Preservation News March/April 2008 Volume XXXI, No. 2

Norwalk’s Grumman-St. John house in 2006 and 2008. Tod Bryant Victory in Norwalk dvocates of preserving the Grumman-St. John house inn or else expanded the inn on its present site and allowed the A scored a victory on February 6, when state Superior house to be sold for other purposes. Court Judge Thomas Nadeau granted a temporary injunction While none of these alternatives provided the full number of against demolition of the house. The judge found that there were rooms that Handrinos wished to build, Judge Nadeau concluded “prudent and feasible alternatives” to tearing down the 200-plus that they had the potential to provide a reasonable return. “It is year old structure, a contributing resource to the Norwalk Green true that all of the alternatives represent fewer new rooms than National Register district. In 2006 the Connecticut Trust listed defendant sought,” Nadeau wrote in his decision. “This factor the house as one of the Most Important Threatened Historic alone cannot serve to drop alternatives out of the feasible and Places in Connecticut. prudent atmosphere… . Were it otherwise, an applicant could Chris Handrinos, owner of the neighboring Norwalk Inn claim unrealistically high needs in order to brand most posed and Conference Center, bought the house in 2001 in order alternatives imprudent.” to raze it and expand his inn. After resolving a dispute with a Lawsuits under CEPA have been rare and often unsuccess- neighbor, Handrinos obtained a demolition permit in December, ful, so this decision is welcome to preservationists, particularly 2006. Demolition was opposed by the Norwalk Preservation continued on page 4 Trust, which brought suit under the Connecticut Environmental Protection Act. This law allows suits to prevent the unrea- sonable destruction of historic resources. The Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism later joined the suit, In This Issue... and the Connecticut Trust and the National Trust for Historic ______Preservation filed a joint Friend of the Court brief. ______Around the State 6 At a hearing held in January, 2007, the preservationists called two preservation architects, one also a developer, who presented ______New National Register Listings 10 several alternatives that either converted the house to part of the Antiquity and Weathering 12

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

From the Executive Director

n June of 2001 the Connecticut Circuit Riders to their staffs. spring is Hallock Svensk from Fairfield. I Trust, in partnership with the Given our experience and success with A 2007 Phi Beta Kappa, magna cum laude National Trust, launched the Connecticut the program, the Connecticut Trust has graduate of Williams College, Hallock is Circuit Rider Program. The program, mod- been asked to guide and assist in developing assisting us with our grants and awards eled on one developed in Vermont two program descriptions, guidelines and goals. programs. He has also agreed to take on years before, aims to provide immediate, Recently, Circuit Rider Greg Farmer and I the responsibility of grassroots coordina- on-site preservation assistance to commu- participated in meetings with Preservation tor for the Face of Connecticut legisla- nities across the state. Many of you have and the Northeast Office tive campaign. Funding for that posi- benefited from the services of our Circuit of the National Trust to try to develop a tion comes from the National Trust for Riders over the years. For the Connecticut model that will allow us to identify clear Historic Preservation Northeast Office’s Trust, their work has allowed us to reach goals and outcomes for the Circuit Rider Intervention Fund. For more information more broadly and in more depth around program and to give guidance on how to on the Face of Connecticut campaign, the state and to demonstrate that historic measure success. We know that here in please visit www.faceofconnecticut.org. preservation practices are key tools for com- Connecticut we have been in almost every —Helen Higgins munity development and community pride. town and city since 2001. Our Circuit Last spring, the National Trust Riders have assisted in hundreds of projects. announced a major grant fund, the Wilson What we have not evaluated is the outcome Upcoming Meetings of the Challenge, to be offered to local and of their work. At the meeting in Boston Connecticut Historic statewide partners of the National Trust we all agreed that the ultimate outcome of Preservation Council to develop Circuit Rider programs nation- all Circuit Rider work should be “historic April 2, 2008, at 9:30 a.m. wide. The National Trust has received 29 places used and appreciated.” May 7, 2008, at 9:30 a.m. applications, which suggests that we will To view the most recent work of Greg see this model of preservation service begin Farmer and Brad Schide, our Circuit All meetings take place at the Commission on Culture and Tourism, to spread across the country. Already, New Riders, please visit www.cttrust.org, search 1 Constitution Plaza, Hartford Hampshire and Massachusetts have added for Circuit Rider Program and then look For more information call for the link to Circuit Rider reports, 2008. (860)256-2800 Joining us at the Trust this winter and

The Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation is a nonprofit statewide membership organization established by a special act of the State Legislature in 1975. Working with local preservation groups and individuals as well as with statewide organizations, it encourages, advocates and facilitates historic preservation throughout Connecticut.

