Rockingham Old House Awards 2022 Silver Jubilee

Kicking off with the Aug. 6 and 7 Old Home Days and the Meeting House Pilgrimage weekend, nominations are open for Rockingham Old House Awards 2022.

“During our Awards Silver Jubilee year we want to celebrate with property owners their ongoing restoration and renewal of historic homes and commercial buildings,” said John Leppman, chair of the Rockingham Historic Preservation Commission, which sponsors the program.

There are multiple award categories with multiple awardees. Categories include awards for best:

• private residence,
• commercial building and
• apartment building.

“Since the first Old Home Awards program organized by the Our Town group in 1997, owners of over 160 homes and commercial buildings have been honored for conservation of their properties,” noted RHPC coordinator Walter Wallace.

Eligible properties must be at least 50 years old that have been renovated, painted or otherwise enhanced on the exterior, usually within the last 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 and Brockways Mills, and the town’s rural areas.

Nominations may be made by calling the Rockingham Development Office (802-463-3964, extension 1112), sending an email or writing to the Rockingham Historic Preservation Commission Coordinator, Town of Rockingham, PO Box 370, Bellows Falls, VT 05101.

All nominations should include the property’s address and, if possible, the owner’s name. The deadline for nominations is 5 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 5.

Awards will be announced on Sept. 30; a presentation ceremony will take place on Saturday, Oct. 15 at the Meeting House in Old Rockingham Village during the Southern Vermont Flannel Festival.

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.