Connecticut Preservation News March/April 2009 Volume XXXII, No. 2 C. Wigren C. courtesy of Elizabeth Mills Brown

Elms on the Rebound nce upon a time, Connecticut towns and cities were It wasn’t always so. For the first European settlers, trees were graced by hundreds, even thousands, of American obstacles to be removed before they could build towns, graze O th th elm trees. By the second half of the 19 century elms had become animals, or plant crops. Only at the end of the 18 century, after a defining characteristic of New England villages, their grace- the initial clearing had been accomplished and Romanticism fully drooping branches making the streets sheltered, but still inspired a new attitude toward Nature as nurturer rather than open and inviting, corridors of space. Invariably they inspired opponent, did New Englanders begin planting trees for orna- visitors’ comments; as one Rhode Island resident remembered, ment. It began with public-spirited individuals such as James “When you came into any town in New England the landscape Hillhouse of New Haven, who initiated efforts to plant trees on changed; you entered this kind of forest with 100-foot arches. the New Haven Green and then throughout the city (actually The shadows changed. Everything seemed very reverent, there planting many of them himself, according to legend). By mid- was a certain serenity, a certain calmness… a sweetness in the air. century, village improvement societies throughout the region It was an otherworldly experience, you knew you were entering had taken up the cause, incorporating tree-planting in their an almost sacred place.” improvement programs. Some of these early trees were living memorials, including the Franklin Elm in New Haven, planted to commemorate continued on page 10 In______This Issue... Remembering______Elizabeth Mills Brown 3 ABOVE: Temple Street then and now. Since the 19th century Temple Street, Alsop House Named NHL 5 running through the center of the New Haven Green, has been famous for its ______vaulted corridor of arching elm branches. Maintaining the trees preserves a crucial Around the State 7 element of the city’s character.

The Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation is a private, nonprofit organization. ISSN 1084-189X At the Trust From the Executive Director

he beginning of the year always Tourism’s Historic Preservation and training, Hallock came to us as an intern, T brings the legislative session Museums Division. The proposal meaning free labor, and stayed on to become and efforts to strengthen historic preserva- recommends merging the whole CCT the paid grassroots coordinator of the Face tion in state policy. This year, with the into the Department of Economic and of Connecticut legislative campaign last economic downturn, we are particularly Community Development. year. This year he worked under a grant concerned about the future of funding While we understand the importance from the Commission on Culture and for historic preservation in general and for of balancing the budget and the need for Tourism to re-write the 1988 Handbook the Connecticut Trust’s grant programs. shared sacrifice in a time of unprecedent- for Historic District and Properties Over the past six years, the Trust ed economic uncertainty, we nonetheless Commissions. From the beginning, Hallock has given out $1.4 million in Historic believe that the governor’s proposals are was a valued addition to our staff. His Preservation Technical Assistance unnecessary, costly, and diversionary, and insights and opinions shaped our lively staff Grants for preservation planning and that they will do more harm than good. discussions on Monday mornings. Hallock’s predevelopment. These grants have helped It is our goal to enable preservation- intellect, graciousness (including his excel- to create shovel ready projects and leverage ists around the state to continue the lent phone answering skills!), and consistent other grants, tax credits, and private stellar work they are doing. We thank good humor enhanced our work. We miss investment. you for your continued support of the him very much but know he is thriving as These $1.4 million in grants have stim- Connecticut Trust and of historic pres- a Fulbright Scholar in Argentina. ulated an additional $5.6 million in private ervation in Connecticut and hope that —Helen Higgins spending. In addition, the grants: you will join us in our efforts. As events • have provided employment to skilled unfold, we will post updates on our web- site, www.cttrust.org and we will send Upcoming Meetings of the professionals such as architects, Connecticut Historic engineers, and historians; special email alerts as the need arises. To Preservation Council • have made possible the preservation receive alerts, send your email address to April 1, 2009, at 9:30 a.m. and reuse of historic buildings for [email protected]. May 6, 2009, at 9:30 a.m. civic and institutional uses and For the past year we have had the affordable housing; great good fortune to work with Hallock All meetings take place at the • have increased the number of build- Svensk of Southport, a 2007 graduate of Commission on Culture and Tourism Williams College. With an affinity for Main Conference Room ings eligible for state and federal 1 Constitution Plaza, Hartford historic tax credits, often a crucial ele- historic preservation but no specific ment in making a project feasible; and For more information call (860)256-2800 • now are creating a larger pool of The Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation is a nonprofit statewide membership organization established by a special act “shovel-ready” restoration and revital- of the State Legislature in 1975. Working with local preservation groups and individuals as well as with statewide organizations, ization projects. it encourages, advocates and facilitates historic preservation throughout Connecticut. These grants pay primarily for labor and Board of Trustees Gubernatorial Appointees Connecticut Preservation News is published Theodore F. Ells, Branford bimonthly by the Connecticut Trust for Officers Historic Preservation, 940 Whitney Avenue, services, rather than materials—spending Natalie Ketcham, Redding Jeffry Muthersbaugh, Chairman, Bethel Hamden, Connecticut 06517. Publication is that tends to circulate within our commu- Edith Pestana, Hartford made possible by support of the members Adrienne Farrar Houel, Vice Chairman, of the Connecticut Trust for Historic nities, spreading the economic benefit even Bridgeport Advisory Council Preservation and by funds provided through Theresa Kidd, Secretary, Haddam J. Barclay Collins, Sharon the Community Investment Act, Public Act farther. William R. Crowe, Canton 05-228, Connecticut Commission on Culture Edmund Schmidt, Treasurer, Darien & Tourism, State of Connecticut, M. Jodi Rell, The Trust receives funding for these Walter Fiederowicz, Assistant Treasurer, Jared Edwards, West Hartford Governor. The contents and opinions stated Litchfield Gerald Farrell, Jr., Wallingford herein do not necessarily reflect the views grants through two state programs: a Mimi Findlay, New Canaan and policies of the State of Connecticut. The Additional Members of the Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation direct line item of $250,000 per year Board of Trustees John Herzog, Madison assumes no responsibility for the advertisements. and $200,000 per year through the Scott D. Bates, Stonington Lee Kuckro, Wethersfield Sara C. Bronin, Hartford Stephen S. Lash, Stonington This program receives State financial assis- Charles T. Lee, Greenwich tance for identification and protection of Community Investment Act, which William W. Crosskey, II, AIA, Bolton historic properties. Under Title VI of the levies a real estate conveyance tax to Leroy Diggs, Danbury Peter Malkin, Greenwich Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 504 Robert Faesy, AIA, Wilton Cesar Pelli, FAIA, New Haven of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the U.S. The Hon. Andrew Roraback, Goshen Department of the Interior prohibits provide funding for farmland protection, Lynn Friedman, Madison discrimination on the basis of race, color, open space acquisition, affordable housing, Glenn Geathers, Hartford John W. Shannahan, Suffield national origin, or handicap in its federally Bill Hosley, Enfield Rob Simmons, Stonington assisted programs. If you believe you have been discriminated against in any program, and historic preservation. Charles Janson, Darien Staff activity, or facility as described above, or if In her budget recommendations for the Ralph Knighton, Bloomfield Helen Higgins, Executive Director you desire further information, please write Rebekah MacFarlane, Hartford Christopher Wigren, Deputy Director to the Office for Equal Opportunity, U.S. Department of the Interior, Washington, next two years, Governor Rell proposed James McLaughlin, Durham Pamela Gallagher, Director of Development D.C. 20240. Edward W. Munster, Haddam Brad Schide, Connecticut Circuit Rider reducing the Trust’s line item to $118,000 © 2008, Connecticut Trust for Historic Donald Poland, Hartford Gregory Farmer, Connecticut Circuit Rider Preservation. All rights reserved. in 2009-10 and to zero in 2010-11. She George Purtill, Glastonbury Jane Montanaro, Membership Services ISSN 1084-189X also proposed shifting all Community The Hon. Kelvin Roldán, Hartford Todd Levine, Preservation Services Officer Adele Strelchun, North Canaan Connecticut Preservation News Investment Act receipts from their John B. Toomey, Jr., Bolton Editor: Christopher Wigren Jane Vercelli, Thompson legislated uses to the general fund. The Editor, Historic Properties Exchange: Todd Levine Jeanne Webb, Hartford Graphic Design: David Wolfram, Middletown governor’s proposal also eliminates funds Richard N. Wies, AIA, Branford Printing: Kramer Printing, New Haven that support grant programs and staff Douglas Williams, Thompson Hiram P. Williams, South Kent at the Commission on Culture and

