek Revival style.
In the early 1980s, this land overlooking Long Island Sound -- 23 acres of prime real estate -- was already in the hands of a developer. Nevertheless, six courageous women took on the impossible and spearheaded a massive citizen movement to save the property from development and to prevent the destruction of the Jay Mansion. There was a thunderous public outcry, and 62 preservation, historical, and environmental organizations at the local, state, and national levels joined the Jay Coalition. Meanwhile, multiple court cases tested nearly every form of land-use control.
A signature drive advocating public acquisition of the property produced a petition so heavy that it is difficult for one person to lift. The support of key government officials sealed the victory. The County eventually purchased the land with assistance from New York State. The landmark buildings were simultaneously deeded to the Jay Heritage Center, which was established as an independent non-profit educational organization.
As a result of the Jay Center’s origins in the preservation trenches, one of our major educational goals is to be a catalyst for public awareness, a forum for discussion of the latest issues in historic preservation. To that end I have worked in cooperation with the Westchester County Department of Planning and the County Historic Preservation Advisory Committee (of which I am a member) to develop preservation programs and host them at the Jay Center. We have focused on “hot topics,” such as last fall’s Historic Preservation is Green conference, as well as, nuts-and-bolts preservation techniques, such as this spring’s Preparing National Register Nominations workshop. (Materials can be viewed at www.westchestergov.com/planning, historic preservation link).
But preservation takes more than discussion and education, as valuable as they are. It takes vigilance, and sometimes it takes action. Just last year the Jay Center and its neighbors mobilized to defend the heart of the Boston Post Road Historic District and to ensure the future of the historic house across the street.
Historically known as the Stillman House, (no relation), it was built in 1915 and designed by Aymar Embury II, one of America's leading architects of country houses. Embury also designed major public works, including the Whitestone Bridge and the Triborough Bridge.
The developer’s original proposal called for subdivision of the parcel into four lots. We garnered support from local, state, and national preservation organizations and advocated what we felt was a reasonable position. Appearing before the Rye Planning Commission, we asked that no new structures be built on the Boston Post Road opposite the core of the historic district. We also asked for a covenant to protect the existing house from demolition or incompatible alteration of the exterior. This reduced the total number of lots to three and the number of new houses to two, which would be built to the rear of the property, away from the historic district.
The owner agreed to have the house designated as a local landmark. Last fall the Landmarks Advisory Committee recommended the designation to the City Council, and the Stillman House became the first structure to receive local landmark protection in 17 years. I hope others will follow soon, because there are several more buildings in Rye that merit landmark status. It can make all the difference to protect buildings before they become endangered.
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Preservation, History and the Present
by Richard Hourahan, RHS Archivist
I wrote these lines while sitting in a parked car one evening in May. I was early for the monthly meeting of the Landmarks Advisory Committee. I picked up a book I have been reading. As I began passing my eyes over the page, I halted, looked up and then--as if for the first time--I saw the library dead-on, the Square House with a slight eye-shift to the right and then I turned my head further to the right and read the Georgian-style exterior of City Hall. I wanted to preserve the moment--for I was holding in balance past and present. Adults and children strolled in and out of the library, no doubt as they did on another day in May--25, 50 or 75 years ago. The Square House was quiet; a few people entered City Hall. My mind then turned to William and Geoffrey Platt, the architects who designed this building 43 years ago.
William Platt (1897-1984) graduated from Harvard in 1919 and received his architectural degree from Columbia University in 1923. He went to work in his father’s office in 1924. Geoffrey Platt (1909-1985) graduated from Harvard in 1927 and received his architecture degree from Columbia in 1930. In 1933, after their father’s death, their firm, William and Geoffrey Platt, became the successor firm to Charles A. Platt. Their work as design professionals continued their father’s tradition of comprehensive design, marrying building to site, and melding interior spaces with those outside.
Charles Adams Platt’s career reveals that in the first decade of the 20th century, his office was one of the New York firms that dominated the general development of American architecture. His country houses and Georgian style mansions were regarded as the best American examples of their genre. He led the American revival of the formal garden in the 1890s and is credited with having introduced the American villa theory in his book Italian Gardens (1894). Among his works are the Freer Art Gallery in Washington, D.C., the Vincent Astor estate in New York, and the campuses of the University of Illinois, Connecticut College for Women, Deerfield Academy and Philip's Academy in Andover.
Platt trained and aided Ellen Biddle Shipman who is called the “Dean of Women Landscape Architects.” On Forest Avenue in 1907 he designed a beautiful home and grounds. The estate still stands. Ms. Shipman designed gardens for homes on Brevoort Lane and Dogwood Lane. They too are extant. At the residence on Brevoort Lane she collaborated with the architect Mott Schmidt who designed homes for the Rockefellers, Astors, Vanderbilts and Dillons. Indeed on any day of the week and at any time of day--as long as we are in Rye--we can see and appreciate history as it has been lovingly preserved in our residences and their landscaping. You may not be able to pick out the architectural gems created by Mott Schmidt, David Adler, Donn Barber and Aymar Embury since they stand in harmonious relation with their “neighbors.”
At the Knapp House Archives we are dedicated to preserving historical documents pertaining to Rye. Such documentation enables us to learn about Rye’s past. However, the preservation of buildings and landscapes from different historical periods allows us to see and feel the past in conjunction with the present -- a significant human experience and a wonderful way to live. Many of our neighbors -- past and present -- are responsible for this felicitous situation.
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Historic House Research: A Case Study
By Karen Yannett
What do a wealthy widow, a New York City builder and a famous Broadway actor have in common? They were all owners of a century-old shingle-style home on Forest Avenue where we now live.
