About Us

The Rye Historical Society was founded in 1964 by a group of concerned citizens who banded together to preserve, restore and protect the Square House, an 18th century inn located on the Village Green in Rye.

After faithfully restoring the Square House, the Society has maintained it as a house museum. In 1980, the Society received its accreditation from the American Asssociation of Museums. The Society acquired the Timothy Knapp House, Westchester County’s oldest surviving house, in 1992, restored it and opened it to the public in 2001 as an archival and research center. The Society continues to serve the community through school visits and programs, docented tours, vacation and summer camp programs, lectures, exhibits, walking tours and numerous family and community events throughout the year.

Our Mission

The Rye Historical Society is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization devoted to researching, preserving and celebrating Rye’s unique historic heritage. Our mission, stated in our Charter from the New York State Department of Education, is as follows:

• To bring together people interested in the history of the area

• To discover, collect and preserve materials which help to establish or illustrate the history of the area

• To provide for the preservation of historic buildings, monuments and markers; and

• To disseminate a knowledge of local history, and to foster a public awareness of, and pride in, the historic heritage of the Rye community.