In 1992 our non-profit began executing what had long been just a dream to transform the historic buildings and grounds of the landmark Jay Estate into a public park. Working with preservationists, architects, and archaeologists of the highest caliber, we invested in capital projects that made the structures and landscape in our care safer and more sustainable. Simultaneously, we actively sought out and benefited from the input of scholars, civic advocates, volunteers, and partner organizations to help us imagine the narratives we could tell about our shared heritage as a nation.

Our goal then and now is the same - to create a center for learning, accessible to all, where we can engage in dynamic, sometimes challenging, but above all balanced dialogues about American history, social justice, architecture, and environmental stewardship. These topics are the pillars of our mission as the Jay Heritage Center.

Yale scholar and professor Dr. Elizabeth Hinton, author of "America on Fire: The Untold History of Police Violence and Black Rebellion Since the 1960s” discusses her book via Zoom with journalist René Syler, former anchor of CBS News’s “The Early Show” and a frequent commentator on "CNN Headline News.” REGISTER HERE

National Book Award-winning historian Nathaniel Philbrick joins us in person with his daughter, Rye resident, lawyer, and former Harvard sailing captain Jennifer Philbrick McArdle. READ MORE HERE

Meet Marta McDowell, author of “Emily Dickinson’s Gardening Life: The Plants and Places That Inspired the Iconic Poet” in our own gardens this spring. READ MORE HERE

JHC is thrilled to announce that Lucia Maestro will join the nonprofit’s growing staff as inaugural Director of Horticulture and Garden Education of the Historic Jay Gardens. She will begin on March 1, 2022.

It is with great sadness that we learned on the eve of this new year about the passing of our dear colleague, friend, and retired Grounds and Security Supervisor Jon Pattengill after a brave battle with cancer. For those fortunate to know him or work closely by his side - at Jay Day, I Love My Parks Day, or any one of our other public programs - you found out quickly that Jon had both an encyclopedic knowledge of the Jay Estate and unparalleled devotion to it, having worked at the property since 1992. Our park was his park, too, just a bike ride away from his own backyard. Read more here

We extend our condolences to the friends and family of our dear friend and advisor Jane-Kerin Moffat. It is undeniable that our organization exists today thanks to her volunteer contributions as an effective advocate and vocal environmentalist. In the 1980s, back when the 23-acre Jay Estate was slated for demolition, Jane-Kerin played an integral role; she rallied conservation-minded stakeholders, government officials, and the public to protest a plan for development that would have had dire impacts on local wildlife.

Read more here

Jay Heritage Center at the Jay Estate