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, Jeffry Muthersbaugh, Chairman, Bethel Natalie Ketcham, Redding Hamden, Connecticut 06517. Publication is Walter Fiederowicz, Vice Chairman, Litchfield Edith Pestana, Hartford made possible by support of the members of the Connecticut Trust for Historic Adrienne Farrar Houel, Secretary, Bridgeport Advisory Council Preservation and by funds provided through Edmund Schmidt, Treasurer, Darien William R. Crowe, Canton the Community Investment Act, Public Act Stanley G. Fullwood, Assistant Treasurer, Jared Edwards, West Hartford 05-228, Connecticut Commission on Culture & Tourism, State of Connecticut, M. Jodi Rell, North Granby Gerald Farrell, Jr., Wallingford Governor. The contents and opinions stated Additional Members of the Mimi Findlay, New Canaan herein do not necessarily reflect the views Board of Trustees John Herzog, Madison and policies of the State of Connecticut. The PRODUCING CUSTOM MILLWORK FOR Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation Martha Alexander, New Haven Lee Kuckro, Wethersfield assumes no responsibility for the CONNECTICUT CONTRACTORS AND Joan Carty, Bridgeport Stephen S. Lash, Stonington advertisements. HOMEOWNERS FOR OVER FIFTY YEARS William W. Crosskey, II, AIA, Bolton Charles T. Lee, Greenwich This program receives State financial assis- Leroy Diggs, Danbury Peter Malkin, Greenwich tance for identification and protection of historic properties. Under Title VI of the Inger McCabe Elliott, Stonington Cesar Pelli, New Haven Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 504 SPECIALIZING IN PERIOD WOODWORK Margaret Fezcko, Westport The Hon. , Goshen of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the U.S. Lynn Friedman, Madison John W. Shannahan, Suffield Department of the Interior prohibits WINDOWS • DOORS • ENTRANCES discrimination on the basis of race, color, Glenn Geathers, Hartford Staff national origin, or handicap in its federally MOLDINGS • BALUSTRADES Kristin Hawkins, Hamden Helen Higgins, Executive Director assisted programs. If you believe you have Bill Hosley, Enfield been discriminated against in any program, Christopher Wigren, Deputy Director activity, or facility as described above, or if you PANELING • TURNING • CARVING Charles Janson, Darien Pamela Gallagher, Director of Development desire further information, please write to the Theresa Kidd, Haddam Brad Schide, Connecticut Circuit Rider Office for Equal Opportunity, U.S. Department Ralph Knighton, Bloomfield of the Interior, Washington, D.C. 20240. Gregory Farmer, Connecticut Circuit Rider 222 QUARRY HILL ROAD James McLaughlin, Durham Jane Montanaro, Membership Services © 2008, Connecticut Trust for Historic Edward W. Munster, Haddam Preservation. All rights reserved. HADDAM NECK Todd Levine, Peservation Services ISSN 1084-189X Donald Poland, Hartford Elizabeth Hart Malloy, EAST HAMPTON, CT 06424 George Purtill, Glastonbury Website Content Manager Judith Miller Shanner, Bridgeport Hallock Svensk, Intern PHONE: 860 267-4693 FiFi Sheridan, Greenwich Adele Strelchun, North Canaan Connecticut Preservation News FAX: 860 267-1611 John B. Toomey, Jr., Bolton Editor: Christopher Wigren Jane Vercelli, Thompson Editor, Historic Properties Exchange: WWW.JOHNSONMILLWORK.COM Sue Vincent, Thompson Todd Levine Jeanne Webb, Hartford Graphic Design: David Wolfram, Middletown Printing: Kramer Printing, New Haven The Hon. Patricia Widlitz, Guilford

 Connecticut Preservation News, March/April 2008 At the Trust

Two new Trustees have joined the Connecticut Trust’s board. Robinson & Cole & Robinson Environmental Justice Program. At DEP, she was responsible for design, develop- ment and implementation of the second- oldest environmental justice program in the country. She has served on numerous advisory boards and commissions includ- ing, the State’s Commissioner on Human Rights and Opportunities (CHRO), Yale Medical School’s Department of Pediatrics’ Adopt- A- Doc Program, the State Lead Poisoning Prevention Task Force, the State Housing Code Task Force, Christian Community Action, Inc., and the Peabody Museum Associates Council. She has also published government public health assessments, and numerous articles and curriculum on environmental justice. Charles E. Janson, of Darien, is an attor- Edith Pestana was appointed by Governor ney with Robinson & Cole in Stamford, Rell to fill one of three gubernatorial slots where his experience includes common on the board. She received her B.A. and interest community representation of devel- M. S. in Geology from Rutgers University, Prudential opers and associations, commercial pur- where she tutored inner-city students. She Connecticut Realty chases, sales and leasing, real estate secured moved to Houston, Texas, in the mid-1980s 98 Park Street financing, and affordable housing. He has and worked in environmental consulting New Canaan, CT 06840 also worked in museum management and traveling extensible across the country 203 322-1400 203-966-7970 x4036 governmental and municipal approvals where she first became aware of the 800 778-6228 x4036 for land use and environmental matters. environmental inequities in lower socio- Fax 203 972-6157 He has been involved in the renovation of economic and minority communities. [email protected] “I know Rippowam Park Apartments, in Stamford, In 1988 she moved to New Haven and antique and the nonprofit developer Fairfield 2000 subsequently received a Master of Public Tom Nissley houses, Homes Corporation. He has worked with Health from Yale Medical School. In 1990 Sales Executive and others, the Dahesh Museum of Art and its Trustees she began working as an epidemiologist (Member, CT Trust) too!” for more than 15 years as an attorney, for Connecticut Department of Public An independently owned and operated Member of the Prudential directly involved with exhibitions, educa- Health. Since 1994, she has been with the Real Estate Affiliates, Inc. tional and development programs and reno- Connecticut Department of Environmental vation of the museum’s space. Protection as the first Administrator of the A member of the Greenwich, Fairfield For Quality Craftmanship… County, Connecticut and American Bar Associations, he chaired the CBA’s Committee on Affordable Housing and G&J Homelessness and currently serves on the Executive Committee of the CBA’s Real Cabinets Property Section. He is a Trustee of the & Millwork Weir Farm Trust, the national Museum Restoration Experts Trustee Association, and the Darien Land Trust. Since 1996, he has served on the • Historical Restorations Board of Advisors of the Connecticut • Architectural Millwork Quality Improvement Award Partnership. • Libraries / Home Office Janson received his B.A., cum laude, in • Kitchens / Bathrooms English and environmental studies from Williams College and his J.D., with honors, 860-345-3822 from the University of Connecticut.

