Connecticut Preservation News November/ December 2004 Volume XXVII, No. 6 Downtown Renaissance New Residents Flock to Connecticut Cities Christopher Wigren

C. W

he sidewalks no longer roll up at five o’clock. Res- igren taurants serve dinner as well as lunch. Weekends see crowds come out to shop or stroll and chat. The good life no longer has to be lived in a freestanding house on two acres in the suburbs. Instead, its set- ting can be a loft in a converted office building. After years of Tstruggling to attract businesses, Connecticut downtowns are see- ing a new influx of residents. As cities grew in the 19th and early 20th centuries, increasing noise, crowds, smells and high real estate costs drove anyone who could to live in the countryside — or at least the suburban ap- proximation of countryside. Zoning regulations, with their em- phasis on separating uses, further encouraged this trend. After World War II, planning theories and urban renewal made down- town living almost unthinkable. Once people began living in the suburbs, the logical consequence was to want to shop and work there, too. Business fled the cities, leaving behind empty spaces that are now attracting a new generation of city dwellers. In fact, most Connecticut cities have always had some down- town residents. Urban renewal in New Haven and Hartford in- cluded some close-in apartment towers, such as the Bushnell Tower in Hartford, designed by I.M. Pei. In the 1980s, local entrepreneur Joel Schiavone redeveloped New Haven’s Chapel and College streets with ground-level shops and restaurants and upper-level apartments, many of which attracted Yale students or faculty members. Other successful downtown revitalization projects in the 1980s and ’90s included SoNo in South Norwalk and New Haven’s Ninth Square, both of which reused historic buildings. Since the late 1990s the rate of market-rate residential devel- Luxury lofts in downtown New Haven. opment in downtowns has increased markedly. New Haven has probably seen the largest number of projects. One of the most prominent is the conversion of the former Southern New England Telephone Company (SNET) headquarters on Church Street, In This Issue now known as The Eli, to apartments with monthly rents ranging from $910 to more than $3,000. At the corner of Church and Book Notes 3 Chapel streets — the very heart of the city’s commercial down- Preserving Lighthouses 8 town — the Cutler’s Block and the Woolworth building are being continued page 14 The Best Places in Connecticut 16

The Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation is a private, non-profit organization. ISSN 1084-189X AT THE TRUST

From the Executive Director The Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation is a nonprofit statewide membership organization es- our members of the Trust’s board tablished by a special act of the State Legislature in of trustees, Martha Alexander, 1975. Working with local preservation groups and F individuals as well as with statewide organizations, Joan Carty, Lisa Holmes and chairman it encourages, advocates and facilitates historic pres- Ted Ells, joined me and our two Circuit ervation throughout Connecticut. Riders, Nina Harkrader and Brad Schide, Board of Trustees in Louisville, Kentucky, for the annual Officers meeting of the National Trust for His- Theodore F. Ells, Chairman, Branford David H. Barkin, Vice Chairman, Woodbridge toric Preservation in late September. Susan U. Lawrence, Secretary, Darien Among the valuable work sessions we all Stanley G. Fullwood, Treasurer, Canton John T. Kahler, Assistant Treasurer, Norwalk attended were a training workshop for his- toric district commissions, real estate de- Gubernatorial Appointees Theodore F. Ells, Branford velopment for historic properties, use of Thanks to Dow Chemical’s Union Carbide The Hon. Arthur Lathrop, Norwich historic tax credits, a comparison of re- Corporation, the Trust’s conference room has Jeffry Muthersbaugh, Bethel volving loan funds, and information on new tables, chairs and bookcases. The furniture comes from the award-winning Union Carbide Additional Members of the protecting cultural landscapes. The confer- Board of Trustees Headquarters, in Danbury, designed by Kevin Dawn Adiletta, Woodstock ence attracts over 2,000 attendees, many Roche John Dinkeloo Associates of Hamden and Martha Alexander, New Haven of whom are associated with a local or completed in 1982. Mary Anderson, Noank Joan Carty, Bridgeport statewide preservation organization and J. Barclay Collins, Sharon with Main Street Centers; others are plan- our annual list of The Most Important Ron Cooper, New Haven Inger McCabe Elliott, Stonington ners, developers, real estate agents, barn Threatened Historic Places in Connecti- Walter Fiederowicz, Litchfield enthusiasts, restoration contractors, archi- cut. Once the list was published here and Glenn Geathers, Hartford in the Hartford Courant’s Sunday PLACE Lisa Holmes, Hadlyme tects, community loan fund agents and so Adrienne Farrar Houel, Bridgeport on. A mix of fun and vibrant people. section, our intern from Albertus Magnus Kenneth Johnson, Hartford In September, for the 6th College, Stefania Viscusi, Clare Meade, Wethersfield Judith Miller, Bridgeport year, the Trust held House sent press releases to alert Guido Petra, Guilford Talk, this time in Griswold. This year’s list regional media of our FiFi Sheridan, Greenwich Gary J. Singer, Ridgefield During a morning of torren- has already led choices. A media storm Myron Stachiw, Woodstock tial rain, Helmut and Pamela erupted, especially after AP Adele Strelchun, Waterbury, North Canaan to actions that Jane Talamini, Fairfield Reinholtz graciously let 25 caught the story. We are The Hon. Patricia Widlitz, Guilford strangers tromp through may ultimately certainly pleased that this Staff their 18th-century work-in- save some of the year’s list elicited so much Helen Higgins, Executive Director progress. Jane Montanaro, attention and, in some Christopher Wigren, Deputy Director threatened places. Cathyann Plumer, Membership Manager one of the Trust’s network of cases, has already led to Brad Schide, Connecticut Circuit Rider underpaid consultants, once actions that may ultimately Nina E. Harkrader, Connecticut Circuit Rider Elizabeth Hart Malloy, Content Manager, again organized the day which featured the save some of the threatened places. www.cttrust.org expert musings of architectural historian The Trust has been invited to add an Stefania Viscusi, Intern

James Sexton, Ph.D., and slate roofing historic preservation component to the Connecticut Preservation News guru Rich Susca of C.W. Bostwick. Heritage Advancement Program in Editor: Christopher Wigren Editor, Historic Properties Exchange: Anne Stillman The September/October issue of greater Hartford. The Connecticut Hu- Graphic Design: J.M. Communications Connecticut Preservation News featured manities Council, the Greater Hartford Printing: Kramer Printing

