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June 2016 Newsletter



This Summer, Find Your Park and Find Your Classroom  at the Jay Estate in Rye. 
Red tailed hawks and other birds careen over the Jay Meadow

2016 is the 100th Anniversary of the National Park System which helped landmark our site in 1993. In recognition of this milestone we will be offering  more programs at our site this summer including live dramatic and musical performances and stargazing for families. 

Educators can join us offsite as well at the FDR Presidential Museum and Library at Hyde Park from  July 26 - 28 as we gather with Teaching the Hudson Valley and other partners like the Thomas Cole National Historic Site, Scenic Hudson, the Underground Railroad History Project and the Ellis Island Immigration Museum. Together we will exchange ideas about how to expand upon the ways that we  bring  K-12 subject matter to life, foster a sense of community, and encourage conversation about interpreting our rich cultural and ecological heritage. 

On Friday, June 3rd, 149 elementary school students from the Davis School in New Rochelle came to JHC for a day of immersion in American History, Architecture and Environmental Stewardship. Rotating groups heard Preservationist Bruce MacDonald describe the painstaking process of restoring Greek Revival elements in the  1838 Jay mansion. 

Whatever your interests we hope you find a program or activity with us even if it is simply enjoying the view from our veranda on a Sunday afternoon following a tour of the mansion. 

All this of course would not be possible without the ongoing generosity of our members and volunteers. We thank everyone who has given so much in the past- what incredible impact you have made. If you have not yet made a gift this year, please consider making one today. It's your park. Help us imagine the possibilities for your family and others and make them happen!  


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Follow NY State's Path Through History to Rye This Saturday, June 18


Enjoy two FREE performances: "Striving for Freedom" at 11am followed by Baroque Music and Dance in "Arts & Letters of Our Founding Fathers" at 3pm (please note this is a new time). 


Funded in part through a grant by Con Edison.
There Was Something Almost Every Saturday This May...

Starting with
Views from our Veranda, May 1st

Meadow Designer Larry Weaner and Landscape Architect Thomas Woltz drew a sunny, engaged crowd despite grey skies and showers. The day was organized by JHC Board Member Liz Garrett with assistance from Charlene Laughlin, Betsy White, Susan Skelsey, Elisabeth Casey and Keelin Pye 
READ MORE HERE
Volunteers for I Love  My Park Day Shine  Despite Rain on May 7th

Thank you to the many volunteers that made our 5th Annual I Love My Park Day such a success! Our crew which included students from the Mount Vernon Youth Bureau, JHC Preservationist families and Con Edison employees worked tirelessly cleaning up the area around the 1917 Indoor Tennis House in preparation for stabilization work. 




Saturday, May 14th, Jay Medal Dinner a Glowing Success!

On Saturday, May 14, 2016, the Jay Heritage Center (JHC) held its second John Jay Medal Dinner and recognized two individuals, both educators, whose exemplary efforts have helped elevate and strengthen the legacy of native New Yorker, John Jay: Pulitzer Prize Winning Historian Joseph J. Ellis and Environmental Lawyer and Advocate Nicholas A. Robinson. 
 
2 012 Jay Medal Honoree Kitty Aresty with this year's honorees Nicholas A. Robinson and Joseph J. Ellis
The celebration was made all the more special with the donation and unveiling of a 1786 manuscript signed by John Jay. The rare letter penned while Jay served as Secretary of Foreign Affairs accompanied a watercolor and ink drawing of the "new" flag adopted by Spain in 1785. This magnanimous gift was made by Mrs. Paul Hughes and her family so that more individuals, schools and families could better appreciate Jay's role and accomplishments as a diplomat firsthand. 

  
Laura Hughes Cattabriga and Diana Hughes


HAMILTON IN RYE?

Can't get enough Hamilton? Neither can we. Fortunately there are more ways to immerse yourself on the way. 

On Monday, May 17th, the History Channel set up camp at the Jay Estate (our meadow was literally transformed into Valley Forge) and filmed a new documentary about John Jay's fellow Founding Father and Federalist Papers' co-author, Alexander Hamilton. The two hour special with Ron Chernow, Tom Brokaw and Yale historian Joanne Freeman airs on  Sunday, June  26th  at 9pm!

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