Connecticut Preservation News, March/April 2008  Victory in Norwalk, cont’d from page 1 TodBryant because Judge Nadeau refused to consider an argument that has been deciding factor in other CEPA cases: the significance of the house. The law, he says, merely requires that a building be listed on the National Register. If property owners believe that a building does not properly qualify for the Register, they must ask the , at the , to de-list it. Unfortunately, judges in other cases have taken it on themselves to deny protection to National Register buildings based on their own determination that the buildings lacked historic significance. Part of the difficulty, as Judge Nadeau noted, is the lack of a clear indication of what the law considers “unreasonable” demolition or what constitutes a “prudent and feasible” alternative. This lack can be remedied either by rewriting the law to outline specific criteria or, as is frequently the case in our legal system, by building a body of decisions that set precedents to guide future decisions. In the Grumman-St. John case, Judge Nadeau set a good precedent by his deci- however, only temporary. Judge Nadeau so it continues to deteriorate. The porch sion that “prudent and feasible” alternatives has found that it seems likely that realistic is collapsing, trim is falling off, and win- to demolition must merely show a reason- alternatives to demolition exist, but the dows stand open, allowing the elements in. able return on investment, rather than the parties still must hold a trial—unless, of The preservationists are considering filing maximum return. Another good precedent course, Handrinos decides to rehab or sell a motion requiring some upkeep until a was the judge’s willingness to look at the house. final decision can be reached. Otherwise, Handrinos’ ability to meet his expansion In the meantime, the decision does not Handrinos just might accomplish his goals on the inn property itself, effectively require that the house be maintained, and demolition after all. lessening the development pressure on the historic house. However, the process itself has con- firmed a bad precedent already seen in the case of the Micheels house in Westport (see CPN March/April 2007) requiring lengthy hearings before imposing even a temporary injunction; in the case of the Grumman-St. John house the delay lasted more than a year. This drawn-out process has left time for the building to deterio- rate. It has also increased the parties’ legal costs, a factor that could discourage other organizations from taking on such lawsuits. It would be better, when a case is filed, to impose an injunction immediately if the plaintiffs appear to have any case at all. Then the judge could review the injunction and move the case to a trial, or else lift the injunction as seems most appropriate. The injunction prohibiting demoli- tion of the Grumman-St. John house is,

 Connecticut Preservation News, March/April 2008 News from the State Historic Preservation Office

Karen Senich to Head Culture and Tourism Commission

overnor M. Jodi Rell has appointed Karen Senich G to be Executive Director of the Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism (CCT). Senich has served as the Commission’s Acting Director since January 2007. Senich, a Middlebury resident, graduated from George Washington University and Tulane University School of Law. She is a member of the Connecticut Bar Association and practiced law for more than nine years prior to working at CCT. The CCT was created in 2003, combining the former Connecticut Historical Commission with state agencies for the arts, tourism and film. The agency provides opportunities for collaboration, coordination and growth among the differ- ent disciplines. in the arts, historic preservation, tourism and film. CCT operates as a grant making agency and the entity charged with promoting Connecticut to travelers. CCT devotes its resources to serving Connecticut’s assets and individuals through funding, technical assistance, and promotion. Governor Rell also appointed Senich to be Connecticut’s State Historic Preservation Officer, the person responsible under federal law for preservation activities in the state.

Karen Senich, the new executive director of the Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism

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Connecticut Preservation News, March/April 2008  Around the State B.Schide

