New York State Senator Shelley B. Mayer joined Suzanne Clary, president of Jay Heritage Center, and trustees and staff to announce $500,000 in state funding, secured by Mayer, to restore the 1838 Jay Mansion.
With increased visitation each year, Jay Heritage Center has faced greater need for restoration as it serves as the welcome center to the estate. The funding will help finish the mansion entryway, build additional ADA compliant restrooms, expand the innovative sustainable geothermal heat and cooling pump systems, and install other amenities to accommodate the increasing audience.
The 1838 Jay Mansion in Rye is a national historic landmark that has embraced sustainability, illustrated by many of the modern technological advances to its infrastructure. The estate will also host programs commemorating America’s semiquincentennial in 2026 and the 200th anniversary of the end of slavery in New York state in 2027, which will heighten the estate’s usage and visitation.
President and Interim Executive Director Suzanne Clary said, “The Jay Heritage Center (JHC) is enormously grateful to Sen. Shelley B. Mayer for this exceptional $500,000 grant. Over 35,000 visitors come to the Jay Estate each year and many especially look forward to touring the Greek Revival building designed with iconic emblems of democracy. This transformational grant will expand JHC’s capacity to host even more award-winning, inclusive events for our community, our partners, school groups and educators, and afford them greater access and comfort.”
Westchester County Executive George Latimer said, “We would like to thank New York State Senator Shelley Mayer for her leadership and vision for the Jay Heritage Estate, one of the county’s national historic landmarks and the home of American founding father John Jay, a noted jurist, governor, peacemaker and anti-slavery advocate, which designated the estate as a stop on Westchester County’s African American Heritage Trail. This $500,000 grant will help to restore the landmark to its original glory, so it may continue to be used as a host for programs about American history, social justice, architecture and conservation.”
The Jay Estate is the place where Jay returned to celebrate the end of the American Revolutionary War after he negotiated the 1783 Treaty of Paris with fellow peacemakers John Adams and Benjamin Franklin. Part of the Boston Post Road Historic District, the Jay Heritage Center is a National Historic Landmark that holds significance for many Americans. It constitutes a portion of a 10,000-plus-year-old Indigenous peoples archaeological site and is an important African American Heritage Trail site.
