On December 9 at the New York City Bar Association, the New York Preservation Archive Project presented Bowne House trustee Rosemary S. Vietor with its 2025 Preservation Award. The award honors an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the documentation, preservation and celebration of the history of preservation in New York City.
Rosemary S. Vietor
NYPAP Preservation Award
In presenting the award Anthony C. Wood, founder of the Archive Project, cited Rosemary’s years of inspired and dedicated service and stewardship of the c. 1661 Bowne House, the oldest extant building in Queens and one the oldest in New York City. Her commitment to preserving and protecting the house and the extraordinary survival of more than three centuries of the family’s archives led to a 2022 digitization grant from the Shelby White and Leon Levy Archival Assistance Initiative administered by the New York Preservation Archive Project.
Discussing her award, Rosemary Vietor said, “I am grateful to the New York Preservation Archive Project for recognizing the importance of preserving and protecting Bowne House, a rare survival of the vibrant life of 17th century New Amsterdam, and its significant archival collection. The house, its collections, and our archives allow staff to tell students, those researching their own history, and visitors from throughout the world the unique story of one family’s contribution to the history of New York City.”
Rosemary Vietor was for many years a vice-president at J.P. Morgan and has served on several boards including the Colonial Dames of America, the New York Committee of the Garden Club of America, and the New York State Archives Partnership Trust. In 2025 she authored an essay about Bowne House titled “One House, One Family, Three Centuries of American History” which appeared in Barbaralee Diamondstein Spielvogel’s book Beyond Architecture: The New New York published by New York Review Press to commemorate the 60th Anniversary of New York City’s Landmarks Law.
Commenting on the importance of the digitization and preservation of Bowne House’s archives and Rosemary Vietor’s award, museum archivist and trustee Charlotte Jackson said, “We are indebted to Rosemary Vietor for her vision and commitment to Bowne House and to its documentary record. She has always appreciated the vital role of the Bowne House Archives in the preservation and interpretation of the site. The 350 years' worth of family and Quaker records, preserved by generations of Bowne descendants, form the historical memory of this special place. Thanks to her, with the generous assistance of NYPAP and the Leon Levy Foundation, they have now been digitized for posterity and are available to the general public.”
The Bowne House Historical Society offers tours and special events throughout the year for the general public as well as customized tours for special interest groups and students of all ages. Most of the approximately 5,000 objects in the Museum’s collection are original to the House; a rarity found in few cultural institutions open to the public. On view are fine examples of English and American furniture, textiles, and decorative art. The Bowne House Archives, an extensive collection available to readers by appointment, document the history and civic activities of the Bowne and Parsons’ families – occupants of the house from the 17th through the 20th centuries.