Arts Council, the Hartford Foundation for Affiliate Organizations Public Giving and the Greater Hartford Merritt Parkway Conservancy Tourism District announced in September Residents for Rural Roads

a new granting program to enable qualify- Connecticut Preservation News is published bimonthly by the Connecti- cut Trust for Historic Preservation, 940 Whitney Avenue, Hamden, ing heritage sites to hire the staff needed Connecticut 06517-4002. Publication is made possible by the support of the members of the Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation to serve more people as tourism in the area and by a matching grant-in-aid from the U.S. Department of the Inte- rior, National Park Service, through the Connecticut Historical Com- increases. For those organizations and their mission under provisions of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966. The contents and opinions stated herein do not necessarily re- flect the views and policies of the Department of the Interior. The identified partners, the Trust will offer tech- Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation assumes no responsibility nical preservation assistance and a dedicated for the advertisements. This program receives Federal financial assistance for identification and granting pool whose funds will support protection of historic properties. Under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the U.S. historic preservation or rehabilitation pro- Department of the Interior prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, or handicap in its federally assisted pro- jects that will add to the “heritage readiness” grams. If you believe you have been discriminated against in any pro- gram, activity, or facility as described above, or if you desire further information, please write to the Office for Equal Opportunity, U.S. De- of the heritage sites. For more information, partment of the Interior, Washington, D.C. 20240.

please visit www.ctheritage.org. © 2004, Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation. All rights reserved. — Helen Higgins ISSN 1084-189X

2 CONNECTICUT PRESERVATION NEWS, NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2004 BOOK NOTES and subdivisions that serve cars better than people, and drain the life out of historic town and city centers. Hayden claims Dolores Hayden, A Field Guide to there is a war being waged on sprawl Sprawl (W. W. Norton, 2004), 144 across the country, where communities are pages, $24.95. waking up and enacting restrictions on this unsustainable growth. “Americans do hat do a “duck” and a “LULU” not have to tolerate sprawl”, she says. She Whave in common? They are calls on concerned citizens to challenge the terms that make up a new vocabulary economic forces behind sprawl and pursue describing specific types of sprawl in this a balanced, integrated built environment country, as presented by Dolores Hayden that supports historic neighborhoods and in her new book, A Field Guide to Sprawl. the natural features of the landscape. A “duck” is a building that serves as an —Brad Schide advertisement for the product sold within it. “LULU” stands for a “locally unwanted David K. Leff, The Last Undiscovered land use,” such as a waste incinerator or a Place (University of Virginia Press, nuclear facility. Fifty other terms are de- 2004), 247 pages, $27.95. scribed in the book, including more com- mon sprawl terms, such as “big box” and reservation is about knowing “drive-through” developments, terms com- Pand maintaining places that we concept that has gone out of style, archaic monly associated with the ubiquitous find important. To do that, we have to as horsehair plaster, to be replaced with chain superstores that devour much of the understand the places about us, to know something more modern and efficient. It landscape along our roadways for their what makes them important. In The is timeless, and stems from the interac- purposes. Last Undiscovered Place, David Leff does tions of neighbors and citizens. In essence, The speculative building and un- that for Collinsville, a village in the town communities belong to those who partici- checked development behind sprawl has of Canton, which grew up around the pate.” Later, he adds, “We get the commu- forced us to create these new terms to Collins Axe Company factory, beginning nities we work for.” properly view the American landscape, in 1826. After the Collins company While human relationships are the pri- according to Hayden, a Professor of Archi- closed in 1966, the village has struggled mary building blocks of this community, tecture, Urbanism and American Studies to remain viable in rapidly changing the physical shape of Collinsville plays an at Yale University. She discusses the terms suburban surroundings. important role, too. The small lots and and documents them with aerial photos As Leff describes it, Collinsville is still public spaces, the corner stores and local from around the country. One photo, very much a traditional small town, a bank help to ensure that citizens see each called “clustered world” shows a cul-de-sac place of corner stores and old houses, other frequently and have plentiful oppor- and a spiraling where residents tunities to learn each other’s concerns and roadway with sub- meet each other ideas and to discuss community issues. For urban houses frequently in the Leff, building patterns don’t make a com- crammed together course of their daily munity, but they can reinforce it. around it. Hayden lives. Leff, Deputy Even more than a snapshot of one says that every Commissioner for Connecticut community, David Leff square foot of land the Connecticut wants The Last Undiscovered Place to in the clustered Department of En- encourage readers to explore and seek to world is accounted vironmental Protec- understand their own communities. He for, with no open or tion, moved to writes, “I offer my explorations not to public space, and Collinsville 20 demonstrate that this village is any better every house along years ago, and than anyplace else but to foster discovery the roadway is ho- gradually became of other places….I merely suggest that mogeneous and de- more and more in- there is an unknown world of endless fas- void of any architectural detail that distin- volved in the community’s life. He is a cination at our doorsteps, and that we un- guishes one from the next. volunteer fireman and has chaired the His- derestimate the depths of our belonging, The small 120-page book probes the toric District Commission and moderated the extent to which we are shaped by our history of sprawl and some of its causes, town meetings. For Leff, it is the web of surroundings. If we grow to know our but it is most vivid in showing the conse- informal relationships and volunteer ac- communities, they will enrich our lives quences of unrestrained building. Sprawl- tivities that together make Collinsville and we will learn to care for them and ing developments eat up farms, meadows function as a community. A sense of com- work to make them better.” and forests, turning them into strip malls munity, he writes, is “not an old-fashioned — Christopher Wigren

3 CONNECTICUT PRESERVATION NEWS, NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2004 continued page 13 NATIONAL REGISTER NEWS PowersRobert New Listings on the National Register of Historic Places

our urban places have re- Fcently been added to the Na- tional Register of Historic Places. They include a commercial building, a residential district that grew up at the edge of Hartford’s downtown, and two churches. Sites whose importance is primarily religious are not listed on the National Register, but both churches are also significant architec- turally and for their place in social history.

The Southern New England Southern New England Telephone Company building, Telephone Company Building in Hartford. Above: Geometrical carving and stylized flowers. Hartford, constructed in 1930, is significant as one of Hartford’s most important examples of the Art Deco which provided structural capability to style, as well as for its place in the evo- support the new construction. In keeping lution of the communications industry with current architectural trends, however, in the 20th century. the new stories are much simpler, reflect- The Southern New England Telephone equipment made it necessary to expand the ing postwar rejection of carved ornament. Company (SNET) launched Connecticut’s building. Six additional stories were added, In the 1970s SNET relocated into telephone network in the 1880s. The 1920s bringing the total height to 12 floors. other facilities, and in the following were a decade of tremendous growth in SNET wanted to create a building that decades the building was subleased and telephone technology for SNET, the first was “impressive yet not imposingly formal.” renovated by tenants. However, the space company to introduce direct dialing. Be- The building’s Art Deco style emphasizes was increasingly vacated and wholly aban- cause of the new equipment required, and linear as well as embellished geometrical doned by the late 1990s. The building has thanks to the company’s increased profits, ornamentation. The main elevation has recently been converted to apartments. SNET was able to erect this building dur- decorative grilles and geometric floral ing the Depression, a time when little carvings. Geometrical window patterns are The Downtown North Historic Dis- commercial construction took place. In also a significant motif. The addition, trict in Hartford is a primarily residential the early 1950s, when long-distance calling above the sixth floor, had been area in the northwest corner of downtown was improved, growth in employment and planned for in the original design,

David F. Ransom F. David

Downtown North Historic District, Hartford. Right: Sacred Heart Church was built in 1892 to designs by Hartford architect Michael O’Donohue. The façade was altered in 1917 by George A. Zunner, Sr.