Hartford One of the corporate offices that made this city the insurance capital of the world is the former headquarters of the Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (“Mass Mutual”) in the Asylum Hill area. The company sold its 450,000 square-foot campus to a private investor in 2001, and the site has been vacant ever since. The main building was constructed in 1926 for the Connecticut Mutual Life Insurance Company, to designs by Benjamin Wistar Morris, a fashionable New York architect with close ties to Hartford. Additional sections were added in the 1940s and 1971. The Georgian Revival edifice of brick and limestone is not listed on either the National or State Register. In December The Hartford Insurance Company, located next to the former Mass Mutual complex, announced that it would The former Massachusetts Mutual building, Hartford buy the property and clear it to provide parking for its 7,000 employees. The com- pany says it needs to replace current park- parking now, the company hopes eventu- Suffield ing near the train station. The lease there ally to develop the site as a mixed residen- Designed in 1972 by Connecticut architect is due to expire and apparently will not be tial/retail/office complex. In response to Warren Platner, the town’s Kent Memorial renewed. Without this parking, the com- this, the preservationists argued for keeping Library is at the center of a preservation pany says it may have to leave Hartford, some parts of the building to incorpo- dispute. A town building committee has as Mass Mutual did. The Hartford has a rate in new development, with parking recommended that the building be demol- purchase option and plans to buy the site on site to meet the immediate need. Al ished to make way for a new library that only if it can secure all necessary permits. Shehadi, Acquisitions Manager for the would be larger and fully accessible. An The company has applied for a demolition National Trust’s Community Investment additional factor is lingering resentment permit, which in Hartford triggers a 90- Corporation, helped explain how historic over the construction of a Modernist build- day delay. tax credits could help finance redevelop- ing in Suffield’s center, which is both a Staff members from the Hartford ment. In addition, the Connecticut Trust National Register district and a local his- Preservation Alliance (HPA) and has awarded an Historic Preservation toric district. Connecticut Trust met with representatives Technical Assistance Grant (HPTAG) to Built around a central courtyard, the of The Hartford and with community and the HPA to pay for a State Register nomi- library is a formal, symmetrical design city leaders. While The Hartford wants nation for this site, which is underway. intended to compliment the Colonial and Federal-era buildings of Suffield’s main street. Inside, there are elegant finishes and small nooks to provide private spaces for reading and study. Large windows provide plenty of light. Connecticut Circuit Rider Brad Schide met with the historic district commission, who initially were disposed to approve demolition. However, as a result of the meeting the commissioners came to under- stand the significance of the structure. They wanted to know if there were alterna- tives that would allow the building to be preserved. William Crosskey, an architect and member of the Connecticut Trust’s Board of Trustees, agreed to provide infor-

 Connecticut Preservation News, March/April 2008 mation on possibilities for rehabilitation. Litchfield Unfortunately, the commission got Crosskey presented schematic draw- On December 20, the Litchfield Borough off on the wrong foot at a preliminary ings to the commission and the building historic district commission turned down meeting when the chair, Wendy Kuhne committee at separate meetings in January, plans by Chabad Lubavitch of Litchfield expressed reservations about the early showing how the needs for accessibility County to convert a 19th-century house plans, saying that a Star of David might and additional space could be met while into a synagogue and community center. not be appropriate—even though, as it preserving Platner’s vision—and less expen- The house, built in 1872 and long associ- turned out, the Methodist church a few sively than a new building. This alternative ated with the town’s prominent Deming doors away has one. Amid accusations of set off a round of strongly-worded argu- family, was converted to commercial use anti-Semitism, Kuhne had to recuse her- ments in the media and around town. in the 1980s, but according to the commis- self from future deliberations. If the building committee goes forward sion it retains much of its historic residen- As the atmosphere became more with its plans, the historic district com- tial character. charged, the commission hired John mission will have to approve demolition Chabad proposed to restore many of the Herzan, former National Register coordi- of the existing library. Unfortunately, house’s features, with some modifications nator for the State Historic Preservation proponents of a new building are accusing to make it identifiable as a religious struc- Office and now Preservation Services the commission of obstructionism, even ture, and to construct a large addition on Officer of the New Haven Preservation though no application has yet been made. the rear for, among other things, worship Trust, to comment on the plans. Chabad In the meantime, the Trust is planning space, kitchens, a swimming pool, meeting hired Jared Edwards, FAIA, a Hartford to hold one of its regular workshops for and class rooms, and an apartment for the architect, to champion its design. In addi- historic district commissioners in Suffield rabbi. Any alterations or new construc- tion, a group of neighbors opposed to the in March. It is hoped that this event will tion visible from a public right-of-way are alterations hired a third expert. help commissioners make a thoughtful and subject to approval by the commission, the continued on page 13 informed decision when they are called to oldest of its kind in Connecticut. do so.

Kent Memorial Library, Suffield B.Schide

Connecticut Preservation News, March/April 2008  The Most Important Threatened Historic Places —Updates Courtesy of Robert Nye Robert of Courtesy The Seaside, Waterford The Seaside, Waterford, in an old photograph. (1994) In her State of the State address on February 6, Governor M. Jodi Rell announced plans to halt the ten-year-old process of selling off this historic water- front property. Opened in 1934 as a tuberculosis sanitorium for children, Seaside eventually became a facility for the mentally retarded before it closed in 1995. The complex, largely designed by Cass Gilbert, architect of the U. S. Supreme Court building and a resident of Ridgefield, is listed on the National Register. Once Seaside was declared surplus, the town of Waterford had first chance into buy it, but the town twice declined the offer. As recently as last summer, the state but Healthcare remained confident that it included monies in the budget to secure was negotiating with a potential buyer, the could come to an agreement with the state. the property and to mothball the hand- Farmington-based Healthcare Consulting In announcing her decision, Rell cited ful of historic structures that are stunning Corporation. The proposed sales agreement the state’s interest in responsible growth: in their artistry.” They should have been required that: “Sometimes the responsible thing is to secured and mothballed all along. • the site be used for age restricted not grow, to not develop. For that reason The condition of Seaside and other sur- housing; I will ask our state Department of Public plus state properties that are in the process • the four principal buildings included Works not to sell the Seaside property in of being sold off has long been of concern in the National Register be reused; Waterford. Thirty-six acres of beautiful to preservationists, who have watched sites • five acres, including the entire water- land, fronting along the coast, with the such as Norwich State Hospital in Preston/ front, be set aside for public use; and ocean as a neighbor. A beautiful, scenic Norwich visibly crumbling as the disposi- • the buyer provide a public park and parcel that would be lost to development tion process has dragged on much longer parking at the site, keep the beach forever.” than anticipated. clean, and maintain the seawall, all at A matter of concern is the state of Even more troubling was a comment its own expense. the buildings, which have been vacant that the Governor made during a visit to The agreement set a price of $7.1 mil- for over a decade now. The site is out of Seaside in December. According the The lion, which would go to the Department of public view, and it is uncertain how much Day of New London, Rell speculated that Developmental Services for its group home care the buildings have received, but they the state might ask the National Park program. are sure to be suffering. In her speech, Service to remove the principal building In November the House Government Governor Rell announced that “I have Administration and Elections Committee continued on page 9 rejected the sale on a procedural basis,

