Nominations sought for Old House Awards

ROCKINGHAM — The Rockingham Historical Commission is seeking nominations for the annual Rockingham Old House Awards.

“This is an excellent opportunity to celebrate the property owners in our town who are restoring and renewing their historic homes and commercial buildings,” Christy Hotaling, Certified Local Government Coordinator for the town of Rockingham, said in a news release.

There will be multiple award categories. In the past, categories have included awards for best commercial building, apartment building, private residence, long term maintenance, curb appeal, and others. The categories for this year have yet to be determined, as they depend on the nominations received by property owners, neighbors, or admirers.

Eligible properties are older homes 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 villages of Bellows Falls and Saxtons River, the hamlets of Cambridgeport, Bartonsville and Brockway's Mills, and the town's rural areas. To qualify, properties must be at least 50 years old and may be residential or commercial in use.

If you are proud of either your house or your commercial building and would like others to see what you've done, contact Hotaling by calling the Development Office (802-463-3456, ext. 110), sending an email to [email protected], or writing to: CLG 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. Photographs are appreciated.

The deadline for nominations is Thursday, July 13. The Rockingham Historical Commission will select winners at its meeting in August. There will be a small gathering in September 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.

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