Thanks again to ALL 150+ of you who made our first Historic House Trust Roof Raisers such a stupendous success. The Historic House Trust has received much critical acclaim in its history, but never before has it been recognized by a Parks Commissioner for being "cool."

Raising the Roof, Awareness and a Glass to New York City Preservation

On January 27, the Historic House Trust welcomed over 150 of New York's art, media and culture class to celebrate the launch of its latest membership group: Roof Raisers.
With the Central Park Arsenal Gallery as a backdrop, the evening kicked off with the  sassy lyrics and vaudevillian strings of The Two Man Gentlemen Band. And as the band warmed up, guests did too with wine served by City Winery and lager from Brooklyn Brewery.

Guests ranging from young professionals to entrepreneurs to artists to philanthropists mingled amidst Raymond Sherman's  luminous sculptures. They nibbled lobster, shrimp and crab rolls from Luke's Lobster in the East Village and met fellow New Yorkers looking to get involved in preserving the City's history. 

In addition to sampling lobster rolls,  guests came to the Arsenal hoping to answer the question - what is a roof raiser?  Taking a cue from 18th-Century American life, Roof Raisers is loosely modeled on the principle of barn-raising: community working together toward a common, architectural goal. For Roof Raisers, that goal is to generate awareness and support for the work that the Historic House Trust does on a daily basis.

Much in the way that barns provided an economic wellspring for rural life, New York's architecture is a source of rich cultural heritage that defines our city. Roof Raisers is about taking part in that heritage. It will serve as a forum for ideas, volunteerism and philanthropy in New York City.

JOIN ONLINE 

Volunteer with us!

Roof Raisers needs enthusiastic volunteers in the following forms...

Media Mavens 
Event assistants
Music-maker
Foodies
Preservation Pros
Artists
Graphic Designers
Fashionistas
Interior Designers
Sponsors

Email us with your contact details, area of interest and availability if you would like to get involved: roofraisers@parks.nyc.gov

We'd also love for you to lend a hand at one of our houses. Below are just a few of the ways you can get involved in their events, ongoing projects and more...

The Alice Austen House Museum
Grant writers
Marketing people
IT assistance

Queens County Farm Museum
Planting and harvesting volunteers-exactly as it sounds…gettin’ dirty (year-round 7 days a week)
On-The-Farm Dinner event assistants (assist with table settings, create centerpieces, farm outdoor decoration, serving when it is a buffet, etc.) (when scheduled)
Assistants to work at Union square and the farmers market at the Queens County farm (Wednesdays and Fridays at Union Square, year-round; Sunday at the farm, July to November)
Volunteers to work in our Greenhouse with plants – tending, starting, selling, etc. (year round 7 days a week)
Volunteers to work in our newly re-done gift shop (year round 7 days a week)

Old Stone House
Updating social networking sites (facebook, twitter, OSH events)
Gardening at OSH