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 Connecticut Preservation News, March/April 2008 from the National Register, to clear the ing the Local Historic District (LHD) the added costs of incorporating the his- way for its demolition. The Day reported ruling that allowed the development in toric barn into the new development, but that the governor’s chief spokesman later the first place; the owner of the complex Coccomo has not responded to this offer. said that no decision had been made about simply wants to sell as soon as pos- As of February 15th, Peter Gillespie, razing any buildings and that Rell’s com- sible; and Coccomo’s partners are losing Economic Developer for the Town of ment had merely been one option. patience. Because of this, the developer Wethersfield, reports that Coccomo had may give up on any preservation efforts re-submitted new plans, but those plans Comstock-Ferre barns, or even pull out of the project entirely. did not match the historic barn’s footprint. Wethersfield (2007) The Trust has offered to help the The plans also did not fit the minimum Plans to include part of this historic barn developers apply for historic rehabilita- requirements for the P&Z regulations and complex into new development now seem tion tax credits, which could defray so were rejected. shaky at best. The developer, Thomas Coccomo of Coccomo Brothers Associates, indicated last November that he would consider incorporating the oldest section of the complex into the proposed devel- opment. Coccomo told the Connecticut Trust that he had re-submitted plans to the Wethersfield Planning and Zoning office using schematic drawings prepared by the Trust and Crosskey Architects, although it is not clear that the plans ever made it to the town. Since then, Coccomo has said that he is under extreme pressure to move forward quickly. A neighborhood group is appeal- n Kitchens & Bathrooms n Period Additions n Carpentry & Millwork n Window Restoration n Plaster Restoration n Structural Repairs T.Levine

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Connecticut Preservation News, March/April 2008  New Listings on the National Register B. Clouette For the Common Good

he French author Alexis de that emphasized T Tocqueville famously observed instructing in his Democracy in America (1835) that believers in the Americans are joiners: “In no country in Christian faith, the world has the principle of association rather than been more successfully used or applied sudden conver- to a greater multitude of objects than in sion. Many America. …In the United States associa- congregations tions are established to promote the pub- started their own lic safety, commerce, industry, morality, Sunday Schools, and religion. There is no end which the but in the human will despairs of attaining through countryside the combined power of individuals united interdenomina- into a society.” Three recent listings on tional schools the National Register of Historic Places served entire Union Society of Phoenixville House, in Eastford highlight ways in which residents of rural communities. Connecticut communities formed associa- The records aren’t clear, but it appears Overlooking the tions for common goals. that the Clark family, who owned the little in the town of Haddam, Camp Bethel Depopulation and road widening have house, allowed local groups to use it as represents another form of association, nearly erased the once-thriving mill early as 1880. Even before the Union the camp meeting. Beginning in the late village of Phoenixville, located in the Society was incorporated, the inventory of 1700s, large open-air revivals attracted town of Eastford. One of the village’s few Albert Clark’s estate, drawn up in 1904, crowds who often sought social as much remaining structures is a small, simple mentioned the “Sunday School House & as religious renewal. By the middle of house probably built in about 1806 and Lot.” By 1921 the Society reported five the 19th century, the camp meetings had acquired in 1907 by the Union Society teachers and 22 students who met for an become institutionalized, often with per- of Phoenixville, a group incorporated to hour every Sunday afternoon. manent campgrounds, regular schedules, “maintain and conduct occasional unde- In addition to the Sunday School, the and, increasingly, permanent structures. nominational public religious worship and house served as a community center for In 1877 members of the Life and Sunday School…and any other unsectarian Phoenixville, hosting suppers, Christmas Advent Union, a denomination that religious or social endeavor conducive to parties, and other organizations such as the expected Christ’s imminent return to good morals and the best interests of Boy Scouts, the PTA and the 4-H Club. earth (they are related to the more numer- society.” Use of the building declined after the ous Seventh-Day Adventists) held a camp Sunday Schools grew rapidly in the 1950s, as local industry closed and grow- meeting in Haddam, on land that they United States in the 19th century, a result ing automobile use expanded social outlets. eventually bought and named Camp of changing theological attitudes, pro- In 2002 the Union Society sold the house Bethel. They set up tents in a circle moted by Hartford’s Horace Bushnell, to the town of Eastford, which is trying to around a preachers’ stand and, as the stabilize the building. 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: Bring new life to old chimneys FEATURING thermocrete©, an efficient, cost effective sprayable cement system for enhancing the safety of old, unlined chimneys. It has a lifetime warranty and is tested to UL Standards. Excellent references throughout Southern New England. See our website www.thermocreteusa.com

