“What’s your favorite house in Riverton? What’s its story?”
Attention high school and K-8 students living in Riverton!
Historical Society of Riverton announces TWO student prize contests for Spring 2025:
- $500 Writing Prize for high school students
- $100 Illustration Prize for K-8 students
Deadline for entries for each contest is May 31, 2025 and each must respond to this year’s history question: “What’s your favorite house in Riverton? What’s its story?”
The winning entry for each contest will be featured on HSR’s website and each winning entrant will be recognized at the Fourth of July ceremonies in Riverton Memorial Park.
Resources
We’ve prepared a sheet of “Tips for Creating a Winning Essay or Illustration – 2025” that you can download which will be helpful.
To get more ideas for what house you might choose, you could read the interpretative markers in front of some of Riverton’s oldest houses.
You might also use our walking tour maps: Map1 Map2 to get a little more information on many historic houses.
Another source full of ideas is HSR’s book “Images of America: Riverton” at the Riverton Free Library or can be purchased online.
Details
High School Writing Prize: Riverton is a town of great houses. Many of these contribute to our historic district which has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1999. The story of these houses as homes for generations of Riverton residents represents the story of our town on a very personal level. You and your family are a part of that story.
Submit a 1,000 word essay about your favorite Riverton house. The house might be your house, or a house you admire or are just curious about.
For questions about the prize or to submit your entry, please contact Heather Huffnagle at 856-505-7087 or email at heather.mary.macintosh <at> gmail <dot> com
K-8 Illustration Prize: The winning illustration will feature a Riverton house and narrative elements such as specific past owners or people doing things related to the house’s story.
How do you tell that story in a picture?
Think about including details that help tell it:
— a family portrait of the first owners. They might be standing in the front yard, on the porch, or looking out the windows.
— a scene that explains what an owner did for a living. For example, if one of the original owners built houses or boats, illustrate them working on a project.
— an object that is associated with an owner. For instance, the owner of the Campbell Soup Company might be holding a can of tomato soup.
Illustrations may be drawn or painted.
You may submit a photo of your work or scan to Heather Huffnagle at heather.mary.macintosh <at> gmail <dot> com or reach out to 856-505-7087 (cell) if you’re having trouble documenting your work. We can help!
