ROCKINGHAM, Vt. – Kicking off the Aug. 3-4 Old Home Days and the Meeting House Pilgrimage weekend, nominations are open for Rockingham Old House Awards 2024.
“Inaugurated by the Bellows Falls Historical Society 27 years ago, the Rockingham Historic Preservation Commission carries the baton to celebrate with property owners their ongoing restoration and renewal of historic homes and commercial buildings,” said John Leppman, Rockingham Historic Preservation Commission chair. The awards program is sponsored by the commission.
There are multiple award categories and multiple awardees. Categories include awards for best private residence, commercial building, and apartment building.
“Since its start in 1997, owners of over 180 homes and commercial buildings have been honored for conservation of their properties,” noted commission coordinator Walter Wallace.
Eligible properties are older homes that have been renovated, painted, or otherwise enhanced on the exterior, usually in the past five years. Properties must be located within the Town of Rockingham, including the villages of Bellows Falls and Saxtons River, the hamlets of Bartonsville, Cambridgeport, Brockways Mills, and the town’s rural areas. To qualify, properties must be at least 50 years old, and may be residential or commercial.
Nominations may be made by sending an email to clg@rockbf.org, or writing to Rockingham Historic Preservation Commission Coordinator, Town of Rockingham, P.O. Box 370, Bellows Falls, VT 05101. All nominations should include the property’s address and, if possible, the owner’s name. Nomination forms can be found at www.rockbf.org/historic-preservation-commission.
The deadline for nominations will close on Labor Day Monday. Awards will be announced in early October, with a presentation ceremony later that month at the Meeting House in Old Rockingham Village.
The Old House Awards program is supported in part through funding from the Vermont Division for Historic Preservation and the National Park Service through the Certified Local Government program.