Jay House Lands Half Mil for Garden

Rye's historic Jay House on the Post Road and adjacent to the Rye Marshlands has landed a cool $500K to restore a 1.5 acre historical garden on the property. "These gardens will be vibrant outdoor classrooms for the hands-on study of horticulture, American history, social justice, archaeology and much more at the childhood home of John Jay in Rye," said JHC President Suzanne Clary.

Here are all the details:

RYE, NY – On Thursday, December 11th, the Jay Heritage Center (JHC) was awarded $500,000 to restore 1.5 acres of historic gardens in Rye, New York at the landmark Jay Estate on Boston Post Road. JHC was one of 118 organizations in the Mid-Hudson area of New York State to be awarded funding in Round IV of the Regional Economic Development Council (REDC) grant process. The REDC Awards are part of an economic stimulus initiative launched by Governor Andrew M. Cuomo in 2011 to better serve municipalities, local businesses, non-profits and other enterprises, create jobs and promote tourism. $82.8 million dollars in grants and tax-credits were awarded in the Mid-Hudson region; JHC received the maximum amount available under the aegis of New York State's Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (NYSOPRHP).

The grant follows a landmark private-public partnership forged between NYSOPRHP, Westchester County Parks and JHC last year. The agreement signed in 2013 awarded stewardship of the 23 acre Jay Estate to the non-profit JHC which has plans to transform the park into a premier educational and heritage tourism destination.

JHC President Suzanne Clary expressed her thanks to Governor Cuomo and members of the Regional Economic Development Council for the half million dollar matching grant and the commitment to historic preservation that it represents. “We are especially grateful to our non-profit partners and peer sites in the Hudson River Valley National HeritagJay House Landse Area, on New York State's Path Through History and on the African American Heritage Trail of Westchester County with whom we will continue to collaborate, building upon past successes and creating more innovative programs that incorporate these gardens.”

“We are proud to have received this significant award which will help us reclaim 1.5 acres of vital green spaces for public access and use. These gardens will be vibrant outdoor classrooms for the hands-on study of horticulture, American history, social justice, archaeology and much more at the childhood home of John Jay in Rye. Our goal to educate remains the same but is now re-invigorated by this investment. We hope to inspire young people to understand, preserve and protect our shared heritage, natural and man-made – to become future historians, civic advocates and stewards of our fragile cultural and environmental resources.”