4 CONNECTICUT PRESERVATION NEWS, NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2004 NATIONAL REGISTER NEWS

HRC

Left: Stone construction, pointed arches, and medieval detailing are elements of the Gothic Revival style at St. James’ Episcopal Church, New London. Right: St. James’ Episcopal Church boasts seven windows by Tiffany and Company, one of America’s most innovative producers of stained glass.

Italianate villa, and the Queen Neoclassical Revival building of brick and Anne-style Arthur G. Pomeroy brownstone, has three entrance towers and house, both listed individually on a battlemented roof that resembles con- Hartford that includes 28 brick and brown- the National Register. Other houses of temporary armories. Now known as stone structures constructed in the late equal extravagance include another Queen Barnard-Brown, it continues to function 19th and early 20th centuries. With build- Anne example, located at 1313-1317 continued next page ing types that include a school, a church, a Main Street. Its façade is partially ob- warehouse, shops, single-family houses, scured by a commercial front added in apartment buildings, a memorial tower 1927, as the neighborhood became more and a hotel, built in a variety of architec- densely settled and new businesses moved tural styles and nearly all designed by local in to serve the residents. architects, the district’s architecture traces Several public buildings punctuate the the changing nature of a portion of down- neighborhood. The Keeney Tower of 1898 town Hartford. is a 130-foot brownstone tower designed A number of luxurious homes were by New York architect Charles C. Haight built in the district in the 19th century, on the site of the Keeney family’s house among them the Isham Terry house, an and store. The Henry Barnard School, a PRODUCING CUSTOM MILLWORK FOR CONNECTICUT CONTRACTORS AND Kronenberger & Sons Restoration, Inc., founded in Years of successful projects and satisfied clients are 1946, is a three-generation firm specializing in the a testament to that goal. HOMEOWNERS FOR OVER FIFTY YEARS restoration, preservation and adaptive re-use of Our clients have included museums, municipalities, period structures. architects, historical societies and homeowners. SPECIALIZING IN PERIOD WOODWORK We are craftspeople, with the knowledge, skills As varied as our clients, so are their projects. They and experience to return usability to older structures have included barns, carriage houses, covered WINDOWS • DOORS • ENTRANCES while helping them meet the bridges, churches, town halls MOLDINGS • BALUSTRADES • PANELING requirements of the 21st Century. and a vast array of period homes It has been our goal to balance and out buildings. TURNING • CARVING passionate interest in historic For history in the remaking preservation with level-headed call us, toll-free in Connecticut 222 QUARRY HILL ROAD professionalism. 1-800-255-0089. HADDAM NECK Home Improvement Contractor #552121 EAST HAMPTON, CT 06424 PHONE: 860 267-4693 FAX: 860 267-1611 WWW.JOHNSONMILLWORK.COM

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5 CONNECTICUT PRESERVATION NEWS, NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2004 NATIONAL REGISTER NEWS

New Listings, cont’d Dunne Mary

as a public elementary school. Sacred Heart Church, a brick structure in the Gothic Revival style, was built for a German- American parish. Today, there is less resi- dential or commercial ac- tivity in the district. Many structures are vacant and boarded up, and there are ten vacant parcels. Much of this inactivity may result St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, New Haven. Right: Polychrome brick forms decorative bands. from the construction of Interstate 84, which cut the neighborhood tween 1847 and 1850 to designs by Rich- An elaborate cast-iron fence featuring off from the rest of downtown Hartford. ard Upjohn, a pioneer of the Gothic Re- trefoil arches lines the church’s property Nonetheless, the district’s buildings still vival and a founder and the first president on the north and west sides. Within the convey a sense of character and develop- of the American Institute of Architects. fence is a marble monument that formerly ment of a residential neighborhood. Beautiful detailing, form and materials, all stood in over the grave of Samuel Seabury, featured in the design of this church, ex- the first Episcopal bishop in the United New London’s St. James’ Episcopal emplify Upjohn’s work. The church’s foun- States. The monument was brought here Church is a perfect display of Gothic Re- dation and walls are built of a random when the church was built and Seabury’s vival architecture designed by one of ashlar of red New Jersey sandstone. Most body was interred in the crypt. America’s leading 19th-century architects. of the original windows, purchased from Saint James’ is New London’s oldest Located in the commercial downtown the Sharpe studio of New York City, are Episcopal parish. It members have in- area, the large stone church was built be- simple grisaille glass painted with fleurs-de- cluded some of New London’s wealthiest lis. But there are more elaborate windows and most influential families, people who — the circular west window bearing the prospered from the city’s whaling and symbols of the four evangelists and the commercial enterprises. The church was ERIC JACKSON CHIMNEY SINCE 1982 large window above altar, depicting Chris- nominated to the National Register in tian symbols tied together with grapevines 1990, but was not listed, due to the — in prominent locations. continued page 13

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6 CONNECTICUT PRESERVATION NEWS, NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2004 NATIONAL REGISTER NEWS