 Connecticut Preservation News, March/April 2009 Remembering Elizabeth Mills Brown (1916-2008)

he Connecticut Trust lost a long- all I can say to you is: architecture is for T time friend in December, with the everyone, and there’s enough to go around death of Elizabeth Mills Brown. Betty if we’ll only learn to take care of it. We was one the Trust’s earliest Trustees and she can’t write it all down on convenient lists continued to be a valued advisor and a gen- that we can carry in our pockets, but it’s all erous donor. around you wherever you go. Go out and As an architectural historian, Betty keep your eyes open. Enjoy every bit of it breathed new life into buildings with her whether it’s on somebody’s list or not. And, Featuring Lepage lively and approachable writing style. Her above all, guard it.” It’s a legacy that we Windows and Doors book, New Haven: A Guide to Architecture will remember. Crafting a Historic Tradition for your and Urban Design (1976), is still the basic next special project. source for information on that city’s archi- tecture. She always found precisely the right LynnCatherine 162 Baker Road word and took particular pride in capturing Roxbury, CT 06783 a building’s essence in just one or two brief 860-210-0099 sentences. For example, see this description [email protected] from the New Haven book: “To an ordinary Greek Revival house, probably built in the IN ASSOCIATION WITH ‘30s or ‘40s, someone with dreams of glory in the Gilded Age added a super porch. One can imagine his pride.” For Betty, historic preservation was an essential complement to architectural histo- ry, and she became a leader in preservation, starting in New Haven, where she helped start the New Haven Preservation Trust in 1961. But her presence was quickly felt far beyond New Haven: in Guilford, where she lived, she was an organizer of the Guilford Preservation Alliance and co-directed the first survey of historic resources; and on the statewide level she sat on the State Historic Preservation Board, which reviews National Register nominations. Finally, her preserva- tion activities extended to the 19th-century industrial village of West Stockholm, New York, where she bought and restored a group of buildings—nearly the entire vil- lage—specifically to demonstrate what a private individual could accomplish. In her last years Betty began work on a statewide architectural guidebook, Buildings of Connecticut, to be part of the Society of Architectural Historians’ national series, Buildings of the United States. The Trust Antique Barns hopes to raise the funds needed to complete — Dutch or English — converted into houses. this monumental and much-needed work. Betty summed up her twin careers as 19 Golden Harvest Road architectural historian and preservationist Roxbury, CT 06783 in a talk that she gave in the 1980s: “So 860-355-2217 www.ecbb.com Elizabeth Mills Brown at Seaside Village, in Bridgeport

Connecticut Preservation News, March/April 2009  New Listings on the National Register Apartments and Textile Mills

wo sites recently added to brackets, and carefully T Connecticut’s National Register balanced ornamental listings illustrate the growth in the scale features such as the and complexity of residential and industrial iron balconies and the development in the late 19th and early 20th use of both arched centuries. and bracketed window enframements. Ambassador Apartments, The Ambassador Hartford. Completed in 1921, this exemplified a boom building was constructed during an in apartment construc- important decade in Hartford’s residen- tion in the Asylum tial development, when the city was in Hill neighborhood, transition from single-family dwellings driven by the influx to apartment complexes. The 128-unit of workers that moved Ambassador Apartments, Hartford building on Farmington Avenue was con- into the neighborhood structed for developer Nicolo Carabillo. following the arrival of Aetna Life and William Clark Company Originally called the Hotel St. Nicholas (it several other insurance companies. The Thread Mill, Pawcatuck. was renamed in 1925), the building was apartment boom lasted until about 1927, Constructed in two stages (1892 and 1899) to be Carabillo’s crowning achievement: when real estate agents began to claim by the Clark Thread Company of Trenton, when completed it featured garages for that excessive apartment development New Jersey, the Clark Thread Mill the tenants’ automobiles and services that and increased accessibility to single- represents the textile industry that played included barber, manicuring, and tailor family housing in the suburbs had created an important role in transforming eastern shops. The Hartford Courant described the a surplus. Connecticut in the period 1850-1930, dining room as “spacious, well designed, Although constructed as a luxury apart- giving rise to mill villages and large manu- decorated and lighted, [accommodating] ment building in an upper-class neighbor- facturing towns, an increase in population, more than 300 diners, and still [leaving] hood, the Ambassador lost its luster as the and greater ethnic diversity. Throughout room for dancing.” neighborhood declined in the mid- to late the region, ever-larger mills were built to th The building’s elegant Italian 20 century. In 1976 it was purchased by produce cotton, woolen, and silk goods. Renaissance design, the work of the Aetna Insurance Group, which cited the The first mills were started by local entre- Hartford firm of Berenson & Moses, fea- need to provide housing for its workers and preneurs and were powered in whole or tured a symmetrical façade, low-pitched protect its office complex. Aetna undertook in part by fast-moving rivers and streams. roof, wide eaves supported by decorative a complete renovation of the Ambassador; Later, as in the case of the Clark Thread after 25 years of ownership, the company Mill, steam power predominated wherever sold the building in 1999. coal could be economically brought in by —adapted from the nomination, by Nick rail or water, and the capital to finance Kraus, Heritage Consulting Group continued on page 15 T. Levine T.

