ROCKINGHAM — 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, Rockingham Historic Preservation Commission chair in a news release.
The program, sponsored by the commission, offers awards to multiple recipients in a number of categories, including best private residence, best commercial building, and best apartment building.
Residential or commercial 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. A property must be at least 50 years old.
Such properties are older structures that have been renovated, painted, or otherwise enhanced on the exterior, usually in the past five years.
“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,” said RHPC coordinator Walter Wallace.
Nominations may be made by calling the Rockingham Development Office (802-463-3964, ext. 1112), 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.
Deadline for nominations will close Monday, Sept. 5 at 5 p.m. The awards will be announced Friday, Sept. 30, and a presentation ceremony takes place Saturday, Oct. 15 at the Meeting House in Old Rockingham Village during the Southern Vermont Flannel Festival.