Avon Nomination Zaremba Draws Town’s Objections

he State Historic Preservation TOffice and the National Park Service alike are stumped that the town of Avon has raised objections to a pro- Avon’s town offices, housed in former buildings of the Ensign-Bickford Fuse Company, are part posed National Register district in the of a contested National Register district nomination. town center. In a presentation to the State His- toric Preservation Board (also known as would be considered noncontributing never been posed before in this context.” the Review Board) on October 14, but would not disqualify the entire dis- She is consulting with the Department Avon’s town attorney, Marvin P. Bellis of trict for listing. of the Interior’s legal counsel. the Hartford firm Murtha Cullina LLP, On behalf of the town, Bellis argued Although Bellis did not mention it, objected to the inclusion of town-owned that the town-owned properties could the town’s objections are surely based on properties in the district — a school not be considered contributing because the Connecticut Environmental Protec- built in 1949, a park, the town green, federal regulations provide for distin- tion Act, which allows lawsuits to prevent and a group of historic industrial build- guishing between contributing and non- the unreasonable demolition of resources ings converted to town offices. contributing buildings solely for the pur- listed on the National Register, a provi- The Review Board is made up of his- pose of qualifying them for the federal sion interpreted to include contributing torians, architectural historians, archi- rehabilitation tax credit. Since the park resources in National Register districts. tects, and archaeologists. Their task is to and the green are not buildings, he The town also objected to the man- review nominations to the National Reg- maintained that they cannot be consid- ner in which the nomination was sub- ister and determine if they adequately ered contributing. Neither can the town- mitted to the Review Board and disputed make the case for the places’ listing be- owned buildings, since the town pays no the historic nature of several of the town- fore the nominations are sent on to the taxes and they therefore cannot qualify owned properties. After discussion, the National Park Service for final approval. for a tax credit. Bellis recognized that the Review Board found that the disputed The most unusual portion of Bellis’ National Park Service’s guidelines for properties did have historic merit and presentation dealt with the question of preparing National Register nominations contributed to the proposed district, contributing and noncontributing re- call for listing all resources in any district which outlines the development of Avon sources. For districts, the National Reg- as either contributing or noncontribut- Center from the early 19th century to ister distinguishes between resources ing, but he argued that the guidelines do about 1950. Much of the history centers (that is, buildings, structures, sites and not possess the legal authority of regula- on the operation of the Farmington objects) that contribute to the historic tions adopted after official review and Canal and the later Canal Line Railroad character of the district and those that public hearings. through Avon Center, and the growth of do not. A new building erected in an Beth Savage, Historian for the Na- the Ensign-Bickford Fuse Company. historic neighborhood, for instance, tional Register, said “This question has

Upcoming Meetings of the Connecticut Historic Preservation Council

December 1, 2004, at 9:30 a.m. January 5, 2005, at 9:30 a.m. ◆ All meetings take place at the South Congregational Church 277 Main Street, Hartford For more information, call (860) 566-3005.

7 CONNECTICUT PRESERVATION NEWS, NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2004 tanding on the rocky coast or on off Helander J.E. shore islands, or rising directly from the water, lighthouses are beloved landmarks of many a coastline community and vivid illustrations of the dangers and achievements of maritime history. In recent years, the changing needs of the Coast Guard, which operates navigational aids, have led to efforts by preservationists to ensure the lighthouses’ continued existence. In 2000, Congress passed the National Lighthouse Preservation Act (NLPA), a program administered by the Department of the Interior (see CPN November/Decem- ber 2002 and March/April 2003). Under this act, the government is giving historic lighthouses away to local governments or nonprofit organizations. In exchange for Faulkner’s Island Light, Guilford. the lighthouses, recipients are expected to maintain them according to the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for but public access would not be required. If no one at the Treatment of Historic Properties, and to provide edu- all wanted a lighthouse, the government would retain cational programs and public access. They must also allow ownership. the Coast Guard to continue to use the structures as aids In Connecticut, two lighthouses have been made to navigation. Current plans call for about 200 lighthouses available so far under the NLPA. New London Harbor across the country, including ten or more in Connecticut, Light was offered in 2003. Three organizations indicated eventually to be transferred out of federal ownership. interest, but only the New London Maritime Society Periodically, the General Services Administration actually submitted an application. The GSA announced (GSA), the agency that oversees the transfers, announces the availability of the Tongue Point Light in Bridgeport availability of a group of lighthouses. Interested organi- in June. Letters of interest were due on September 1, but zations have three months to submit letters of interest, the Coast Guard has asked that the process be put on after which groups that qualify for the program are asked hold pending reconsideration of security concerns. The to submit detailed applications from which a recipient is lighthouse is surrounded by power company property, chosen. The National Park Service reviews the applications and requirements for public access may pose a security to determine whether applicants have the technical and risk for the power plant. financial ability to take responsibility for a lighthouse. The Why is the government giving away lighthouses? NPS makes a recommendation to the GSA, which makes Shouldn’t the Coast Guard accept responsibility for the the final decision. The deed includes a covenant outlin- facilities that it uses? In response to this question, David ing the requirements for proper care and maintenance, Stinson of the GSA’s Property Disposal Division points environmental remediation if needed, and public access. out that many of these lighthouses are old-fashioned and If there is no qualified taker for a lighthouse (a case expensive to maintain. Given the demands made upon that has not yet occurred), the GSA can sell it to any it, the Coast Guard could decide to demolish them and interested buyer, in which case the covenants concerning replace them with more modern structures. Transferring historic preservation and Coast Guard access still apply, the lighthouses to municipalities or nonprofit groups

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Penfield Reef Light, Fairfield.

For more on NLPA, see www.cr.nps.gov/maritime/ nhlpa/nhlpa.htm. See also Bob Trapani, Jr., “Navigating the World of Lighthouse Preservation When the Public’s Interest Wanes,” at http://delawarebaylights. org/thoughts_lightswaning.htm, and “New England Lighthouses: A Virtual Guide,” at www.lighthouse.cc.

