DAR Visits Buchanan Preservation Society Annual Meeting
Submitted by Kathy Alton, Regent Rebecca Dewey Chapter, NSDAR
On October 30, 2022, members from the Rebecca Dewey Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution attended the annual meeting of the Buchanan Preservation Society.
Previously, the Society had received a DAR Preservation Award for its historic preservation accomplishments in Buchanan. At this meeting, the chapter presented the “Excellence in Historic Preservation” award to one of the society’s members, Donald F. Ryman. Mr. Ryman is well known in Berrien County, having served for many years as a county commissioner and on the board of the Berrien County Historical Association. Worried that Buchanan was losing its historic buildings, Mr. Ryman and his wife, Martha, organized the Buchanan Preservation Society. This led to the saving of the Pears Mill and the Mill Race from destruction. As a result, the public can take a step back in time and observe and 1800 working mill. Living in an historic house, the Rymans became interested in other homes in Buchanan. Mr. Ryman wrote a series of articles for Buchanan’s weekly newspaper about the history of Buchanan and its many historic homes. This led to several books, a walking tour guide, and finally the creation of Buchanan’s two National Register Historic Districts. Mr. Ryman remains an active member of the Buchanan Preservation Society.
The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, an all women’s lineage service organization continues its work since 1890 in historic preservation, encouraging recognition of significant volunteer efforts in historic preservation at the community, state, and national levels and catalogs historic sites and properties. Contact Rebecca.deweyto@gmail.com for more information about the NSDAR or visit dar.org.
About the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, Rebecca Dewey Chapter: The Rebecca Dewey Chapter, NSDAR, Three Oaks, Michigan, was organized July 9, 1909, with a membership of seventeen. It was chartered December 21, 1909, with fourteen members. Since Three Oaks had secured the Dewey Cannon at the close of the Spanish-American War, it was decided to name the Chapter after Admiral Dewey’s great grandmother. Rebecca Dewey Chapter NSDAR currently has 30 Members.
Contact: Priscilla Lee Hellenga
About Buchanan Historic Preservation Society:
The Buchanan Chronicle 