This year, the following families and their historic homes were recognized:

Shawna Healy & Tom Swist
9 Dow Lane, Rye, NH
2024 18th Century Preservation Award

Frances Erlebacher & Denis Lipman
484 Brackett Road, Rye, NH
2024 17th Century Preservation Award

Karen Stewart & Todd Cronin
546 Washington Road, Rye, NH
2024 Best Adaptation Award

RA thanks these recipients for generously allowing our group to tour their well-preserved historic houses.

Recognizing Rye's Old House Owners

Stroll readers may remember the December 2022 article about the work of Rye Advocates for Historic Preservation (RA), which was established in 2020 as an offshoot of the Rye Heritage Commission, tasked with documenting and promoting the preservation of Rye's historic built environment.

Earlier this year, RA members were instrumental in saving the historic house at 237 Locke Road, which was slated for demolition. Instead, it was dismantled and moved to be rebuilt in a new location outside of town. This year, RA launched a new annual project to recognize the owners of old Rye homes for their preservation efforts.

Three of these homeowners were honored at the January 13, 2025, Rye Select Board meeting for their outstanding stewardship of their homes. There are over 300 houses in Rye built before 1905, and the fact that over 300 families have chosen to live in and care for Rye's historic homes is something to be grateful for.

Rye has great appeal for two main reasons: its pristine natural beauty and its historic built environment, which can be found along its lovely, winding roads. The work of Rye Advocates is vital in preserving the latter for future generations. We once again extend our thanks to the stewards of Rye’s historic homes for their efforts in preserving the character that makes Rye such a great place to live.