PRESERVING LIGHTHOUSES

8 CONNECTICUT PRESERVATION NEWS, NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2004 whose principal goal is preservation ensures that these coastal landmarks will survive. CONNECTICUT’S HISTORIC LIGHTHOUSES In some communities, municipalities or private (* National Register of Historic Places) groups undertook restoration of lighthouses even before Avery Point Lighthouse (1943) NLPA. The New London Ledge Lighthouse Foundation Location: Avery Point, Groton leased that lighthouse in 1987 and has nearly completed Current use: inactive a restoration. The group plans to convert the lighthouse Black Rock Harbor (Fayerweather Island) Light (1817) into a museum and bed-and-breakfast. The town of Location: Fayerweather Island, Bridgeport Current use: nature preserve Greenwich bought and restored the Great Captain Island Faulkner’s Island Light (1802) * Lighthouse in 1973, and the City of Bridgeport, along Location: Faulkner’s Island, Guilford with two community groups, restored the Fayerweather Current use: active aid to navigation in National Wildlife Refuge Island Lighthouse in 1997. Faulkner’s Island Light, off Five Mile Point (Old New Haven) Light (1845) * the coast of Guilford, has been restored by the Faulkner’s Location: harbor entrance/Long Island Sound, New Haven Light Brigade, a complex project that involved work on Current use: city park Great Captain Island Light (1868) * the lighthouse itself as well as shoring up the island’s Location: western Long Island Sound, Greenwich eroding shoreline and protecting the roseate terns that Current use: town park nest on the island. The Avery Point light, unused since Greens Ledge Light (1902) * 1967, is being restored by the Avery Point Lighthouse Location: Long Island Sound/Norwalk Islands, Norwalk Society, who as of September reported that they had Current use: active aid to navigation Lynde Point (Saybrook) Light (1839) * raised $250,000 of a total restoration cost of $350,000. Location: Connecticut River/Long Island Sound, Old Saybrook Restoration and long-term maintenance of a light- Current use: active aid to navigation/Coast Guard housing house is a serious responsibility. Will there be enough Morgan Point Light (1868) qualified groups to take care of every lighthouse the Coast Location: west side, mouth of Mystic River, Groton Guard wants to offload? The Delaware River and Bay Current use: summer cottage New London Harbor Light (1801) * Lighthouse Foundation, notes that public enthusiasm for Location: west side of harbor entrance, New London lighthouses peaked in the 1990s, but since then has faded, Current use: active aid to navigation; keeper’s house is private residence as all fads do. The foundation encourages lighthouse or- New London Ledge Light (1909) * ganizations to focus on their core mission — preserving Location: Thames River, New London harbor entrance, New London lighthouses — and eliminate nonessential activities. Current use: active aid to navigation More Connecticut lighthouses will become available Peck Ledge Light (1906) * Location: Long Island Sound, Norwalk Islands, Norwalk in the future, but the timeline is uncertain. The Fairfield Current use: active aid to navigation Historical Society and the Town of Fairfield have begun Penfield Reef Light (1874) * looking at the Penfield Reef Light in Fairfield, so as to be Location: Black Rock harbor entrance, Fairfield prepared when that light becomes available. Preserva- Current use: active aid to navigation tionists in other shoreline communities should also start Saybrook Breakwater Light (1886) * Location: Connecticut River/Long Island Sound, Old Saybrook planning. A successful bid for a lighthouse requires dem- Current use: active aid to navigation onstrating the ability, both financial and technical, to Sheffield Island (Norwalk) Light (1868) * care for the structure in the long-term. Restoration costs Location: Sheffield Island, entrance to Norwalk River, Norwalk can be steep and maintenance in exposed shoreline loca- Current use: museum surrounded by wildlife sanctuary tions is a never-ending task. Southwest Ledge (New Haven Breakwater) Light (1877) * Location: reef at main entrance to New Haven Harbor, New Haven Groups need plenty of time Current use: aid to navigation to build the expertise and Stamford Harbor (Chatham Rocks) Light (1882) * track record that will satisfy Location: Stamford Harbor entrance/Chatham Rock, Stamford the requirements. Current use: private aid to navigation (for sale in 1998) Stonington Harbor Light (1840) * Location: east side of harbor, Stonington Current use: museum Stratford Point Light (1881) * Location: Long Island Sound/Housatonic River, Stratford Current use: active aid to navigation/Coast Guard housing Stratford Shoal (Middle Ground) Light (1877) * Location: Long Island Sound, Stratford Current use: active aid to navigation Tongue Point Lighthouse (1895) * Location: Bridgeport Harbor, Bridgeport Current use: active aid to navigation

Sources: NPS Maritime Heritage Program (www.cr.nps.gov/maritime/light/ct.htm) New London Harbor Light, New London. and National Register of Historic Places.

USCG

9 CONNECTICUT PRESERVATION NEWS, NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2004 AROUND THE STATE

NORWICH. The long-awaited restoration C. W of the Wauregan Hotel was finally assured igren of adequate funding on October 1, when the Connecticut Housing Finance Author- ity (CHFA) and Becker and Becker, the developers of the project, finally signed a funding agreement. As soon as the 300- page agreement was filed with the city, Wachovia Bank, a major investor, released more than $11 million for the project. The hotel, located in downtown Nor- wich, was built in 1855, and hosted many The Wauregan Hotel, Norwich. Marcel Breuer house, New Canaan. of the city’s most famous visitors, includ- ing presidential candidate Abraham Lin- Construction began in June of this year The single-story house was built in coln in 1860. In the 1960s the building with the help of a loan from the National 1951 and reflected a shift in Breuer’s became a welfare hotel. It closed in 1989 Trust for Historic Preservation (which will architecture. Unlike his previous house, a and suffered a fire the next year. For 10 be repaid with the new money). Bruce lightly-framed, smooth-skinned box that years preservationists fought to prevent the Becker hopes to complete work by De- hovered above the landscape on a recessed demolition of what had become Norwich’s cember 2005. base, this is a more massive form that sits most infamous eyesore. The dispute was at squarely on the ground and bears the rug- the center of Norwich’s mayoral election NEW CANAAN. The second house that ged texture of natural fieldstone. This in 2001. The winning candidate, Con- Bauhaus-trained architect Marcel Breuer heaviness is carefully balanced, however, necticut Trust Trustee Arthur Lathrop designed for himself in New Canaan was by extensive glazing that takes advantage championed restoration despite wide- purchased by a developer this summer and of the wooded site. Breuer’s partner Herbert spread sentiment that the decayed struc- has been put back on the market tempo- Beckhard remodeled and enlarged the ture should be razed. rarily. If no buyer is found the house will house in 1979. In 2000 the city named Becker and be demolished to make way for a new, A student and teacher at the Bauhaus, Becker Associates, an architecture and de- larger residence. Breuer (1902-1981) came to the United velopment firm based in Fairfield, as pre- ferred developer, with plans to convert the structure to 70 units of low-cost housing, plus retail space on the ground floor. Put- ting financing together has been a four- year saga of near-misses and last-minute miracles (see CPN, July/August 2002). The closing took two days and was nearly sunk by a last-minute legal snag over flood plain regulations. The funding package for the $18 million project in- cludes: • $10 million in federal low-income housing tax credits • $2.5 million in federal historic reha- bilitation tax credits (all the tax credits have been purchased by Wachovia Bank) • $3.65 million from the state Depart- ment of Economic and Community Development for construction of a parking garage •a loan of $1.34 million guaranteed by CHFA • $800,000 from the City of Norwich • $350,000 lent by the National Trust for Historic Preservation • $700,000 invested by Becker and Becker.

