2019 Marks the Centennial of the Rye Beach Precinct Building
At one time Rye had eight hotels and over thirty boarding houses, but the WWI epoch saw the decline of Rye as a summer hotel resort. At about where St. Theresa’s Church is now located, the Sea View House was built in 1869 by George Lougee. It operated for about 45 years before falling out of fashion.
The Sea View House was razed early in 1918. In September 1918, the then current owners of the property, Mr. and Mrs. Shirley Philbrick and Mr. and Mrs. Francis E. Drake conditionally deeded a portion of the now empty lot to the Rye Beach Precinct. Per the deed, ...“The conditions of this deed being that the property herein conveyed is to be used for public purposes only and for the benefit of the residents in Rye Beach Precinct; and that no intoxicating or spirituous beverages will be manufactured or sold on said premises; and that in case of failure...to abide by these conditions the property...shall revert to the Grantors.”
In late 1918 the Rye Beach Precinct voted a $25,000 bond to build the Precinct Building, pretty much the same building that is there today. The bond was paid off in 1938.
It was initially built to house the Rye Beach Post Office, moving it from a back room in the Spear House at the intersection of South and Central Roads and to provide meeting space to conduct Rye Beach Precinct business. All the RBVD Annual Meetings, Zoning Board hearings and Planning Board meetings, etc., have been held there ever since.
Later, in 1930, when the Precinct formed its volunteer fire department and bought a 1930 Model A Ford fire truck (Santa's fire truck), it was garaged at the Precinct Building. You can see the difference in the shading and curved shape of the bricks and mortar on the south side where the garage once was. This was the Rye Fire Department until the new station was built in Rye Center in 1954.
What follows are some anecdotes from my personal recollection and hearsay. The precinct building was the "bus stop" circa 1956 before there was door to door service. There were probably 50 continuous years of piano recitals by South Road resident Evelyn Drake held there. My father, Philip and uncle, Herbert had recital performances there, circa 1935. My piece was, circa 1960, "March of the Toy Soldier." Rye's Jim Oeser’s “welcome home from Vietnam party” was held there about 1966 (details redacted). There were neighborhood Christmas/Santa parties and it was occasionally rented out for private events over the years.
Frank Drake, Rye Beach Village District Commissioner
