Richard H. Jenrette Foundation

🎉 Let’s celebrate 50 years of Cornell University’s Historic Preservation Planning Program at the HPPA 2026 50th Anniversary Symposium, June 12–14 in Ithaca, NY. Honoring five decades of preservation leadership while looking ahead to the future of the field, this milestone gathering will reconnect generations of alumni, faculty, students, and practitioners.

Welcome, fellows! Maine Preservation and the Richard Hampton Jenrette Foundation are pleased to introduce the 2026 Patricia Anderson Summer Fellows: Arielle Pierson, Grace Hannah Buck, Maggie Young, and Pippa Berry.

Over the coming months, they’ll be exposed to the breadth of the preservation field, from hands-on repair of historic structures to the program work of a nonprofit organization. Our fellows will be introduced to the community, policymakers, consultants, supporters, and allied organizations throughout Maine. Learn more about the Summer Fellowship program, made possible with the generous support of the Richard Hampton Jenrette Foundation, at the link in our bio. 🔗

ARIELLE PIERSON
🏠 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
🎓 Pursuing a master's degree in Historic Preservation at the University of Pennsylvania
📍 This summer, she is excited to build on her passion for traditional crafts and trades while working with

GRACE HANNAH BUCK
🏠A Virginian who is ready to explore New England!
🎓 Graduating from University of Mary Washington with a GIS Certificate and bachelor’s degree in Historic Preservation
📍 She looks forward to putting her skills to the test at !

MAGGIE YOUNG
🏠A New Englander!
🎓A rising junior at the University of Mary Washington in Virginia, double majoring in Historic Preservation and Art History
📍Maggie is excited to learn the field of preservation with Les Fossel’s Restoration Resources,

PIPPA BERRY
🏠A long-time summer resident of Chebeague Island
🎓 Pursuing her Bachelor of Architecture at Syracuse University
📍She is eager to gain hands-on experience in the field with Jacob's Glass, Inc.

Historic places matter—but the conversations, curiosity, and community they spark matter just as much. Preserving *those* things is deeply necessary. Each and every ticket sold to Edgewater’s 200th birthday party on June 13 will support the restoration of the Barrytown Post Office. You’re invited—not only for fireworks, top Broadway performers, fun, and Hudson River Views late into the night, but also to support the post office’s next act as an educational space. Tickets are available at jenrette.org. Only 200 will be sold, and we are closing in on the last few!

(Thanks, again, , for spotlighting and its efforts to restore the Barrytown Post Office.)

📣 Applications are OPEN 🔔 for the FALL 2026 William L. Thompson Collections Fellowship for Emerging Museum Professionals and Graduate Students. Hosted by the Richard Hampton Jenrette Foundation, this short-term residential fellowship is designed for emerging museum professionals and graduate students interested in careers focused on collections and material culture within historic house museums.

The fellowship includes:
✨ A week-long residency at Edgewater in Barrytown, New York
✨ A $2,000 stipend
✨ Travel and meal reimbursement
✨ Hotel accommodations
✨ Support to attend the Decorative Arts Trust Emerging Scholars Colloquium during Americana Week in NYC

Up to four fellows will be selected.

Interested applicants should submit a letter of interest and current CV to Grant Quertermous by June 26, 2026.

Learn more and apply at jenrette.org today!

The has funded a field school with the Research Laboratories of Archaeology to explore the material culture of Ayr Mount’s past. A team of undergraduates, graduate students, and faculty are looking for evidence of Ayr Mount’s original exterior kitchen building behind the main house. In addition to excavating, the team is using ground penetrating radar and other less-invasive methods to study areas of the site that may contain clues about the history of property beyond what we can see above ground. This partnership with UNC Archaeology stretches back to the 1980s, when Dick Jenrette supported exploration and study of historic and prehistoric material culture around Ayr Mount through funding and land preservation. This field school is another way the Jenrette Foundation is providing emerging scholars opportunities for hands-on learning at our sites. This is an important initiative, as the Jenrette Foundation’s longest-standing partnership, because it strengthens the opportunity that area students have to investigate their community. There’s a lot we don’t know about Ayr Mount’s history, and we continue to reveal more of the story.

🚘 The team hit the road to join preservation practitioners, educators, and advocates in Ithaca today for the research convening on preservation trades in New York State, organized by and Just Places Lab.

The meeting highlighted critical new research on the preservation trades workforce, including statewide labor market and economic impact analyses, as well as an inventory of training programs and employers across New York. This work underscores an urgent reality: preserving historic places depends on preserving the skilled tradespeople and training ecosystems that make that work possible.

At , we see this as deeply aligned with our own commitment to advancing the preservation field through research and knowledge-sharing. (Our own reports continue to explore the challenges and opportunities facing workforce development—and today’s meeting was a real advantage for us as we try to find ways to amplify the issues!)

It’s an evolving story but one that’s gaining momentum: the past has a strong future as long as we support the people working toward both ends.

💫A meaningful visit today to Adelphi Wall Hangings in Sharon Springs, NY, where craftsmanship, preservation, and artistry come together in extraordinary ways. The team was inspired to see the dedication behind the restoration and creation of historic textiles and interiors, and to learn more about the artisans keeping these traditional skills alive for future generations. Places like Adelphi remind us why supporting preservation, decorative arts, and cultural heritage matters. Thank you for the warm welcome and for sharing your remarkable work with us.

At , the story of Edgewater’s tiny Barrytown post office stopped us in our tracks: generations gathering for mail, gossip, newspapers, provisions, connection—and building community long before algorithms tried to monetize it. Now, as the legendary Hudson River estate Edgewater celebrates its 200th birthday, proceeds from this gloriously old-school lawn party will help restore that humble civic gem for a new generation.

Think 🎆 over the river, Broadway performances, historic preservation, and the lingering spirit of the unforgettable salons once hosted there by Richard Hampton Jenrette and Gore Vidal (separately, of course, in different decades). 🎟️ Tickets really are going fast (only 200 will be sold), so secure yours today at jenrette.org

Many thanks to

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🚗 🚂 Coming from NYC or out of town for Edgewater’s 200th birthday celebration? The good news: some of the Hudson Valley’s best Airbnbs and VRBOs are still available nearby in Rhinebeck, Red Hook, Kingston, and Poughkeepsie—all within an easy drive of Edgewater.

Think: farmhouses and fire pits—and one very memorable party on June 13.

We highly recommend turning the evening into a long weekend in the Hudson Valley.

🎟️ Join us at jenrette.org—tickets to Edgewater’s 200th are going fast!

“The past has a bright future,” says President , “and it’s a question of how we can bolster the burgeoning careers of students, new graduates, and young professionals whose commitment and skillsets will be the things that make that future bright.” The Jenrette Foundation awarded 27 grants this quarter, totaling $303,100 to bring the year-to-date total to $977,100 across 60 grants. And we’re only halfway through the year! Want to know who is on the list? Head over to jenrette.org/grants to find out 😀