Vincentown, NJ, 2 June 2008 – At their 28 May meeting, the Burlington County Freeholders recognized the Southampton Township Board of Education and RYEBREAD Architects with a Preservation Award for the exterior renovation of their District administration building.

In honor of National Historic Preservation Month, Freeholder Bill Haines, Jr. presented awards to 13 local residents and organizations for their historic preservation and education work. “The dedicated efforts of the individuals and organizations receiving awards today are instrumental to helping us preserve Burlington County’s rich heritage for residents and visitors to enjoy for years to come,” said Haines.

Built in 1875 as a Victorian farmhouse, in 1990 the Southampton BoE purchased the building along with property needed for a school expansion. At that time, the BoE renovated the interior of the farmhouse to accommodate their District administrative offices. In 2006, the BoE decided to renovate the exterior of the Board Office. The primary motivation was to create a more watertight envelope. At the same time, it was an opportunity to make the building’s exterior façade more appropriate to the character of the historic Village of Vincentown.

During the Schematic Design phase, the BoE and their Architect-of-Record brought the project to the municipal Preservation Commission, seeking their input on materials, colors, and details. Together, they agreed upon the exterior improvements such as renovating the siding & mansard roof, as well as installing traditional windows, corner boards, trim, light fixtures, gutters & downspouts.

A week before the Freeholders meeting, the project received another award. At the Southampton Township Council meeting on 20 May the BoE & RYEBREAD Architects received the 2007 Southampton Township Historic Preservation Award. The Award acknowledged the contribution of this work to improving the integrity and appearance of the historic property, the continued vitality and aesthetics of Vincentown Village, and to the Township’s historic resources as a whole.

Regan Young England Butera: Referendums, Engineering, Architecture, Design (hence, RYEBREAD) has served the Southampton BoE as their Architect-of-Record since 1994. They were the architects for School #3, as well as numerous capital improvement projects over the past two decades. RYEBREAD is based in Mount Holly, NJ where they specialize in providing professional services for renovations and expansions to building envelopes, systems, and interiors. RYEBREAD has been named “Best Architects” by the annual Burlington County Times reader’s poll every year since 1998.