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10 Connecticut Preservation News, March/April 2008 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 Cunningham Preservation Associates C. Wigren

Camp Bethel, Haddam Greenfield Hill Grange #133, Fairfield camp grew, laid out additional roads radi- The facilities are also used by other groups, The Greenfield Hill Grange #133 was ating from the original circle or paralleling and families vacation at the cottages, many established in 1893 in an agricultural the bluffs along the river. Over the years, of which have been handed down through area of the town of Fairfield whose pri- small cottages replaced the tents, and com- several generations. mary crop was flax. The group erected a munal facilities, including a chapel, board- Agriculture played a central role building in 1897 and enlarged it in 1931, inghouses, and a caretaker’s cottage, also in rural life. In 1867 a group of seven enlarging the stage and adding a kitchen were built. men founded the Order of Patrons of and a wraparound porch. These facilities, Their cottages’ small size and steep Husbandry, more commonly known as the along with beaded wainscot and pressed- roofs evoke the image of the original tents, Grange, intending that the new organiza- metal sheathing inside, made it one of the while their gingerbread ornament cre- tion “would bring the farmers of the coun- most elaborate Grange buildings in New ates a joyous atmosphere. Historian Jan try together in a fraternity which would England. Cunningham points out that the intimate bind them as closely as the Masonic frater- Over the years, the Greenfield Hill setting, small size, and openness of the nity binds its people for the mutual benefit Grange became one of Connecticut’s campground form “a highly organized, and interests of the men who till the soil.” largest and most active, and its building non-hierarchical setting that embodied the The Grange spread through the country, witnessed Grange fairs, dinners, and democratic sensibilities of the community.” establishing state, county and local chap- theatrical productions. The organization’s Today, Camp Bethel is operated by a ters and championing such improvements fair reached its acme in the 1950s; more nondenominational, nonprofit organiza- to rural life and agriculture as rural free than 2,000 attended the 1956 fair, with its tion. An annual camp meeting week is delivery, good roads, and community competitive exhibits of vegetables, food, held every summer, as it has since 1878. farming. flowers, dressmaking and animals. However, as agriculture dwindled the Grange’s populist rural values were less and less in synch with the community’s WE SELL OLD LIGHTS increasingly suburban population. Membership has declined, and We buy and sell restored antique lighting now the organization is nego- tiating to transfer the property at good prices to the Greenfield Hill Village We offer a wide variety of period lighting from the late 1800s through the 1930s – Improvement Society—yet Victorian Arts & Crafts, Art Nouveau and more.Whether it’s an amazing chandelier for another vestige of 19th-century your dining area or an unusual sconce for the bedroom, no one works harder than we do community associationism. to create that perfect look. You’ll love our lights WE GUARANTEE IT! 860-676-2713 (Leave a message if we’re not there) email: [email protected] • OLD LIGHTS ON • Farmington, CT

Connecticut Preservation News, March/April 2008 11 C. Wigren -

. g irnbaum, FASLA, is Founder Charles A. B It It is my hope that as we go forward city, haunting the very ground on which its people trod. It is the most impressive, the most stately, the most solemn, grand, majestic, mournful sight conceivable. Never, in its bloodiest prime, can the sight of a gigantic Coliseum, full and running over with the lustiest life, have moved one heart, as it must move all who look upon it now, a ruin. GOD be thanked: a ruin! and President of the Cultural Landscape Foundation. This is an excerpt from “Philosophies for Cultural Landscapes and Historic Preservation,” Forum Journal 19/3 (Spring 2005): 4-13, itself taken from a longer talk. Complete copies can be obtained from Birnbaum at (202)483-0553 or [email protected] we we broaden our perspective and further integrate our young discipline into the broader design and historic preservation communities. In this process let us look forward and look back to early work that will hold answers and provide the essential inspiration as we grapple with these ambi tious and exciting challenges for the next decades to follow. - - -

March/April 2008 , ews , written more N

reservation P ut c Letters from Italy ti c

onne Visualize the Forum of Rome as you its upper halls, and look down on ruin, ruin, all about it…is to see the ghost of the old Rome, wicked wonderful old To see it To crumbling there, an inch a year; its walls and arches overgrown; its corridors open to the day; the long grass growing in the porches; young trees of yesterday, springing up on its ragged parapets, and bearing fruit: chance produce of the seeds dropped there by the birds who build their nests within its chinks and crannies; to climb into C ponder ponder the following passage from Charles Dickens’ yearsthen 150 ago: was made not to clean the walls, to allow the patina to remain, and to instead man age the lichen population with peacocks. When viewing the balustrade walls in the context of the newly planted shrub and flower beds, one might suggest that the preservation and protection of the weath ered walls have allowed visitors to compre hend that the gardens are in fact the oldest in the country, dating to the late 18th century. discovered were considered rare and worthy of conservation. As a result, the decision At Yale, weathered edges, dirt and edges, lichens weathered give this stone wall an aura of Yale, age that would At be lost if it cleaned were and restored. - - -

