The Ryckman House has long served as one of the centerpieces of Ryckman Park in Melbourne Beach and not just because of the name connection. Bequeathed to the town in 1980 by Ruth Ryckman, the Ryckman House is the oldest beachside dwelling, built in 1890.
But the aging structure requires a lot of tender loving care, and a lot of TLC costs money. The town budgets funds for repairs and maintenance. Donations and other fund-raising efforts contributed $382 to the cause in 2016. Thanks to a lecture series, the Historical Preservation and Awareness Board has raised $971 already this year. But generating revenues via rental fees is somewhat problematic, since renting the house out for functions carries a lot of restrictions.
It would seem a natural for those most passionate about the historic building to stage an event in the park to raise money to help pay for future maintenance work on the house.
Martha Remark, chair of the Historical Preservation and Awareness Board, thinks Oktoberfest in the park is a splendid idea. “It’s a great way to raise funds,” she said. “We talked about it at our last board meeting.”
Remark has broached the idea of marrying an Oktoberfest with a potential proposal by the Melbourne Beach Rotary Club to host an event this fall in the park.
Popular with weddings and other celebrations, the park hosts the annual Founder’s Day celebration. The May 6 event this year featured food and libations, crafts and entertainment. A good time was had by all. The town charged alcohol vendors $550, and $225 for food vendors.
“The Rotary talked about an art show. It’s a good time do that at the same time as Oktoberfest, with a band and food,” she said.
The Rotary Club has had some very preliminary conversations on staging an arts festival in the fall in conjunction with an Indian River Lagoon Festival, said President Amy Sullivan. The Rotary will continue the discussions during its July 11 meeting.
The arts festival has municipal backing, but an Oktoberfest would require winning over skeptics in town hall.
“No one is in favor of an Oktoberfest,” Town Manager Tim Day said flatly. While Founder’s Day included alcohol service, he said an Oktoberfest might be little more than a beer fest.
Still, Day realizes the costs to maintain and operate the Ryckman House are never ending and donations help. “All of the donations go to the house and stay in the fund designated for the house,” he said. “For 2018, we have allocated $5,000 for the roof and $12,000 for siding (if the budget I proposed is passed by the commission). The town treats the house as any other town-owned structure and when repairs are needed, the town ensures it is corrected.”
The current project, expected to be completed by press time, costs $4,000 thanks to damage caused by a woodpecker who decided to make its home at Ryckman House. “It got into the siding with some pretty good size holes. We get quite a lot of woodpeckers.”
Efforts are underway to create a diversion to keep the woodpeckers away from the Ryckman House. In the meantime, additional sources of funds could be realized from rental fees. Ryckman House is available for rent for $25 to $35 an hour depending on residency of the renter.
“I don’t see an issue with allowing the public to use the space once the damage to the house is patched up,” said Councilman Wyatt Hoover.
But because of restrictions, such usage is rare. “The house is very small so I’m not sure it would be a suitable venue for weddings,” Hoover said.
Nancy Wilson, the town clerk, said there are no curtains on the windows, no bathrooms in the building and somebody from the historical board needs to be in the building during an event. Occupancy is limited to 25.
“I don’t believe we’d feel comfortable having people use the second floor because the staircase is steep and the stairs are narrow,” she said.
But the board has gotten inquiries to rent the house as a bridal waiting room for those getting married in the park. And thanks to a recent donation of a baby grand piano, perhaps small recitals are in the future.
The Ryckman House was built by Captain Rufus W. Beaujean for Jacob Fox. Both men were original investors in the Melbourne Beach Company, later named the Melbourne Beach Improvement Company. Fox and his family spent several seasons living here. Garrett E. Ryckman, a vintner from Brockton, N.Y., and a major shareholder in the original Melbourne Beach Company, acquired the house in 1908. The Ryckmans and their children, Lawrence and Ruth, lived there. Ruth passed away at 89, leaving the house to the town.