William Clark Company Thread Mill, Pawcatuck

 Connecticut Preservation News, March/April 2009 Alsop House Is Connecticut’s Newest National Historic Mercer William Landmark

he Richard Alsop IV house, T located at 301 High Street in Middletown, was designated a national historic landmark in January. It was built between 1838-1840 by Richard Alsop IV, son of the poet and “Hartford Wit,” Richard Alsop III. The younger Alsop, a Middletown native, was a suc- cessful merchant and banker who lived in Philadelphia. Originally occupied by Alsop’s widowed mother, Maria Pomeroy Alsop Dana, the house remained in the family (although not occupied by them for Richard Alsop IV house, Middletown: Trompe-l’oeil paintings of statues on plinths are believed to have been a number of years) until 1948. In that year, an economy measure, substituted for actual statues and niches. After Wesleyan University bought the house it was purchased by Wesleyan University in 1948, a restoration team created replicas to cover and protect the deteriorated originals. with funds given by Harriet and George W. Davison, class of 1892. The house is a variety of stylistic sources—ancient, painting, derived form Roman antiquity now known as the Davison Art Center. Renaissance, and 19th-century—from as well as the Italian Renaissance, had The Alsop house has been described which to derive subject matter and become a customary mode of interior as an important example of Romantic approaches for artistic organization and decoration for the haut monde in major Classicism in American architecture. representation in devising the interior urban centers during the first half of the Although for many years the design was painting programs. Ultimately, the house 19th century. Numerous examples once believed to have been the work of Ithiel was embellished with colorful wall pan- existed in cities such as New York and Town or one of his protégés, it was actu- els in the neoclassical modes stylistically Philadelphia, where immigrant artists were ally the work of the short-lived New Haven referred to as “Pompeian” or “Empire,” well established; sometime later, artists firm of Platt & Benne, who came together fanciful cage-like frames and realistic even found their way to smaller communi- under the aegis of the New Haven architect native birds and plants, and grisaille ties like Middletown. Inherently fragile and Sidney Mason Stone. Because of an idio- trompe-l’oeil statues and faux stonework. subject to the ravages of time, few syncratic compositional character blending While there is some evidence that frescoes have survived from this period. pared-down Greco-Roman and Regency the Alsop house dazzled contemporary Tastes changed, especially in the late forms and details, the house stands archi- Middletown society, neoclassical fresco Victorian period, and many frescoes were tecturally apart from most other painted over or covered with wallpaper. contemporary suburban villas Mercer William Upon acquisition of the house in 1948, and, to a certain extent, defies Wesleyan University immediately under- easy categorization. stood the uniqueness of these paintings and The Alsop house’s primary over almost 60 years of stewardship has importance lies in its exterior and made the preservation and understanding interior wall paintings, consid- of their history an ongoing concern of the ered exceptional in their scope institution. continued on page 12 and artistic quality. Although believed to be used on the exte- rior for reasons of economy in place of marble ornament, the Stairwell, Alsop house: Realized in a number of campaigns between 1839 and ca. 1860, the wall paintings are nation- painting was in keeping with ally significant examples of 19th-century decorative wall fashionable decorative trends of painting, once common in American domestic settings, the period. but now largely lost as tastes changes or the materials The frescoes were created in degraded. two or more campaigns between 1839 and ca. 1860. The artists, thought to be recent Italian and German immigrants, utilized

Connecticut Preservation News, March/April 2009  News from the Commission on Culture and Tourism

“Living Modern in New Canaan: Celebrating and Preserving Our Modern Past” at the CCT Gallery, April–June 2009 Robert Gregson

Rawleigh Warner house, New Canaan (1955), designed by John MacL. Johansen

n an engaging collection of photos, what would become a center of experimen- a partnership of five national, state, and I building materials, architectural tal Modern residential design. Hallmarks local organizations sponsored a compre- models, period magazines and film clips, of the style included open plans, generous hensive study of New Canaan’s Moderns. a new exhibit at the Commission on expanses of glass, and an emphasis on hori- Conducted by the New York City firm Culture & Tourism’s Hartford Gallery zontality. of Building Conservation Associates, Inc. seeks to make the case for the beauty, The completion of Philip Johnson’s (BCA), the survey identified and docu- fragility, and compelling preservation needs Glass House (now a museum owned by the mented 100 buildings. The exhibit draws of New Canaan’s world-class collection of National Trust for Historic Preservation) on this outstanding scholarship. in 1949 caused an immediate nationwide Modern style residences. In addition to the “Living Modern in New Canaan: Celebrating sensation, and the architects capitalized on gallery show, the Hartford Preservation and Preserving Our Modern Past,” Commission Alliance will be offering five guided walk- the attention by participating in a series on Culture & Tourism Gallery, One Constitution ing tours of Hartford’s Modern architec- of Modern House tours that showcased Plaza, Hartford, April 23 to June 19, 2009, ture landmarks. their work. By the end of 1952, more than Monday-Friday 9 am to 4 pm. Opening reception, New Canaan, only an hour from New 30 Modern houses had been constructed Thursday, May 7, 5:30-7:30pm York City, became a center of Modern throughout New Canaan. The tours For more information on lectures and guided architecture when a group of Harvard attracted a second wave of architects, and walking tours, call (860) 256-2800 or log on to University-related architects—Marcel by the end of the 1970s more than 100 CTvisit.com Breuer, Landis Gores, John Johanson, Eliot Modern houses made New Canaan home. Co-sponsored by the CCT, New Canaan Historical Society, the Glass House Museum, Noyes and Philip Johnson—settled in the Threatened by development, McMansions, zoning, and the decay Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation, and town in the late 1940s. Later known as the the National Trust for Historic Preservation. “Harvard Five,” the architects established of experimental building materials, the Moderns have been under siege. In 2006,

 Connecticut Preservation News, March/April 2009 Around the State

AIA Connecticut Gives Awards for Preservation Projects

our projects related to It is true to its history, and that close link building and improving it with smart F historic buildings were recog- helped to preserve the original fabric adaptive architecture so that it is part of the nized in AIA Connecticut’s 2008 Design and sense of place. (This project also landscape. The building was also recog- Awards. Two projects were recognized received an award from the Connecticut nized in AIA Connecticut’s People’s Choice in the Preservation category; both are Trust; see CPN, May/June 2007.) awards as “the space in which I’d most like good examples of adaptive use. Two other Interstate Design Center, Greenwich, to work.” projects, in the Residential category, were by Halper Owns Architects LLC. For a not specifically identified as preservation custom millwork company, founded in projects, but one recognizes a sympathetic RESIDENTIAL 1922, Halper Owens converted the original addition to one of New Canaan’s famed Addition to a Modern House, New millwork shop into a showroom; in addi- Modernist houses, and the other is a Canaan, by Mark Markiewicz, AIA. tion to current products, displays include conversion of a 19th-century barn frame Markiewicz made additions in two stages old tools and samples from three genera- into a residence. The awards jury’s com- to this mid-century Modern house, origi- tions of work. This is a successful adaptive ments for each project are printed in nally built in 1952 to designs by the New use project with a few strategic moves that italics. Canaan firm Gates & Ford. The latest bring in light and air. It is a modest project addition comprises an in-law apartment with a high impact, taking a non-descript PRESERVATION attached to the original house by a gallery. The jury liked the way the addition fulfilled Recital hall at Betsy Ross the site plan. It balanced out the original Magnet School, New composition and first expansion. The jury Haven, by Barkin Associates also appreciated the way the project evolved Architects, P.C./JCJ over time and applauded the saving of this Architecture. The hall is the era of houses for the next generation of

former Saint Peter’s chapel, Phillip Ennis Photography preservationists. saved from demolition after a public outcry. This adaptive Mountain Road Residence, Kent, by use project is a variation on the Halper Owens Architects LLC, is an old original use of the building. barn frame, moved and converted to a house that retains much of its barn-like character. The jury liked the fact that the architect saved the fabric of the existing barn by moving the barn. This was a good job of Right: Interstate integration. The jury loved the modern use Design Center, Greenwich, a conver- of traditional materials, especially in the sion by Halper Owens fireplace. It loved the co-existence of modern Architects and traditional vocabularies. Below: Architect Mark Markiewicz For more on AIA Connecticut’s Design expanded this Modern Awards, visit www.aia.ct.org. house in New Canaan. Mark Markiewicz, AIA Mark Markiewicz,