10 CONNECTICUT PRESERVATION NEWS, NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2004 AROUND THE STATE

States in 1937 with Walter Gropius to teach at Harvard University. After World The Most Important Threatened Historic War II he set up his own firm in New York and moved to New Canaan, where he and Places: Updates four former Harvard students designed a cluster of modern houses that captured Sherwood Place houses, Greenwich private property for public purposes, international attention. (2004). William Gardiner and Judith provided they adequately reimburse In recent years, as property values have Larson, the developers who wanted to property owners. At issue in New Lon- risen and taste has become more luxurious, demolish three houses in the Fourth don is the definition of “public pur- the relatively small and simple modern Ward National Register district, agreed poses.” The residents say the term refers houses have increasingly faced demolition in October to withdraw demolition per- to overtly government purposes, such as or insensitive alterations. The Connecticut mits for 77 and 85 Sherwood Place. The schools or roads or revitalizing blighted Trust listed the New Canaan moderns as a agreement came in a meeting with the areas that pose a threat to public safety. Most Important Threatened Historic Place state Historic Preservation Council, which The city argues that “public purposes” in 1999. The town is currently considering was considering a resolution to ask the also include acquiring land for private new zoning guidelines aimed at encourag- Attorney General to bring suit to pre- development intended to produce tax ing the preservation of the modern houses vent the demolition. After Gardiner and income for the city, reducing the burden (see CPN, September/October 2004), but Larson announced their change in plans, on other taxpayers and making possible even these incentives depend on buyers the Council voted down the resolution. government programs and services that who value architecture over maximum Although the houses had lost much benefit the public. profit. Because of Breuer’s prominent role of their historic detail, preservationists The Institute for Justice (IJ), a liber- in the development of the Modern move- objected to losing their place on the tarian legal association based in Wash- ment and because of the quality of its de- streetscape. Susan Richardson, vice chair ington, D.C. sued the city on behalf of sign, the Breuer house ranks as one of the of the Greenwich historic district com- the landowners. They won the case, but most important of the New Canaan clus- mission, argued that allowing these in March the Connecticut Supreme ter. To lose it would be a serious blow to houses to be razed would Court overturned the vic- Connecticut’s, and the nation’s, architec- encourage other property If the court tory, ruling that the city was tural heritage. owners to tear down their limits the use justified in taking the buildings, too. “Why homeowners’ property. The Breuer house is listed at $2,895,000. bother to designate areas of eminent According to IJ’s For more information, call Carol Pelzner, on the National Register domain, the website (www.ij.org) govern- Country Living Associates, (203) 966-7800. in the first place?” she effect on historic ments took more than asked. preservation 10,000 properties for pri- EAST GRANBY. After a search that would Gardiner and Larson vate development between rival the best detective fiction, archaeolo- will go ahead with plans will not be clear. 1998 and 2002. Currently, gists and neighbors have found the prison- to build a new, tradi- seven states, including Con- ers’ cemetery at Old New-Gate Prison, the tional-style structure in place of the necticut, allow condemnation for private former copper mine that served as Con- third house, 81 Sherwood Place, but business development, while eight forbid necticut’s state prison from 1773 to 1827. they agreed not to demolish it until they the use of eminent domain when the It is now a museum operated by the Con- have received all necessary town approv- economic purpose is not to eliminate necticut Commission on Culture and als for the replacement. blight. Three other states lean toward Tourism. the stricter interpretation, and the re- In 1814 the state acquired a small lot Fort Trumbull neighborhood, New maining 32 have no clear policy on the near the prison to serve as a cemetery. London (2000). Although the New matter. According to records, about 20 prisoners London Development Corporation has This is the first case on the subject to were buried there. The site continued to leveled most of the neighborhood, the reach the Supreme Court. If the court be known after the prison closed and was legal battle continues, and could have limits the use of eminent domain, the documented in a photograph taken in national consequences. The United effect on historic preservation will not 1895 and a 1934 inventory of historic States Supreme Court agreed in Septem- be clear. As the January/February, 2004, cemeteries. But then its location was ber to hear the case in which the Fort issue of CPN reported, condemning pri- forgotten. Tr umbull residents have challenged the vate property can be used either to pre- The search involved longtime residents right of the NLDC to use eminent do- serve historic structures or to demolish who had hazy and contradictory memories main to take their property for private them. The Supreme Court will deter- of the site. State records were skimpy and development. mine whether this tool is easier or more unclear, so searchers ended up tramping The Fifth Amendment to the Con- difficult to use. through the underbrush to investigate stitution says that governments may take — Christopher Wigren continued next page

11 CONNECTICUT PRESERVATION NEWS, NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2004 AROUND THE STATE

possible sites. Mapping and soil tests were PAWCATUCK. Developers inconclusive. Three exploratory trenches and the Town of Stonington were dug, but they too seemed unlikely to are working to revitalize de- yield any evidence, and State Archaeolo- caying textile mills in down- gist Nicholas Bellantoni was about to call Nicholas Bellantoni town Pawcatuck. In August off the hunt when a volunteer found a Stonington’s Planning and 19th-century coffin nail. Further investi- Zoning Commission ap- gation turned up several more nails, ar- proved an amendment to ranged in the shape of a coffin. Because of create a new zoning cat- the highly acid soil, no other evidence, egory: Industrial Heritage such as hair, bones, or scraps of clothing, Reuse District (IHRD), seem to have survived. which allows mixed-use de- The cemetery is on private property, so velopment for mills 50 years its location is not being disclosed, but the old or older. Developers story of the cemetery has been added to must submit a detailed mas- tour guides’ talks at the museum, giving ter plan for approval. visitors one more glimpse into prisoners’ Unearthing evidence of the prisoners’ cemetery at Old Local preservationists lives — and deaths. New-Gate Prison, East Granby. hailed the decision. Edward Dear, a member of the Paw- THOMASTON. The state will help pre- devices, including metronomes and park- catuck Revitalization Organization, told serve the home of 19th-century clock ing meters. When Plymouth Hollow was The Day of New London that he only manufacturer Seth Thomas. Governor Jodi incorporated as a separate town in 1875, it wished the amendment could apply to Rell announced in September that the was renamed in Thomas’ honor. The com- younger industrial buildings as well. “It’s a State Bonding Commission intended to pany still operates, but it closed its big plus for the town; I just wish it was a approve a $450,000 grant to the town of Thomaston factory closed in 1955 after a little broader.” Thomaston to purchase the house from disastrous flood. The new amendment was supported the estate of Thomas’ great-great-grand- Thomas bought the Main Street house by POKO Partners of Port Chester, New daughter, who died this past summer. in 1838 and gave it to his daughter, Seth Thomas (1786-1859) learned Amanda Thomas, in 1850. Her descen- clockmaking from industry pioneer Eli dants continued to live there, preserving Terry in Plymouth and eventually became the house and numerous family belong- part owner of Terry’s factory. In 1813 ings as a memorial to their famous ances- Thomas sold his interest in the business, tor. “It’s like walking into 1890,” said J. moved to Plymouth Hollow, and started Paul Loether, director of the state’s His- his own company to make metal-move- toric Preservation and Museum Division, ment clocks. After his death, his sons en- which helped arrange for the grant. The larged the company, producing a variety of town hopes to open the house as a mu- clocks, watches and other timekeeping seum and visitor center.

