New Rochelle, NY—The City of New Rochelle is seeking nominations of properties that exemplify the City’s significant historical and cultural heritage for the 2011 Heritage Awards. Nominations may be submitted by individuals, organizations, businesses or municipal representatives of
properties for one or more of the following categories:
• Residences older than 50 years that are significant to New Rochelle’s history
• Public or quasi-public structures (e.g. house of worship, home of an organization, etc.) older than 50 years that are significant to New Rochelle’s history
• Stellar restoration, residence
• Stellar restoration, adaptive reuse
• Home of nationally prominent individual
• Significant architect or architectural style
• Landscape or landscape feature (e.g. cemeteries, stone walls, signs; excepting gardens)
Guidelines and nomination forms are available on the City’s website www.newrochelleny.com/heritageawards or at the mayor’s office in City Hall. The deadline for nominations is January 31, 2011.
“By raising public awareness about our past, we help ensure that historic charm remains a vital part of our future,” noted Mayor Noam Bramson. “The Heritage Awards help accomplish this goal by celebrating distinctive properties that reflect New Rochelle’s rich architectural history.”
To date, a total of 22 distinctive historic properties located throughout the City of New Rochelle have been recognized by the Heritage Award program. These gems relating New Rochelle’s remarkable past are residential, quasi-public and public buildings contributing to the continued
preservation of the city’s historical and cultural heritage—the key factor in the City’s Heritage Award program initiated by the Heritage Task Force.
The Heritage Task Force was organized by Mayor Bramson in 2007 to help initiate projects that would increase awareness and appreciation of the community’s vast historical treasures. Comprised of residents qualified in historic preservation, local history and landscape design, the committee developed the Heritage Award program to recognize the scores of New Rochelle properties that are important to the community’s extraordinary 300+ year history.
New Rochelle Heritage Award Program 2011: Guidelines
The City of New Rochelle is pleased to announce the fourth year of its Heritage Award Sign Program, which recognizes historically significant properties in New Rochelle. The City is seeking nominations for properties that exemplify the New Rochelle’s significant historical and cultural heritage. The City welcomes nominations from individuals, organizations, businesses or municipal representatives of properties for one or more of the following categories:
• Residences older than 50 years that are significant to New Rochelle’s history
• Stellar restoration, residence
• Stellar restoration, adaptive reuse
• Home of nationally prominent individual
• Significant architect or architectural style
• Landscape or landscape feature (eg. cemeteries, stone walls, signs; excepting gardens)
• Public or quasi-public structures (eg. house of worship, home of an organization, etc. )that are significant to New Rochelle’s history
Restoration is accurately recovering the form or details of a property and its setting as it appeared at a particular period of time by removing non-historic modifications and/or by replacing or reproducing missing earlier material.
Adaptive re-use is the successful rehabilitating of a property to a state of utility though repair or sympathetic alterations which make possible an efficient new use while preserving those portions or features of the property which are significant to its historical, architectural, and cultural values.
Guidelines for Nominations
Nominations should be printed or typed on the nomination form with photographs and supporting information attached. The property owner’s signature must be included (property owner must agree to the nomination). Please submit the application to The Heritage Task Force, Mayor’s Office, City Hall, 515 North Ave., New Rochelle, NY 10801, by January 31, 2011. If application assistance is needed, please call Barbara Davis, at 632-8254.
Properties must be located in the City of New Rochelle; qualify for at least one of the seven categories; and be at least 50 years old. Properties that are already listed on the State or National Registers of Historic Places or are locally designated properties are not eligible for this program.
Property owners must approve the nomination, but anyone may complete the actual nomination form. This is a recognition program, which will not affect the legal status of the recognized property in any way.
Evaluation:
The selection criteria for the Heritage Award Program will include but not be limited to the following:
The extent of the property’s continuing contribution to historic or cultural heritage of the community;
The extent of accepted preservation techniques* in maintaining the historic form, appearance and materials of a property; (se http://www.nps.gov/history/hps/tps/standguide/); or Improvement between “before” and “after” conditions.
Awards Presentation:
Award recipients will be notified prior to the issuance of the Heritage Award Sign. All winners will be invited to a reception and awards presentation at City Hall in Spring 2011. The City will prepare and distribute publicity materials to local media.
Responsibilities of the Award Recipients
The placement of the Heritage Award Sign will be determined by the City to assure its visibility from the exterior of the structure, and will be determined before the sign is officially awarded. This sign will remain the property of the City of New Rochelle and it is intended to remain with the property in perpetuity. If the owner of a property or site to receive a Heritage Award Sign is unwilling to accept the conditions regarding the placement of his sign, the property owner must notify the City prior to the awards’ issuance. The City reserves the right to transfer the Heritage Award Sign to a property owner who will comply with all associated conditions.