Exploring the history of your home is a treasure hunt: you are not quite sure what you will find, what characters you will run into, and there are interesting detours along the way.
During our hunt, we have learned that Mary Powers had our home built as a summer retreat. She was the widow of George Powers Sr., a very successful New York City dry goods merchant and investor until his death in 1895.
The second owner, builder and avid yachtsman Charles McManus, took over his father’s New York City firm which built, among other projects, an architectural gem, the Lamb’s Club, on West 44th Street, designed by Stanford White. Westchester County bought land from McManus’ estate to help create Rye Playland.
Established Broadway actor William Courtleigh was a member of the Lamb’s Club, an association of actors and creative professionals. Courtleigh and his beautiful wife Edna, a former Gibson girl, bought the home next and lived there together until Courtleigh’s sudden death. Edna tried to make ends meet by running Edna’s Café in Rye, but ultimately lost the house in a tax foreclosure sale, the fate of many homeowners during the Great Depression. Then it became a boarding house for many families, and the story continues…
To begin your own hunt, your first clues are your home’s deed, listing previous owners, and your property survey. Further clues and information can be developed from these area resources:
-- The Rye Historical Society (archivist Richard Hourahan will be happy to help guide you), its files, books and maps
-- The Rye Library, its local history section, bound copies of the “Rye Chronicle” newspapers (don’t overlook the social
notes “gossip” columns), residential/business directories
--The Port Chester Library, “The Port Chester Daily Item” newspaper on microfilm
--Town of Rye Records, 10 Pearl Street, Port Chester
--Rye City Hall Records; for a fee, you can request a record of previous building permits issued to alter your home
--Westchester County, Land Records Division, 110 Martin Luther King Blvd, White Plains
--Westchester County Archives and Historical Society, in Elmsford, open Tuesdays and Wednesdays, www.westchesterarchives.com
Your research will lead to you other sources. The hunt can be fascinating and frustrating. I had to stifle a loud yelp when I scrolled microfilm to a key date and discovered several years worth of “Daily Item” newspapers no longer exist. We still don’t know exactly when our house was built or who the architect was. So our hunt continues. Best wishes on yours!
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Preservation Resources
Westchester County Archives
www.westchesterarchives.com
914-231-1500
Westchester County Historical Society
www.westchesterhistory.com
914-592-4323
Westchester County Dept. of Planning
Www.westchestergov.com/planning
New York State Office of Parks, Rec. & Historic Preservation
www.nyparks.state.ny.us/
Preservation League of New York State
www.preservenys.org
518-462-5658
National Register of Historic Places
www.nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com
National Historic Landmarks Program (Nat’l Park Service)
www.cr.nps.gov/nhl/INDEX.htm
Advisory Council on Historic Preservation
www.achp.gov
202-606-8503
National Trust for Historic Preservation
www.nationaltrust.org
202-588-6000
Preservation Briefs
www.cr.nps.gov/hps/tps/briefs/presbhom.htm
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Historic Preservation is Green
Walter Sedovic, a prominent local restoration architect, has written extensively on how preservation is friendly to the environment. The following is excerpted from his “History’s Green Genes” presentation at a Jay Heritage Center conference.
—“Although the study of sustainability is relatively new, sustainable design is not. Traditional buildings were always green.
—Historic materials were not transported from great distances but sourced locally, were mainly natural, non-toxic and renewable and although their production often required significant output of labor they were produced without polluting our environment.
—Preservation is the ultimate salvage project. It delivers enormous benefits simply by retaining and putting back into service ‘embodied energy’ [resources used for the original construction, including materials and labor].
—By salvaging and reusing historic buildings, we recycle as much as 76% of this energy. In addition, we produce less waste, conserve open space and maintain the fabric of a community.
-Unlike many modern materials, most historical materials may be reused or recycled, extending their useful life and thereby reducing their total life cycle cost.
—Building siting and landscaping is traditionally oriented to take advantage of a site’s natural attributes—light, heat, breezes and shade, thereby making use of free energy, [resulting in more energy efficiency.]”
—The Department of the Interior is quoted as saying:
“The vernacular response to climate, setting, and materials provides opportunities for presenting positive lessons in ecologically sound design.”
Economic Benefits of Preservation
Many studies have been conducted on the economic benefits of historic preservation. A recent extensive report by the Brookings Institution reviewed the literature in the field and concluded, “nearly any way the effects are measured, be they direct or indirect, historic preservation tends to yield significant benefits to the economy.” (Randall Mason, University of Penn., in a discussion paper dated September 2005)
The study does note a desire for more rigorous analysis and posits that insofar as historic properties have significant cultural value (and scarcity value), they are priceless. And cultural value leads to economic value.
The economics can work differently for commercial properties versus residential. In New York State and across the country, preservation has been an important tool in the economic revitalization of urban areas.
Rehabilitation of properties creates jobs in and of itself. Also, heritage tourism is lucrative, as such travelers spend more per capita than the average tourist. Additionally, tax incentives often increase the return on rehabilitation.
As concerns residential properties, the Brookings report further concludes that these studies “clearly come down in favor of a positive effect of historic districting on property values.” In New York City, residential buildings gained 22-72% in value when included in historic districts. In Philadelphia, the premium was found to be 131%. The premium accorded to homes in the National Register located in New Jersey was found to be 5%, and in Texas historic home premiums were 5-20%.
Every city and every state is unique and there is no set formula nor promise of future economic benefits in preservation. The literature strongly suggests, however, that at worst preservation is a net neutral and at best a quantifiable positive.