New Collection of Town Histories at U.Conn. he University of Connecticut has announced that Emeritus Professor of T Civil Engineering Jack Stephens and his wife Virginia, of Storrs, recently donated approximately 270 Connecticut town histories to the Archives and Special Collections at the university’s Thomas J. Dodd Research Center. Originally as- sembled by Virginia Stephens’ mother, Lida Stilton Ives, the collection provides a unique, historic and frequently picturesque view of Connecticut through its towns, localities and churches. The materials date from 1846 through 1976 and are par- ticularly useful in identifying prominent families, individuals, structures, and sig- nificant events throughout the state and over the course of time. Although the col- lection stands by itself as a monument to the growth and change of Connecticut’s towns, it significantly strengthens the Dodd Research Center’s efforts to document Connecticut history and has already proven useful in researching events, individu- als and localities represented in many Connecticut-focused manuscript collections in Archives and Special Collections. For more information, contact Betsy Pittman at [email protected] or (860) 486-4507.

12 CONNECTICUT PRESERVATION NEWS, NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2004 AROUND THE STATE

York, a development firm that wants to is also hoped that the mill reuse in New Listings, cont’d convert the Clark Thread mill on River Pawcatuck will reinforce and benefit from Road into condominiums and retail space. revitalization in Westerly, Rhode Island, congregation’s objection. The objection The mill, built in 1901, lost its top floor on the other side of the Pawcatuck River. was lifted and the church finally listed on to the hurricane of 1938 and is currently the Register this year. used as a warehouse. Its decaying condi- EAST HAVEN. Preservationists and the tion has been a cause of concern in developer who wanted to demolish two St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, located just Pawcatuck. After the amendment passed, houses in the East Haven Green National west of downtown New Haven, is a sig- POKO submitted a master plan for the Register district reached an agreement in nificant site in the history of African Thread Mill, and a public hearing is to be August to save one of the houses (see Americans. The second Episcopal church held in November. “It’s a great looking CPN, July/August 2004). established the city, it was formed in 1844 mill in a good location,” said POKO’s Eight East Haven residents (not the by black members of Trinity Episcopal president, Ken Olson. Historical Society and the Old Cemetery Church who felt that they were discrimi- Encouraging reuse of historic industrial Board, as CPN reported) sued Russo Fam- nated against by white congregants. buildings is among the preliminary recom- ily LLC under the Connecticut Environ- Alexander DuBois, grandfather of author mendations made by the Yale Urban De- mental Protection Act to prevent demoli- W.E.B. DuBois, was one of the founders. sign Workshop (YUDW), which provides tion of the houses for the Russo Family’s In 1894 the congregation celebrated its planning and design assistance on projects new residential development, Catherine 50th anniversary and began plans for a ranging from comprehensive plans, eco- Commons. Before allowing the case to go new and larger building, which was finally nomic development strategies, and com- to trial, the judge asked the parties to at- completed in 1905. Dedicated to the munity visions to the design of public tempt to reach a compromise. active pastors who helped the church to spaces, streetscapes, and individual com- With a grant from the Connecticut grow and become a valuable social asset to munity facilities. YUDW studied Trust, the East Haven Preservation Trust/ New Haven, the church is both a physical Pawcatuck this summer at the invitation plaintiffs hired architect Robert Orr to representation of the parish’s success in of the Pawcatuck Revitalization Organiza- make some plans showing how the houses overcoming early social and financial tion; a final report is expected this fall. It could be incorporated into the develop- struggles to become an active and thriving ment. Orr’s drawings convinced the community presence and an important Russos to change their plans. part of ongoing history of the parish. Under the agreement, the developer St. Luke’s church, designed by the New will be allowed to demolish one of the Haven firm of Brown and Von Beren, is houses and construct a new building in its an exceptionally well-preserved example of place, provided that the other house is re- the early 20th-century Gothic Revival style. stored and the plaintiffs have input con- Unlike earlier examples of the style, the cerning the design of the new building. forms are more streamlined and silhouettes The town Zoning Board of Appeals and subtler. Also unlike many Gothic Revival its Planning and Zoning Commission have churches — among them St. James — it is approved a new site plan reflecting these built of brick rather than stone, an economy changes, and based on these conditions. move that creates a more colorful effect. The two vernacular-style houses were Stone is used only for trim, such as hori- built in about 1890 and about 1900. They zontal bands and carved door and window stand opposite the northeast corner of the frames. The interior retains its original green at the entrance to the National Reg- materials, plan and furnishings. ister district.

13 CONNECTICUT PRESERVATION NEWS, NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2004 CTHP Living Downtown, cont’d in downtown Manchester because of the lifestyle choices it offers. Although I am a developed as market-rate apartments. And professor at U.Conn., I did not want to live the former United Illuminating Company in the bucolic splendor of rural Mansfield. building on Temple Street is set to reopen I had lived in viable towns and cities in in November with a movie theater, a res- Europe for several years, and I wanted a taurant, and 44 apartments. ‘walking downtown’ where I could stroll to Similar developments are underway in shops, a park and a library. I wanted to be other cities. Former SNET Buildings in able to hear church bells from my front Hartford (see page 4) and New London porch and walk to a restaurant or pub.” have also converted to apartments — the Not all the new apartments go for mar- telephone company’s buildings, with their ket rates, however. Some buildings, such as sturdy construction, ample provision for the Wauregan Hotel in Norwich and 410 wiring and other utilities, and handsome Asylum Street in Hartford, are being rede- architecture, seem particularly well suited veloped as low-cost housing. In these cases to residential conversion — as has the low-income housing credits/grants have Crocker House hotel on State Street in provided another source of redevelopment New London. financing. And downtown locations make The federal Rehabilitation Tax Credit sense for people who cannot afford cars, helps make redevelopment possible. Ac- allowing them to live close to potential cording to Linda Spencer, the Tax Act Co- jobs, to social services, and to hubs of ordinator for the State Historic Preserva- The pioneering SoNo redevelopment in public transportation. In fact, it is the very tion Office, a large number of these Norwalk brought a mix of residents and shops into an urban neighborhood in the 1980s. nature of cities to contain a more varied projects, from some of Joel Schiavone’s in mix of people than the suburbs. Common the 1980s to the mixed-use redevelopment Ground Community, the nonprofit hous- of the City Trust tower in Bridgeport, just projects in buildings not listed on the ing developer for 410 Asylum, argues that announced in October, have taken advan- National Register. Still others are doing in their experience a well-maintained and tage of the 20 percent tax credit available condominiums, which do not qualify for well-operated facility for the poor can fit for qualifying rehabilitation of buildings the historic tax credit, rather than rental well into a thriving downtown. listed on the National Register. But the tax apartments. The arts are playing an especially im- credit does not alone account for the What these projects all have in com- portant role in the downtown renaissance. popularity of downtown living. ELK In- mon is a conviction that downtown loca- State funding for the arts has increased in vestors, the owners of The Eli, first tions represent an increasingly attractive recent years, fueling a boom in the the- planned to reuse the building as offices, housing market. A growing number of aters, galleries, and museums that consti- but then decided that there was a better people, largely young professionals or tute some of the biggest attractions which market for apartments in New Haven. empty-nesters, are looking for the lively, cities can offer new residents. Artists Furthermore, not all projects have used engaging environment that downtowns themselves are part of the attraction, too. the historic credit. Some developers have provide. One of them is John Salamone, Traditionally, they have often pioneered decided that the quality of restoration re- a professor at the University of Connecti- the revitalization of run-down urban quired for the credit would outweigh the cut, who recently wrote in the Hartford neighborhoods in their search for large, value of the credit. Others have done Courant’s Place section, “I came to reside inexpensive studio space. It was artists