Suffield, CT Tel. 860-254-5498 www.elmore-design.com

Connecticut Preservation News, March/April 2009  Around the State

New London. The Nathan Hale Nathan Hale taught in 1774. The The move is part of a larger project to Schoolhouse was moved for the sixth time Connecticut Sons of the American renovate the Parade. Work also includes in early January, to a new plaza adjacent to Revolution have controlled the building improving traffic patterns and removing the Water Street parking garage. since 1890. On the Parade, the building a raised plaza constructed in the 1970s, Since 1988 the school had been located served as a museum and visitor center, uses which blocked views to and from Union on the Parade, the historic square at the that will continue at the new location. Station. foot of State Street in downtown New Once the building was moved, the Sons New London Landmarks, which London. Built in 1773 as the Union could go forward with an interior renova- has promoted the Parade redesign, School, the small, shingled building tion, by Stephen C. Marshall, LLC, of wrote in its Fall, 2008, newsletter, is best known as the place where Coventry. “Historically, the Parade was the center Colonial patriot and state hero continued on page 12

Redesigning the Parade in New London included moving the Nathan Hale School— for the sixth time. Courtesy of the Connecticut American Sons Revolution of the

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. restoration, preservation and adaptive re-use of Our clients have included museums, municipali- period structures. ties, architects, historical societies and homeown- We are craftspeople, with the knowledge, skills ers. As varied as our clients, so are their projects. and experience to return usability to older structures They have included barns, carriage houses, covered while helping them meet the bridges, churches, town halls and requirements of the 21st century. and a vast array of period homes It has been our goal to balance and out buildings. passionate interest in historic For history in the remaking, preservation with level-headed call us, toll-free in Connecticut professionalism. 1-800-255-0089.

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Kronenberger & Sons Restoration, Inc. • 80 East Main St., Middletown, CT 06457 • 860-347-4600 • Fax: 860-343-0309 • wwww.kronenbergersons.com  Connecticut Preservation News, March/April 2009 The Most Important Threatened Historic Places – Updates

Grumman-St. John house, (see CPN, March/April 2008 and January/ that the LLC and the Inn had “such a Norwalk (2006). February 2009). The lawsuit was filed by unity of interest and ownership that the the Norwalk Preservation Trust, and later independence of the corporations ceased to Superior Court Judge Douglas Mintz joined by the State of Connecticut. The exist.” handed preservationists another victory in Connecticut Trust and the National Trust Then, on February 10, the judge with- the long-running battle over this house, but for Historic Preservation are participating drew that portion of the ruling. He also two weeks later he partly reversed it. as friends of the court. dropped the order for boarding up the win- On January 23, Mintz ordered Chris Since last summer, the plaintiffs have dows and locking the doors, and required Handrinos and George Katsaros, the been concerned about the house’s steadily only that the porch be propped up and the house’s owners, to make repairs to the worsening condition, which they claimed house be maintained in its condition as of house and to secure it against the elements was the result of deliberate neglect by the January 23, 2009. What this means is that and vandals. Handrinos and Katsaros owners, a way of getting around the court the house can remain in its deteriorated bought the house in 2001, planning to raze order and demolishing the house. condition for the foreseeable future. it for expansion of the adjoining Norwalk Judge Mintz’ ruling held the Norwalk According to Attorney General Richard Inn and Conference Center. Inn responsible for the house’s condition, Blumenthal, the ruling is important Judge Mintz’s order expanded on and even though the house is technically owned despite these changes. The judge “pre- clarified an earlier order that protected the by a separate corporation, 93 East Avenue served the core of his (January) ruling . . . house until a trial on the merits of pres- LLC. During the hearings, Handrinos and which is that the owners cannot demolish ervationists’ claims that demolishing the Katsaros argued that the LLC cannot make this historic structure through neglect,” house would be unreasonable under the any repairs since it has no assets other than Blumenthal said. Connecticut Environmental Protection Act the house itself. However, Mintz concluded

Downtown Torrington (2006). sprawling parking lot, it would be replaced Preservation Trust in 2002. Nearly eight years after Farmington with mixed-use buildings along a tradi- “The new plan makes a lot of sense, cor- developer Jed Hayes called for demolish- tional streetscape. recting problems that have been around ing several historic buildings on Water The plan also calls for making Main since the 1960s, like the shopping center,” Street to bring in big-box stores, the city Street one-way, with a new parallel street to said Mark McEachern of the Preservation is working on a downtown redevelopment the east. One contributing structure in the Trust. “On the whole it’s a huge improve- new plan that is much more preservation- Downtown Torrington National Register ment.” A public information session held friendly. Hayes withdrew after an economic district would be demolished. A concrete in January elicited enthusiastic comments impact study concluded that the town storefront built in the 1930s, it belongs from the public, although some residents wouldn’t be able to support all the retail to a burst of Moderne construction in expressed concerns about the one-way traf- that he proposed. Torrington during that period, but is not fic. Milone & MacBroom is revising its plan The new plan, by Cheshire-based con- one of the city’s more noteworthy examples based on public comment. More hearings sultants Milone & MacBroom, focuses of the style. on a final plan, which will eventually be on areas other than Water Street. At the On Water Street, another National adopted as a city ordinance, will take place southern end of downtown, Torrington Register district, the plan calls for incre- by April. mental redevelopment of all existing build- Plaza, a suburban-style shopping center For more information, visit www. ings along with new infill construction, built in the 1960s, would be demolished. torringtonct.org/Public_Documents/ in line with schematic plans created by Currently a wide U of buildings around a TorringtonCT_Downtown/index architect Patrick Pinnell for the Torrington

n Kitchens & Bathrooms n Period Additions n Carpentry & Millwork n Window Restoration n Plaster Restoration n Structural Repairs www.msjoyners.com

Connecticut Preservation News, March/April 2009  Elms on Rebound, cont’d from page 1

Benjamin Franklin’s death, or the thirteen sycamores that Oliver Wolcott planted in Litchfield in 1779 to honor the thirteen states. But the predominant motivation was beautification. Elms quickly became the favorite variety. They were hardy and fast- growing, and their high branches and light foliage cast a dappled shade that was sooth- ing rather than gloomy. Their form appealed to romantic taste because it suggested Gothic arches; writer after writer claimed that tree-lined streets were the American equivalent of Europe’s cathedrals. The poet Nathaniel Parker Willis called the elms of New Haven “an unhewn cathedral, in whose choirs/ Breezes and storm-winds, and the many birds/ Join’d in the varied anthem.” By the 1840s New Haven was known as In the early 20th century a line of elms ornamented the Green in Windham Center. the “Elm City” for its trees. There were so many that Willis wrote in 1837 that the city “…has the appearance of a town roofed in In the 20th century this vulnerability 1938 destroyed thousands of trees, leav- with leaves.” became a disaster with the invasion of ing huge piles of dead timber that proved Towns and cities all across New England the Dutch elm disease, a fungal infec- a perfect breeding ground for the beetles. followed New Haven’s lead; in some, elms tion spread by beetles that burrow in the As the blight continued to spread, even eventually represented as much as 75 percent trees’ bark. Unwittingly introduced to the widespread application of DDT could not of all street trees. Unfortunately, this enthu- United States in packing cases, the disease stop the beetles, though it aggravated the siasm hastened the trees’ destruction. While first appeared in Ohio in 1931 and reached environmental havoc. long streets planted with only a single spe- Connecticut only two years later. The By the 1950s New England’s elms were cies were visually coherent, by the late 19th blight quickly outpaced efforts to remove decimated, and by the ‘60s, scarcely any century they were already proving vulner- infected trees and was gaining the upper remained. More than just a loss of the able to pests. hand even before the great hurricane of trees themselves, the death of the elms seemed to stand for broader upheavals of the time. Historian Thomas Campanella writes that the blight “…coincided with some of the most difficult urban and social transforma- tions of the 20th century. This was an era of racial discord and urban rebellion, of ill-conceived urban renewal projects and Connecticut Historical Collections, 1838 Connecticut Historical Collections, highway-building schemes that gutted stable older neighbor- hoods across the region—many of which had been rich in elm shade. The passing of the elm also coincided with the great postwar exodus of the white

In John Warner Barber’s view of the Branford Green, two men and a boy seem to admire a cluster of newly- planted trees, probably elms.

