Jay Heritage Center President Goes To Washington

Never underestimate the impact a political movie like Frank Capra’s “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” can have an impressionable young mind.  

A whole world of possibilities opened up for Rye historian and Jay Heritage Center president Suzanne Clary, who idenified with director Capra and the golden oldie's leading actor Jimmy Stewart as an idealistic, novice politician; at least $3 million worth of possibilities for Clary and Rye’s historic Jay Heritage Center as part of the  Save America’s Treasures (SAT) program.

“Capra and Jimmy Stewart were actually huge favorites of mine since I was eight or nine years old,”  Clary recalled. “They made moviegoers believe in the American dream at a challenging time in our history.  Back then, it wasn’t about having it all but rather about leaving a mark and fighting the good fight.”

Just this past Tuesday, Clary went to Washington, D.C. for the Preservation Action Conference to join with more than 200 other preservationists from all over the country to advocate more funding for historic sites like Rye's JHC.

"My kids are joking that this my ‘Mr. Smith Went to Washington’ moment,” said Clary.

According to Clary, the Save America's Treasures program is in jeopardy. The loss of the program could mean a loss of funding for upgrade projects that keep sites like the Jay House open and running smoothly. Recent grants and matching donations allowed the JHC to upgrade its infrastructure systems. Clary also praises Congresswoman Nita Lowey and Congressman Maurice Hinchey for their steadfast support of the Jay House projects.

“Congressman Hinchey’s vision for John Jay’s home and for all the 99 member sites of the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area (HRVNHA) is for them to one day become part of the venerated National Parks System (NPS)," Clary said.  

NPS currently oversees 394 areas including “national parks, monuments, battlefields, military parks, historical parks, historic sites, lakeshores, seashores, recreation areas, scenic rivers and trails, and the White House.” 

Clary said Rep. Hinchey has been advocating an NPS designation for the HRVNA because this action “would take the region to the highest, most prestigious level possible while making the region eligible for an increase in federal resources and support."

Rye’s Square House and Quaker Meeting House, she points out, are National Historic Register sites, two of about 88,000 in the country. There are two national historic landmarks in Rye- the Historic Boston Post Road District (which includes John Jay's home) and Playland. 

“There are only about 2500 sites in the US that have been honored beyond National Register designation with national historic landmark status. This is why the fate and proper preservation of both the Jay Property and Playland are so critical since their historical importance is so great,” she said.

John Jay spent his formative years in Rye and became one of America's Founding Fathers; the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, the second governor of New York State and a lot more. 

Further information: The Jay Heritage Center 210 Boston Post Road, Email: jayhc@earthlink.net; Phone:  698-9275 Fax: (914) 835-8547 Website: www.jaycenter.org