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14 CONNECTICUT PRESERVATION NEWS, NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2004 who first moved into the urban factories tial densities are still rela- Artspace and open lofts of New York’s Chelsea dis- tively low, and grocery trict, and in Connecticut they moved into stores and drugstores vacant factories like the Norwalk Lock remain tied to their sub- Company on the edge of SoNo and the urban sprawl formulas. Colt armory in Hartford. As the pattern Perhaps chambers of typically works, they are eventually fol- commerce, downtown lowed by restaurants, galleries, and other merchants’ associations residents, all of whom want to be part of or Main Street organiza- the lively atmosphere. Eventually the art- tions can help address ists find themselves priced out of the this need. For the time neighborhood — this happened in both being, however, down- The nonprofit group Artspace has converted Read’s department store Norwalk and Hartford — and they move town living can reduce in Bridgeport into artists’ lofts. on to another. but rarely eliminate the The new twist in this process is the need for a car. As a result, parking remains CPN, September/October 2004). appearance of nonprofit developers that an expensive and difficult need. Open lots The downtown renaissance has emerged provide subsidized studios for artists. Min- are bad for urban fabric, but garages are largely on its own, at a time when economic neapolis-based nonprofit Artspace has expensive and still often create unfriendly development efforts still concentrate on helped renovate the Hygienic Building in streetscapes. Cities need to provide coordi- commercial growth, but there is much New London and, more recently, Sterling nated planning for parking. that cities and preservationists can do to Market Lofts, which opened on November Despite these ongoing needs, the trend nurture the movement. Local organizations 1 in the former Read’s department store in for downtown living continues to show can sponsor National or State Register downtown Bridgeport. Bill Finch, presi- strength and seems to be spreading to nominations to help buildings qualify for dent of the Bridgeport Economic Devel- other cities. In October, the city of tax credits. Cities can revise zoning regula- opment Corporation and a State Senator, Shelton approved the conversion of an tions to encourage downtown living, and credits this project with inspiring plans for historic factory building on Canal Street provide coordinated planning for parking more than 500 new apartments downtown to condominiums. Just across the river, the and attracting services which residents, as and with saving ten historic buildings city of Derby has wiped out a row of his- opposed to workers, need. And those of us from demolition. toric buildings (see “The Most Important who live in other places can support the New residents not only bring increased Threatened Historic Places,” CPN, Sep- downtown businesses and attractions that life and activity to downtowns, they also tember/October 1999), but the city’s de- make our city centers lively and engaging create a demand for shops and services veloper, Ceruzzi Redevelopment LLC, has places to live. John Salamone concluded that has been more difficult to meet. The proposed a mix of residential and retail his article by saying, “The town-oriented apartments in New Haven’s Ninth Square development in its place. The proposed Main Street lifestyle is not a relic of the rented instantly, but filling the district’s commuter train service between Spring- past. It is a high-quality way of life that ground-level commercial space has taken field and New Haven offers further incen- has a long history and a viable future as much longer. Those businesses that have tive for development near train stations. In well. The future of America, and that of opened have tended to be restaurants or Meriden, for instance, the station lies im- Manchester, is not necessarily restricted to what one might call recreational shops. It mediately behind National-Register listed urban sprawl, mass-produced malls, ugly is still difficult to find day-to-day needs buildings on Colony Street that are beg- box retail giants, parking lots and traffic like dry-cleaning, food or household sup- ging for redevelopment (“The Most Im- jams on the one hand vs. rural isolation on plies downtown. Rents are high, residen- portant Threatened Historic Places,” the other. There are alternatives.”

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Miniature Marvel: Dr. Hunt’s Office, Windham Elizabeth Mills Brown

his comical and beguiling building, erected about lost in this exposed position where it is expected to behave in a 1790, is only ten feet and ten inches wide, but its monumental manner. On its first site, its surroundings were builder nevertheless managed to squeeze in a full- cozier. dressT classical ensemble of center door and two windows and then The false lintels deserve particular mention because they are a to add a third window with arched head and tracery high in the Windham specialty that can be seen on numerous other houses in gable of the towering gambrel roof. This window is mounted over town but seem not to be found elsewhere in Connecticut. This the door, and door and suggests the presence of a window together are framed client or a local builder by a pair of giant pilasters who had either seen the that terminate vaguely in mansions of the Boston the middle of the gable, area, where the feature suggesting that the builder seems to have originated in never considered what they the 1730s, or their spinoffs were supposed to be doing. in the great doorways of In addition, in the proper the Connecticut River val- genteel tradition, there is a ley. Unfortunately it is not side door (side and front possible now to say which doors open into the same of the Windham examples room a few feet away from became the local prototype. each other), and front win- Not only is dating too in- dows and door are dressed secure, but the carved with false lintels of wood wood board is easy to imi- carved to look like flat tate and add at any time to stone arches. All this on a an older house, and one tiny structure that looks as suspects that in the palmy if it could be picked up and days of the 1920s when the carried off! “restoration” of old houses And indeed it has been by the city folk was high picked up and carried off fashion in Windham, the more than once. Originally Colonial Revival architects it stood on what is now were quick to borrow a called Weir Court Exten- picturesque detail when sion, just south of the they saw it. green. In the 1960s it was moved to North Road, and Elizabeth Mills Brown is later, having been listed on an architectural historian the National Register and THE who lives in Guilford. Dr. being made much of in IN Hunt’s office is located on town, it was promoted to Best Places the Windham Center the Green. It surely deserves Green, at the intersection the honor, but some of the CONNECTICUT of Connecticut Routes old charm and whimsy are 14 and 203.