10 Connecticut Preservation News, March/April 2009 middle class to suburbia, a migration that new elms. One organization, the Elm brought about the precipitous decline of Research Institute, founded in 1967, many New England cities… And through pioneered the use of fungicide injections all this the elms came crashing down, lay- to protect existing elms and developed a ing waste, it seemed, the glory and essence series of disease-resistant cultivars under of Yankee urbanism.” the name “American Liberty.” A few elms survived, thanks to isolated Tom Zetterstrom, a photographer who location or natural resistance, and gradu- lives in North Canaan, has dedicated ally citizens began efforts to preserve and much of his time to elms in northwestern restore the historic treescapes by protecting Connecticut and western Massachusetts. existing elms, breeding disease-resistant In 1999, Zetterstrom launched an orga- varieties, and promoting the planting of nization called Elm Watch to protect existing elms in the region and promote planting new ones. Elm Watch’s pres- ervation and restoration programs include: • creating an inventory of elms in the Housatonic region of Massachusetts and Connecticut; Elms will never again become the pre- • an Adopt-an-Elm program, spon- dominant ornament of Connecticut and soring injections of preventive New England landscapes—the cost of fungicide into existing elms; and care and the hazards of monoculture argue • promoting the planting of dis- against that. But with the work of groups ease-resistant cultivars and elm around the state, survivors will continue to hybrids. grace the landscape and the trees may once Municipalities and local organiza- again play a prominent role in shaping the tions have taken on elm programs as region’s character. well. In New Haven, the New Haven Garden Club and the city parks department have worked to protect elms growing on the New Haven Green, where the garden club spon- sored the planting of Liberty elms beginning in 1984. More elms were planted in the city in 1988 by Boy Scouts and the Rotary Club, and in the late 1990s when Broadway was For more information… redesigned. - Republic of Shade: New England In Farmington, the Farmington and the American Elm, by Thomas Historical Society has planted more PRODUCING CUSTOM MILLWORK FOR Campanella (New Haven: Yale than 20 elms throughout the town cen- CONNECTICUT CONTRACTORS AND University Press, 2003), tells the ter beginning in 2001, including two in HOMEOWNERS FOR OVER FIFTY YEARS story of the rise, fall and renais- front of its headquarters, the Gridley- sance of elms in New England; Case cottages. The project has since been SPECIALIZING IN PERIOD WOODWORK all quotes in this article come from expanded to Unionville, another village in WINDOWS • DOORS • ENTRANCES Campanella’s book. the town. MOLDINGS • BALUSTRADES - Elm Watch: www.elmwatch.org; As in the late 18th century, some PANELING • TURNING • CARVING (413) 266-1062 trees serve commemorative purposes: In - Elm Research Institute: Salisbury, an elm was planted in 2002 as 222 QUARRY HILL ROAD www.libertyelm.com; a memorial to Susan Getzendanner, a resi- HADDAM NECK (800) 367-3567 dent who died in the World Trade Center. EAST HAMPTON, CT 06424 - “The Return of the American PHONE: 860 267-4693 Elm,” a public education and FAX: 860 267-1611 documentary film project: www.myelmstory.com WWW.JOHNSONMILLWORK.COM

Connecticut Preservation News, March/April 2009 11 News from the Commission on Culture and Tourism New Administrator for Alsop House, cont’d from page 5 The paintings have long been known to Tax Credit Programs scholars. In 1926, Edward B. Allen placed their significance within the broader his- Julie Carmelich joined the Commission torical context of American decorative arts, on Culture and Tourism in November 2008 noting: “their superior execution, classical as the new Administrator of the Federal and inspiration, fine rich color, and excellent State Historic Tax Credit Programs. Prior to drawing and decorative quality.” Allyn Cox, her position at CCT, Julie was the Cultural a New York artist hired to conserve some Resources Manager at IVI Due Diligence of the wall paintings in 1949, commented, Services, a private environmental consult- “the Alsop House…has always been alone ing group in White Plains, New York. She among old New England places for its fin- 2 has also held positions at ARCH , Inc. in ished and elegant mural painting, inside and Metuchen, New Jersey and Historic New out.” In 1966, art historian Samuel Green England in Boston. Julie received her B.A. in drew attention to the significant scope of history from Colgate University in 1995 and the painting, calling it “the most elaborate her M.A. in Preservation Studies from Boston Julie Carmelich, the CCT’s new administrator program of decoration in American domes- for tax credit programs University in 2000. A native of Clinton, CT, tic architecture before the Civil War.” In Julie is excited to be working in the state again To reach Julie, telephone (860) 256-2774 1980, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in and especially with such great preservation or send email to [email protected]. New York selected the painted stone walls programs! and other painted elements of the Alsop House stair hall for reproduction in a new American Wing gallery. More recently, Peter Kenny, the curator of American Decorative Arts at the Met, described the Alsop fres- coes as “unique and irreplaceable treasures [which] are truly part of our national cultural patrimony.” The paintings’ unique survival provides a window onto a once- flourishing decorative approach and design aesthetic that has largely disappeared in the United States. This article is excerpted from the National Historic Landmark nomination prepared by Janice P. Cunningham, of Cunningham Associates. The full nomination is available at http://www.nps.gov/nhl/Fall08Nominations/ Alsop%20Final.pdf.

New London, cont’d from page 8

of all commerce. In the early settlement of the city local farmers drove herds of cattle through the streets to be loaded onto ships bound for the West Indies. Barrels of sugar, molasses and rum made the return trip enriching early city fathers. Thus, the new Parade Plaza will also be a site for people to learn about the history of New London”. A Connecticut Trust Historic Preservation Technical Assistance Grant helped fund a charrette in 2004 that started the redesign process. For more photographs of the move, visit www.ConnecticutSAR.org.

