Jay Heritage Center

Jay Heritage Center The Jay Estate is a 23-acre Award-Winning Park & Culture Hub on Long Island Sound, the Heart of Westchester’s Only National Historic Landmark District.

Learn more at www.jayheritagecenter.org News and photos about ongoing historic preservation activities, talks, camps and concerts at the historic Jay Estate in Rye. The Jay Estate is the centerpiece of a National Historic Landmark, an irreplaceable cultural and natural resource, which illustrates the evolution of democracy and architecture in the United States. JHC's sustainable stewardship of the

estate was recently recognized on July 9, 2013 by New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (NYOPRHP) which entrusted sensitive restoration of an additional 21.5 acres of parkland to JHC in a model private-public partnership agreement. 4 additional historic structures will be rehabilitated with energy efficiency in mind as will 4 outdoor garden spaces. Using these "classrooms" JHC will expand upon its curricula of innovative programs. Two of the primary venues on the site, the 1838 Jay Mansion and the 1907 Van Norden Carriage House, are consistently furnished with citizens and ideas, not just artifacts. Just as the architects of our nation's government pursued self improvement through dialogue about our nation's most relevant topics, we promote learning through interactive experiences. Our lectures, concerts, and children's camps are led by prominent experts and academics in a variety of disciplines from sustainability to legal history to archaeology. Operationally, we synthesize the best management practices and technology in restoration and historic preservation while also incorporating new methods of adaptive reuse and energy efficiency. We form lasting partnerships with other non-profits and educational institutions to expand the reach and impact of our work.

A walk in our park looks like this! Pollinator paradise! From stands of native milkw**d and dogbane to patches of mounta...
06/16/2026

A walk in our park looks like this! Pollinator paradise! From stands of native milkw**d and dogbane to patches of mountain mint, little bluestem grass, blue spiderwort, butterfly w**d, sedges, penstemon and more you’ll see an array of plants to attract birds, bees and butterflies aplenty! Thank you LWLA I LOVE NEW YORK NYstateparks Lower Hudson PRISM New York State Department of Environmental Conservation **d

06/15/2026

Wild footage from another mama snapping turtle in our gardens! This specimen is even larger than the last one. After laying eggs, she headed back towards the East stream at the Jay Estate.

Celebrating June blooms with our latest newsletter!  Link in bio. It’s packed with exciting updates and photos from part...
06/12/2026

Celebrating June blooms with our latest newsletter! Link in bio. It’s packed with exciting updates and photos from partnership meetings with NYstateparks and birding with Bronx River Sound Shore to a “state of the gardens” message showcasing our rose arbor and plantings. Meanwhile the forecast is gorgeous for our Classic Design Luncheon with Genevieve Wheeler Brown We’re super grateful to be featuring designs by Finch & Co • Home Decor & Design Studio Emmy Lambert (O’Connell) Nicole Russo Steinthal CAROLINE O’CALLAGHAN ART Diane James Home McArdle's Floral & Garden Design Stephanie Linehan Rye Garden Club Lavish Gardener Plus we welcome a new trustee Tom McDermott to our board and thank Eliza Swain and Katy McCrory for launching our new Auxiliary Board! So many terrific things happen when you just think spring!! PS Our gardens are open this Sunday from 10am to 5pm and you might see some wild turtles! 🐢 🌸

You never know what you’ll see in our gardens! What is mobbing? It’s a defensive tactic that these mockingbirds are usin...
06/11/2026

You never know what you’ll see in our gardens! What is mobbing?
It’s a defensive tactic that these mockingbirds are using to drive away a red-tailed hawk that is trespassing into their territory and near their nest! Despite their disadvantage in size, mocking birds have no qualms when it comes to swooping in and dive bombing hawks to make them back away from their fledglings.

Morning dose of sunshine! Yarrow, early sunflower and tulip tree flowers.
06/08/2026

Morning dose of sunshine! Yarrow, early sunflower and tulip tree flowers.

Thank you  and  for this incredible honor! We’ve come so far thanks to your years of support especially for I Love My Pa...
06/04/2026

Thank you and for this incredible honor! We’ve come so far thanks to your years of support especially for I Love My Park Days. Proud to share this 2026 Commendation for Historic Preservation with our staff, volunteers and many, many partners! Photo by

I have nature and art and poetry, and if that is not enough, what is enough? Vincent van Gogh See the art that’s bloomin...
05/30/2026

I have nature and art and poetry, and if that is not enough, what is enough? Vincent van Gogh See the art that’s blooming in our gardens this weekend Sunday 10am - 5pm From sculptural walking onions to dazzling roses in red and pink, spires of baptisia and sprays of gaura.

No filter, just beautiful gardens and sky.
05/29/2026

No filter, just beautiful gardens and sky.

05/21/2026

Golden Alexander everywhere! This is what happens when you trust meadow expert Larry Weaner and landscape designer Thomas Woltz to collaborate on a design for you. Zizia is a dominant yellow flower appearing now atop our gardens. Its architectural structure is distinctive and these standout plants will provide visual interest in every season. Come see for yourself!

05/18/2026

Our first symposium hosted by with exceptional orchestration by was a huge success! We started with tours of the houses and properties of Silas Deane and finished with a terrific panel discussion about the early childhoods, education and family dynamics of the diplomatic principals involved in the Silas Deane Affair, a major scandal during the American Revolution that is not well known today but is worth studying for its implications about diplomacy and the damage caused by political infighting. The major players were Silas Deane, John Jay. Arthur Lee and his brothers. How did Deane, an accomplished diplomat and hero of Ticonderoga wind up accused of being a traitor? What were the motivations of his accusers to denounce him? Why did John Jay defend him? The next session will be held at our own Jay Estate on September 26 with the final installment held in Virginia in November! Attend them all in person or by zoom.

Address

210 Boston Post Road
Rye, NY
10580

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