Marie Voisin, Ernie Ritz, Kristen Hahn – “The Historic Buildings of New Hamburg and the People Who Lived in Them”

Nominated for the Stephen A. Otto Award for Research and Documentation

This project began in the Spring of 2012 with authors/historians Marie Voisin and Ernie Ritz. Noting the wealth of historic properties in New Hamburg, Marie wanted to learn more about who lived within the original 1855 boundary. They drove around town to make a cursory survey, and Ernie, with his perspicuous memory, noted where buildings were no longer standing—referred to thereafter as “ghost buildings.” Writer/editor Kristen Hahn joined the team in 2019. Using the Assessment Records, the Wilmot Archives and scores of primary sources, 379 historic properties were identified. It was an arduous process as the records were frequently muddled or missing. 1,450 pages of information were assembled and upwards of 75% of the properties were toured and photographed with existing architectural features and modifications documented. People in town with links to the past were interviewed, and hundreds of old photos were compiled and assigned to each property. What was originally thought to be a 300-page book morphed into a five-volume “biography” of the town, titled ‘The Historic Buildings of New Hamburg and the People Who Lived in Them.’ With the writing complete, the book is currently being laid out for publication. Award-winning artist Barb McLeod was commissioned to do the covers of all five books, each a beautiful rendering of an important house. Sadly, Ernie Ritz passed away in March 2024, just weeks shy of his 99th birthday.

These books serve to raise awareness of our built heritage and emphasize their valuable place in a thriving community. To regard these properties as part of a continuum encourages owners to treat them with respect and care, hopefully to endure for another 100 years.

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