12 Connecticut Preservation News, March/April 2009 The Connecticut Trust’s Preservation Circle Members for 2008 The following people, Jeffry and Maryan Muthersbaugh Rob Sanders Architects Ralph Knighton Babson Capitol organizations, and Thomas W. Nissley Schwartz & Hofflich Mr. and Mrs. Keith L. Knowlton Mr. and Mrs. William Bailey companies gave $100 or C. Roderick O’Neil Mr. and Mrs. John Simon Konowitz, Kahn and Company, Baker Batchelder Architects more to the Connecticut Mr. and Mrs. David C. Oxman Mr. and Mrs. Gary J. R. Singer P.C. Ruth K. Balchunas Trust during 2008 Stanley Peck Mr. and Mrs. Tyler Smith J & R Lamb Studios, Inc. David Barkin Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects, Inc. Mr. and Mrs. Steven Snyder Ruth R. Lapides Catherine Barna Petra Construction Corporation John Steffian Stephen S. Lash Barun K. Basu Press + Cuozzo Mr. and Mrs. Robert Svensk Mr. and Mrs. Rip Littig Scott Bates Chairman’s Circle, $100,000 or above Stephen D. Ramsey and Threadmill Partners, LLC Kenneth and Kathleen Lundgren Leonard J. Baum Ann E. Jones Gail Wall Alexandra D. Lyman Becker and Becker Associates, Connecticut Commission on Ann Sheffer and Bill Scheffler Jeanne Webb Jeanne R. Manning Inc. Culture and Tourism FiFi M. Sheridan Mr. and Mrs. Wick York Leonard H. Mark Mr. and Mrs. Timothy R. Beeble Connecticut Humanities Council Society of the Cincinnati in Stephen C. Marshall, LLC Bruce Bellingham Connecticut Preservation Sponsors, Maurer & Shepherd–Joyners, Inc. S.A. Bendheim Company, Ltd. Chairman’s Circle, Jane K. Talamini $250 or above Dr. and Mrs. William B. David Berto $10,000 or above TPA Design Group Peter Anderson McCullough Bruce E. Bidwell and Jane and Peter Vercelli Kate McKenzie and Craig Crews Roberta Roy J. Barclay Collins, II Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Antonelli Sue and Robert Vincent New England Stone, Inc. Board & Beam National Trust for Historic Architectural Preservation, LLC D. R. A. Wierdsma David Newton Neil H. Bonney Preservation Auto Gates Hiram P. Williams, Jr. Eeva Pelkonen and Turner Brooks The C.G. Bostwick Company Mr. and Mrs. Peter L. Malkin Robin M. Beckett Winn Development Richard Bergmann Architects Patrick Pinnell Lynne Boyd Lauren Pinzka Mary M. Bradley Chairman’s Circle, Susan Bishop $5,000 or above Preservation Patrons, Doug Brash & Meg Palmatier Donald Poland Mr. and Mrs. Bill Bresnan $500 or above Elizabeth Mills Brown Cynthia Powell Jay Bright The Anderson-Paffard Jody Bush Redding Preservation Society H. P. Broom Housewright, Inc. Foundation, Inc. 18 Temple Street, LLC Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence C. Vanessa Reiman Carol Ann Brown Inger McCabe Elliott Paul B. Bailey Architect, LLC Caldwell Troy and Zoe Resch Barbara D. Bryan MiddleOak Specialty Bi-Glass Systems William Casey The Rev. Arthur B. Robertshaw Tod Bryant Edie Blair Charles S. Rotenberg, AICP Robinson D. Buck Ralph C. Bloom John Cavaliere Chairman’s Circle, $1,000 The S/L/A/M Collaborative Building Conservation Associates Lynne Brickley Martha Daniels Cohen or above Abbott L. Cummings Architects Jonathan P. Butler Robert E. Buckholz, Jr. and Jane Fearer Safer Edwin N. Cady & Sons R. J. Aley Building Contractors Mr. and Mrs. Charles B. Curtis Lizanne Fontaine Allison Schieffelin Mr. and Mrs. Guido Calabresi Mr. and Mrs. Robert P. Radley H. Daly John Canning & Co., Ltd. Edmund Schmidt Jay E. Cantor Anderson, Jr. Maggie Daly Mr. and Mrs. David G. Carter Marvin & Joyce S. Schwartz Fund Anne Carbone Suzanne Braley ECSU Foundation, Inc. Mr. and Mrs. Fred Clarke Dennis A. Sciancalepore Mr. and Mrs. Joseph E. Sara C. Bronin Dr. and Mrs. Malcolm S. Edgar Connecticut Lighting Center Pamela E. Searle Carbonell, III Nadine Cancell and Craig Curry F. Aldrich Edwards Mr. and Mrs. Robert B. Paul H. Serenbetz Fred A. Cazel, Jr. Chubb & Son Mr. and Mrs. Michael Elgee Dannies, Jr. Anita M. Shaffer Center Development Crosskey Architects, LLC Elmore Design Collaborative, Inc. Mr. and Mrs. Joel N. Davis Mr. and Mrs. Robert Steinbaum Corporation James K. Day and Linda Fercodini Mr. and Mrs. John Deans Bonnie and Shaun Sullivan Citizens Restoring Congamond Theresa M. Kidd Sally Ferguson Leroy Diggs Michael S. Thomas City of Bridgeport Theodore F. Ells Fitzgerald & Halliday, Inc. Faesy-Smith Architects, PC Bill and Christine Tocchi The Clancy Ovian Family Margaret McCutcheon Faber Jacqueline Fowler Mr. and Mrs. John Fath Leland Torrence Enterprises Mr. and Mrs. Herbert T. Clark, III Walter M. Fiederowicz Lynn Friedman Steve Feldman Mr. and Mrs. Francis X. Walsh Laura B. Clementsen Mr. and Mrs. David Findlay Pam and Paul Gallagher J.P. Franzen and Assoc., Architects Winokur Family Foundation Michael D. Coe Stanley G. Fullwood Gilley Design Associates, LLC Bruce Fraser Katherine Wilshire and Colleen Colbert General Cologne Re Mr. and Mrs. Richard B. Gould Charles Frosh Christopher Jones Mr. and Mrs. John H. Cole Gregg, Wies & Gardner Roe Granger Melanie Ginter and John Lapides Scott and Missy Wolfe William G. Conway Architects James K. Grant Associates Thomas B. Gorin Mr. and Mrs. Joe Zaring James H. Cropsey Michael Grunberg Steuart Gray H. Clark Griswold Andrea K. Cross Halloran and Sage Greater Litchfield Preservation Gulick & Spradlin, Renovation Heritage Partners, Dorothy E. Curran Mr. and Mrs. John E. Herzog Trust Contractors $100 or above Mr. and Mrs. Edward A. Currie William Hosley and Rowan A. Greer H. D. Segur Custom Copper Christine Ermenc H. Pearce Real Estate Steven J. Adamowski Helen and Edmund Higgins Carol Davidge Kronenberger and Sons Hartford Preservation George W. Adams, III Mr. and Mrs. Jon T. Hirschoff MaryLou Davis, Inc. Restoration, Inc. Alliance, Inc. Agricola Corporation Eric Jackson Chimney Barbara S. Delaney Marta Jo Lawrence Harold Heck Jeffrey Alexander and Paulette C. Kaufmann Mr. and Mrs. Philip C. Dennehy Susan and Peter Lawrence James Heym Morel Morton Mr. and Mrs. Harvey L. Koizim Mr. and Mrs. Frank C. Derato Charles T. Lee Christopher Holbrook Deborah Mattison Angotti Mr. and Mrs. Lee G. Kuckro Design Associates, Inc. Henry Lord Adrienne Farrar Houel Fauzia Ansari Mr. and Mrs. Garry Leonard John Dixon Rebekah MacFarlane Virginia W. Hughes The Architects Ruth Lord Barbara Donahue Malvezzi Quality Construction, Ina Jaffee Mary B. Arnstein Linda Lorimer Mr. and Mrs. James Donnelly LLC Charles E. Janson Mr. and Mrs. Alan Aronow Melanie Marks Nena Donovan-Levine Mayo Crowe, LLC Johnson Millwork, Inc. Austin Patterson Disston Jim McLaughlin Mr. and Mrs. Henry E. Dunn, III Jeffrey Morgan Jean R. Kelley Architects, LLC Mrs. Robert B. O’Reilly Mark S. Dunn, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Edmond N. Morse Matthew Preston Mr. and Mrs. Frank Kenna Babbidge Facilities Construction Edward W. Munster Meghan and George Knight Company, Inc. continued on page 14