- (1993). Here, the(1993). On Weathering: The Life

any resource stewards like

One One project where the antiquity of time This question was addressed by Mohsen Is this patina, or weathering process, Nowhere Nowhere in the Secretary of the

As historic preservation profession MM made—in fact, a number of the lichens before a wholesale cleaning of its Italianate walls was to occur, a chance discovery of an extensive population of lichens was ethical implications. was addressed was the Ajuga Botanical Gardens in Lisbon, Portugal. Here, just suggest we re-think technical problems of maintenance and withdecay, a focused consideration of their philosophical and weathering, and viewing it as a continuing force in the building process, rather than one that is antagonistic to it, the authors that conventional notion of a building’s completeness. In sum, by accepting the inherent uncertainty and inevitability of authors’ central discovery was that weath ering makes the “final” state of construc tion necessarily indefinite, and challenges Mostafavi and David Leatherbarrow in their book of Buildings in Time additive or merely subtractive? Do nature’s forces add to rather than detract from the meaning of a structure or landscape? Interior’s StandardsInterior’s is the concept of pati na or weathering addressed. or or do we aspire to create cleanliness and order? Do we have an adversity to patina? lawn where a compacted, dusty ground plane was once present, do we take into consideration the appearance of the overall property during the period of significance industrial revolution-era soot from a pink granite Gothic church, re-gild a City Beautiful-era statue, or install a manicured in places where they never existed. als, when we remove gritty layers of the for for sponging walls, distressing furniture, and purchasing antique garden statues, benches, and urns on eBay and siting them and landscapes neat, tidy, and clean—this is an intriguing goal when we consider that our visitors often have an affinity their buildings, outdoor art,

and Weathering Weathering and by Charles A. Birnbaum, FASLA Dealing Dealing with Antiquity 12 Litchfield, cont’d from page 7 A Cautionary Tale, cont’d from page 1

Chabad’s architect made several modifi- Historic District, but most are smaller in Brick Wall Exposé cations to the proposed design in response size, scale and mass than the buildings to I understand you’re the man to talk to! My to Herzan’s suggestions. Nonetheless, the which they are attached. Additions to his- wife and I are buying a home in historic Fells commission voted to reject the applica- toric buildings in the district are common- Point of , and we would like to tion, as announced in a decision written by ly less than half the volume of the principal expose some brick on the interior walls. Do James Stedronsky, the commission’s lawyer. residence.” Where the commission had you have any ideas or procedures? In general, the commission commended approved additions equal in size to original —Kevin A. Perkins Chabad for its restoration plans, not- houses, they were visually subordinate, by First determine if an exposed brick wall ing that they “…constitute a historically virtue of lower ground, lower rooflines, or is really what you want. Many historic appropriate enhancement to the house and larger sites where the additions were less masonry buildings were not constructed neighborhood.” However, the commission visible from the street. with the intent of leaving the interior brick rejected the use of double doors on the The commission indicated that it would walls exposed. They were left rather rough façade; the existing door, while not in its approve an addition equal in square footage and unfinished because the builders knew original position, is either the original to the Deming house, which would result they would be covered up with finished door or else one from the same period in a building with more than 6,000 square plaster and woodwork. It became a trend matching many others found in the dis- feet of usable space. in the mid-20th century to expose brick trict. Also rejected was a proposed clock In its presentation, Chabad argued that walls because it cost less than restoring the tower on the roof, which was found to be the First Amendment and the Religious seriously deteriorating plaster and wood- completely different in design from the Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act work that originally covered the brick. monitors or cupolas found on some 19th- (RLUIPA) of 2000, which forbids regula- Many brick walls were exposed, looked century houses and incompatible with the tory bodies from putting undue burdens too ugly, and had to be covered back up historic residential use. on religious practices, overrode the historic at great expense. The trend of exposing The commission stated that it would, district regulations in this case. However, bricks became a “style” of historic building however, approve replacing the glass panels the commission argued that it was ruling renovation. It is still sometimes done even of the present door with stained glass, as solely on the appearance, not the use, of when the finish plaster and woodwork are well as adding cresting to the roof, along the house and noted that it had taken spe- in good condition or could be restored or with a finial or other roof emblem in the cial care not to rule on religious matters or preserved, sometimes at lower cost. form of a Star of David. “While such a to treat Chabad differently from any other Also you may want to consider heating finial and emblem is not historical in applicant. cost and comfort issues. Removing the fin- style, this is an accommodation that the Chabad let pass a deadline to appeal ish plaster and woodwork from an exterior Commission would allow to this Applicant the commission’s decision in state court, wall will increase heating costs and may because of the importance of announcing but there remains speculation that the make the living space less comfortable due the religious, adaptive reuse of the build- group may be planning to sue in federal to drafts and radiational cooling. ing.” court, claiming infringement of its reli- If you still want to expose the brick, The real difficulty was the size of the gious freedom. In previous cases, however, begin by investigating the character of the addition, nearly 20,000 square feet in courts have generally upheld historic bricks. Look through openings that may area and four stories in height, with its district decisions that were consistent, already be in the wall such as those made roofline substantially the same as that of well documented, and dealt only with for heating and electrical fixtures. You may the Deming house. The commission deter- appearance, not use. have to make some openings by cutting mined that this would dwarf C. Wigren through plaster in small areas (perhaps the original house and its 2”x3” or 6”x6”) or carefully removing neighbors, particularly given woodwork. If you find the brick surfaces the tight site. do not look good in these areas it will be The decision notes that much easier to repair this minor investiga- the Secretary of the Interior’s tion damage than if you just started ripping Guidelines “specifically out large sections of the finish walls. Also recommend that when addi- determine the construction of the walls and tions are added to historic consider how you will run electrical line to structures the historic rela- the space and how windows and doors will tionship between buildings be finished off as they meet the bricks. and the open space is to be preserved.” It also quotes John Leeke is a preservation consultant who helps Herzan’s report: “Rear addi- homeowners, contractors and architects understand tions to historic houses are and maintain their historic buildings. You can common in the Litchfield contact him at 26 Higgins Street, Portland, Maine 04103, (207)773-2306; or by email: johnleeke@ HistoricHomeWorks.com; or log onto his website at: Deming house, Litchfield www.HistoricHomeWorks.com. Copyright © 2004 John Leeke

