2004 Maine Preservation Award

The United States based organization Maine Preservation promotes the preservation, protection and vitality of Maine's historic places. Each year they present awards for excellence in preservation of historical places. In 2004 Maine Preservation honored Jean and Reed Holmes for their restoration of a building that intertwines the histories of Maine, USA and Jaffa, Israel. (more...)


Nominated for 7 Wonders of Israel

"...Throughout the years the houses of the Colony suffered (especially the wooden houses built as part of the American Colony) from general atrocious neglect. It seems as if this important site in the history of Eretz Israel of the 19th century did not evoke much of an interest to anyone. Slowly the bulldozers came and took down one house after another in order to clear the ground for new construction. The process of stopping this irreversible trend and beginning to preserve the Colony should be attributed to a devoted and active American couple, Reed and Jean Holmes, who have done greatly to save the place from the horror of the bulldozers. Finally, the couple purchased one of the houses in the colony, which undergone preservation and reconstruction and became an active museum for the history of the Jaffa American Colony. The enormous knowledge of the couple Reed about the history of the site and their heartwarming hospitality make the Museum of the American Colony (Maine House) a must-see site for all lovers of Eretz Israel history..." (read the original Hebrew)


You can contact us at jaffacolony@yahoo.com