Connecticut Preservation News, March/April 2009 13 Preservation Circle, cont’d from page 13

Jared Edwards Gardner Graves Mr. and Mrs. Arthur L. Lathrop New Hartford Historical Society Lincoln Sander Alberta Eiseman Thomas Gribbin Molly Le Van Herbert S. Newman Sanford and Hawley Andrea Endresz-Vlachos Marion Griswold Charles N. Leach, Jr. Norfolk Historical Society Marianne Scandone Enviro Science Consultants, Inc. Robert W. Grzywacz Mr. and Mrs. Jack Leonardo Noyes Vogt Architects Philip H. Schaeffer and Helene Epifand Albert Hadley Mr. and Mrs. Lee H. Levey AIA Patricia M. O’Donnell FASLA, Irene S. Auerbach Silvia F. Erskine Associates, LLC Mr. and Mrs. Robert H. Hall Lindy Farms of CT, LLC AICP Mr. and Mrs. Robert H. Schaffer Mary A. Falvey Harbur Architectural Douglas D. Logan Old House Parts Company Schall & Staub Farmington Canal Rail-to-Trail David D. Harlan Architects, LLC LS Remodeling, LLC Olde New England Salvage Anne Schenck Association Patricia Harper Charles T. Lyle Company John A. Seel Gerald E. Farrell, Jr. Karsten Harries Catherine Lynn and Jerry G. Olson and Vivian Stanley Mark Serchuck Rudy J. Favretti Robert J. Harrity, Jr. Vincent Scully Mr. and Mrs. Cormac O’Malley Shanley Associates Linda Feczko Robert E. Hatch, AIA Martha Lyon Landscape Michael E. Pakalik Mr. and Mrs. Jack W. Shannahan Mr. and Mrs. Eric Ferguson Christopher Healy Architecture, LLC David Scott Parker Interiors, LLC Judith W. Miller Shanner Mr. and Mrs. Erik Fiebert Robert L. Heckart Bernard Lytton Bruce B. Peabody Mr. and Mrs. John W. Sheppard, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Robert H. Roger Herriman and Megan MacDonald Perkins & Cady Rob Simmons Finkelstein Greg C. Graml Mr. and Mrs. Timothy MacDonald Edith Pestana Marty Skrelunas Fischer Excavating, Inc. Richard Hershner Deborah MacFarlane Mr. and Mrs. Joseph F. Pierz Robert H. Smith, Jr. Juana Flagg David Francis Higgins Mr. and Mrs. David Malloy Plumb Memorial Library Mr. and Mrs. John R. Stevens Mr. and Mrs. William J. Foltz Historical Perspectives, Inc. Mr. and Mrs. John C. Martin Debra Pond Mr. and Mrs. Ronald G. Susan G. Foote Historical Society of the Town Susan B. Matheson Michael Price Strackbein Mr. and Mrs. Laurence M. Ford of Greenwich Dr. and Mrs. F. Taylor Mauck Quality Mechanical Corp. Adele Strelchun Fortress Fiduciary Company, LLC Mr. and Mrs. Al Hollingsworth Mrs. Richard Mazan Ruth Anne Ramsey R. Lee Stump Emil Frankel Lisa K. Holmes Mr. and Mrs. David A. McCauley Ratner Architects, P.C. Suzio / York Hill Fusco Corporation Alice W. Houston Jean and John McClellan Regional Water Authority Richard Swibold John Gaddis and Toni Dorfman Hudson Valley Preservation J. Bard McNulty Reilly Inspections Tarrywile Park & Mansion Roger E. Galliher Richard L. Hughes, III Medpaint, LLC Mr. and Mrs. Paul W. Reiss Susan K. Tepas Robert Garrey Mary B. Hobler Hyson Middletown Plate Glass Joan W. Rhame Renard Thompson Robert T. Gault Mark S. Ingalls Anita L. Mielert Mr. and Mrs. Edwin T. Rice Alexander L. Thomson Gibble Norden Champion Brown Innerglass Window Systems Vacek Miglus Rice, Davis, Daley & Krenz, Inc. Mr. and Mrs. Terry J. Tondro Consulting Engineers, Inc. Mr. and Mrs. John W. James Frances L. Miller Mr. and Mrs. Norman Rich John B. Toomey, Jr. Marion Gilbert Sally S. Johnson Edward T. Mohylowski Betty Richards Mr. and Mrs. David T. Totman Alfred H. Gildersleeve Stephen J. Joncus, AIA– Barry Montgomery Robert B. Hass Family Arts Tour de Force Designs Aline C. Gillies Architects Monument Conservation Library Trinity College Library Nancy S. Gilliland Margaret M. Jones Collaborative Mr. and Mrs. Walter G. Rodiger, Jr. George B. Uihlein Karyn Gilvarg Josef Custom Ironworks Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Morris James W. Rook and Roberta Vincent Barbara A. Glista, MD Bill Kapura Building Contractors, Beverly B. Mosch Susan Ackerman G.H. Wayne, Jr. Michael Glynn Architects Inc. P.L. Mountzoures, Inc. Stewart G. Rosenblum Wendy Weaver Chaix Susan Gobel Haik Kavookjian Gay Myers and Lance Mayer Mary B. Rousseau Wertheimer & Associates Mr. and Mrs. F. Lawrence Karen Kelsey Mystic River Foundry, LLC Elizabeth and Richard Rumohr West Haven Historical Society Goodwin Jr. Diane Keune Beth Nelson John Russell West River Restoration Mr. and Mrs. Donald Gordon Bill Kraus Nelson & Edwards & Company The Russell Agency, LLC Mr. and Mrs. Gary J. Westerman Kevin Gough and Paula Jones John J. Kriz James J. Ryan Westville Village Renaissance Landmark Facilitaties Group, Inc. Alliance

Preservation Circle JOIN THE CONNECTICUT TRUST! ■ Chairman’s Circle $ 1,000 ■ Preservation Patron $ 500 Name ■ Mr. ■ Mrs. ■ Ms. ■ Miss ______■ Circuit Rider Sponsor $ 250 ■ Heritage Partner $ 100 Street______

Basic Membership City ______State ______Zip______■ Business $ 100 Telephone (______)______■ Non-profit/Municipal $ 75 ■ Family $ 50 Email______■ Individual $ 40 Employer (for matching gift program)______

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14 Connecticut Preservation News, March/April 2009 New Listings, cont’d from page 4