Connecticut Preservation News, March/April 2008 13 The Connecticut Trust’s Preservation Circle Members for 2007 The following people, Chairman’s Circle, Preservation Patrons, Preservation Sponsors, Mr. Richard L. Hughes, III organizations, and $1,000 or above $500 or above $250 or above Mrs. Richard L. Hughes companies gave $100 or Mr. and Mrs. James Alexander R.J. Aley, Building Contractor Mr. and Mrs. Peter Anderson Mr. Charles E. Janson more to the Connecticut Mr. and Mrs. Robert P. Anderson, Bi-Glass Systems Gillian Bearns The Hon. Natalie Ketcham Trust during 2007 Jr. The C.G. Bostwick Company Bring Back Barns Mr. Ralph Knighton The Anderson-Paffard Dr. Lynne Brickley Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence C. Mr. and Mrs. Keith L. Knowlton Foundation, Inc. Mr. Robert E. Buckholz, Jr. and Caldwell Mrs. James G. Leonard Mrs. Alexandra D. Lyman Chairman’s Circle, Mr. Ralph C. Bloom Ms. Lizanne Fontaine John Canning & Co., Ltd. $100,000 or above Ms. Suzanne Braley Ms. Nadine Cancell and Mr. and Mrs. George Castell Ms. Jeanne R. Manning Colonial Restorations Dr. Craig Curry Ms. Wendy Chaix Mr. and Mrs. Leonard H. Mark Connecticut Commission on Mr. William Crosskey Mr. and Mrs. David G. Carter The Clancy Ovian Family Ms. Melanie Marks Culture and Tourism Mr. Theodore F. Ells Mr. and Mrs. Joel N. Davis Cly Del Manufacturing Stephen C. Marshall, LLC Connecticut Humanities Council Mr. Walter Fiederowicz Mrs. Lynn Friedman Crosskey Architects Maurer & Shepherd Joyners, Inc. Mr. and Ms. David Findlay, Jr. Mr. Thomas B. Gorin Mr. and Mrs. Charles B. Curtis Mayor Mike’s Restaurant Chairman’s Circle, Mr. Thomas W. Nissley $10,000 or above Mr. Stanley G. Fullwood Green Demolitions Mr. Radley H. Daly General Cologne Re Mr. and Mrs. John E. Herzog Mr. and Mrs. David W. Old House Parts Company Becker and Becker Associates, Mr. H. Clark Griswold Ms. Adrienne Farrar Houel Dangremond Mr. and Mrs. Cormac O’Malley Inc. Halloran & Sage Mr. Eric Jackson Mr. and Mrs. Robert B. Dannies, Mrs. Robert B. O’Reilly J. Barclay Collins, II Heritage Recruiting Group, LLC Mr. Kenneth Johnson Jr. Mr. Stanley Peck Mr. and Mrs. Peter L. Malkin Mr. William Hosley Johnson Millwork, Inc. Ms. MaryLou Davis Ms. Rosa Primo National Trust for Historic Ms. Marta Jo Lawrence Ms. Theresa M. Kidd and Mr. Anthony J. De Angelo Redding Preservation Society Preservation Mr. and Mrs. Peter Lawrence Mr. James K. Day Mrs. Barbara Delaney Ms. Vanessa Reiman Newman’s Own, Inc. Mr. Charles T. Lee Mr. and Mrs. Lee G. Kuckro Ms. Marion T. DeTour Mr. Arthur Robertshaw Mr. Henry Lord Landmark Facilities Group, Inc. Mr. LeRoy Diggs Ms. Virginia R. Rollefson Chairman’s Circle, Mayo Crowe, LLC Mr. and Mrs. Lee H. Levey, AIA Dr. and Mrs. Malcolm S. Edgar Mr. Charles S. Rotenberg $5,000 or above Mr. James McLaughlin Mrs. Ruth Lord Mr. