BELLOWS FALLS — The Rockingham Historic Preservation Commission will open nominations for its 2018 Old House Awards at a reception Friday, April 27, to honor the 2017 winners.
The awards are designed to celebrate property owners in town who are maintaining and restoring their historic homes and commercial buildings.
The gathering will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Windham Antique Center, 5 Square, Bellows Falls, and is open to the public. The reception will recognize 2017 winners and provide an opportunity for potential 2018 nominees to learn more about the contest criteria and what this past year's winners did to earn their brass plaques.
There will be awards in multiple categories in 2018, with multiple winners. Awards for 2017 went to a variety of buildings, including residential, commercial, mixed use, and industrial properties.
Eligible properties are older homes and businesses that have been renovated, painted, or otherwise enhanced on the exterior in the past five years.
Properties must be located within the town of Rockingham, including the incorporated villages of Bellows Falls and Saxtons River as well as the hamlets of Bartonsville, Cambridgeport, and Rockingham Village, and the town's rural areas. To qualify, properties must be at least 50 years old and can be residential, commercial, or industrial in use.
Residents may enter their own properties or nominate someone else who has recently improved the appearance of a historic house or building in their neighborhood or the town.
To nominate a property for the 2018 Old House Awards, please email clg@rockbf.org or write to: Rockingham Historic Preservation Coordinator, P.O. Box 370, Bellows Falls, VT 05101. All nominations should include the property's address and the owner's name. Photographs will be greatly appreciated.
The deadline for nominations is Friday, June 22. The Rockingham Historic Preservation Commission will select 2018 winners at its meeting in August.
There will be a reception in the fall to celebrate the winning property owners and to distribute the Old House Awards plaques. This program is supported by a grant from the Vermont Division for Historic Preservation.