Ellen R. Wigren In-kind Donations these ventures increasingly came from to use federal and state historic rehabili- Christopher Williams Agricola Corporation out-of-state sources. tation tax credits in the conversion. In Architects, LLC Martha and Jim Alexander In the 20th century, many of December 2008 the company also gave Avril Winks R.J. Aley Building Connecticut’s textile mills were acquired a preservation easement on Mill 1 to the Mrs. C. G. Wiswell Contractors Mr. and Mrs. David Wolfram Chip and Chrissy Baird by oligopolies that were national or Connecticut Trust. Ruth Woodford international in scope; the Clark Thread Jay Bright —adapted from the National Register Richard T. Wright Elizabeth Mills Brown Mill became one of the holdings of the nomination, by Bruce Clouette, Christopher Wuerth J. Barclay Collins, II American Thread Company in 1901. Restoration Contractor Archaeological and Historical Services, Inc. Crosskey Architects American Thread operated the mill Yale University Gregg, Wies & Gardner Judge Dianne E. Yamin Architects until the late 1930s, at which time local Yankee New England Real David. D. Harlan Architects investors bought the property. It contin- Estate Historic New England ued in use for thread production for a Prudential Barbara Young Jean McKee time but by 1962 had been converted to Connecticut Realty Robert Zanlungo, Jr. New Canaan Historical light industry and storage. 98 Park Street Martin Zeiser Painted Society New Canaan, CT 06840 Finishes, LLC New Canaan Preservation The Clark mill also typifies the 203 322-1400 Margaret Zellers Alliance industrial architecture of the period. 203-966-7970 x4036 Darlene Zimmermann E.M. Rose In the late 19th century, to meet the 800 778-6228 x4036 Mr. Bob Zoni expectations of fire-insurance providers, Fax 203 972-6157 a standard form of textile mill emerged, [email protected] “I know Matching Gifts Great care has been taken to Organizations characterized by masonry construction, antique ensure that all donations are Tom Nissley houses, Aetna Foundation, Inc. accurately acknowledged. If an internal framing using massive timber Sales Executive AT&T error has been made, please members, long and narrow proportions, and others, (Member, CT Trust) Bank of America notify our office. flat roofs, and wide windows. too!” Deutsche Bank The mill was severely damaged by Gartner the Hurricane of 1938, which blew off An independently owned and operated Member of the Prudential GE Foundation Please remember Real Estate Affiliates, Inc. half the top story. Instead of rebuilding, IBM International the Connecticut Foundation the owners simply decked over the Trust in your will. Pfizer Foundation third story as a roof and enclosed the Random House, Inc. remainder of the fourth story with The Stanley Works Unilever United States frame construction. The hurricane also Foundation, Inc. damaged some of the subsidiary build- United Way ings on the site: the roof monitor of the former power house and the third story of the storehouse were both blown off and never rebuilt. The Clark Thread Mill is currently slated for conversion to residential use by POKO Management Corporation of Port Chester, New York. POKO hopes IO #:A66249 Date:07/20/07 Day:FRI Size:2X3 Cust:ERIC JACKSON CHIM- NEY Salesperson:36 Last Edited By:SNICASTRO Pub:A-OTHERS Tag Line: FREE AD Color Info: WE SELL OLD LIGHTS Bring new life We buy and sell restored antique lighting to old chimneys FEATURING thermocrete©, an at good prices efficient, cost effective sprayable We offer a wide variety of period lighting from the late 1800s through the 1930s – cement system for enhancing the Victorian Arts & Crafts, Art Nouveau and more.Whether it’s an amazing chandelier for safety of old, unlined chimneys. It has a lifetime warranty and is your dining area or an unusual sconce for the bedroom, no one works harder than we do tested to UL Standards. Excellent to create that perfect look. references throughout Southern You’ll love our lights New England. See our website WE GUARANTEE IT! www.thermocreteusa.com

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Connecticut Preservation News, March/April 2009 15 Hartford Courant THIS ADVERTISEMENT IS SCHEDULED FOR PUBLICATION PLEASE FAx CORRECTIONS TO: AT HOME 860-241-6797 or Please 12 pm TUESDAY 860-241-3325 Respond PHONE: 860-241-3713 OR 860-241-6396 Before: PRIOR TO PUBLICATION TOLL FREE: 1-800-524-4242, ExT. 3713 OR 6396 Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation NON-PROFIT ORG. 940 Whitney Avenue U.S. POSTAGE Hamden, CT 06517-4002 PAID NEW HAVEN, CT Phone: (203) 562-6312 PERMIT NO. 72 Fax: (203) 773-0107 Email: [email protected] Web: www.cttrust.org Address Service Requested Forwarding and Return Postage Guaranteed

John Leeke’s Historic HomeWorks™ Practical Wallpaper Treatment We just bought an old house with a recently papered front hall. We would like to paint over the paper, since pulling down the paper will probably reveal some deteriorating areas of the old plaster wall. The paper seems to be very heavy duty, vinyl-like. Is painting over wall paper really such a no-no? —J. Wright, Jamaica Plain, Mass. The standard for best appearance is to remove old wallpaper before painting or applying new wallpaper. But, you have to determine for yourself when it makes sense to break the rules. Test your methods and materials by painting a section of wall to see how it comes out. Shine a light at a low angle across the painted surface to make surface irregularities and texture show solid or hollow-bored shafts are known as “checks.” up. This is especially important if you have wall-sconce lighting. Begin by cleaning any old putty or paint out of the cracks or If you decide to remove the paper and then paint, keep in checks. Fill minor cracks or checks (1/16” or less) with caulk. mind that many plaster walls were intended for wallpaper and Larger checks need special consideration. Fill wider checks on only roughly finished. They may require extensive preparation or solid or hollow-bored shafts with a flexible sealant, such as high- full skim coating to make a surface smooth enough for painting. performance caulk, that will allow for the inevitable movement of Painting or adding another layer of paper leaves the old paper the wood. Never try to close a check by any method of clamping. and plaster in place which could be considered very good pres- It is impossible to close checks on solid shafts and you may crack a ervation by protecting and keeping the historic materials in their hollow-bored shaft. original location. Stave-joint separation of less than 1/8” can often be re-glued and filled with epoxy materials formulated especially for wood. Porch Column Cracks These two-part adhesives and fillers form a long-lasting weather We operate a bed-and-breakfast in an historic house. The porch has resistant bond. After application the joints can be drawn together six eight-foot tall Ionic columns made of wood. The shafts of the col- with band clamps. umns have several vertical cracks, otherwise the columns are in good If cracks or checks are wider than 1/4” it may indicate struc- condition.” —Lincoln, Nebraska tural problems. Call in a knowledgeable professional to assess con- These cracks can often be repaired with the shaft right in ditions and make recommendations. For more on repairing wood place. First determine how the shaft is constructed. If the cracks columns read the Practical Restoration Report, “Exterior Wood are straight and parallel to each other the shaft is hollow and Columns.” You can obtain a copy of this 20-page report by send- stave-built like a barrel. The crack develops over time as the ing $11.95 to the address listed below. joints between the staves separate. If the cracks are irregular John Leeke is a preservation consultant who helps homeowners, contractors and and spiral around the shaft lightly, the shafts are probably solid architects understand and maintain their historic buildings. You can contact him at 26 Higgins St., Portland, Maine, 04103; or by E-mail: johnleeke@ wood, but may be hollow-bored from solid tree trunks with most HistoricHomeWorks.com; or log onto his website at: www.HistoricHomeWorks.com of their core drilled out leaving a shell 1” to 2” thick. Cracks in © Copyright 2005 John Leeke

16 Connecticut Preservation News, March/April 2009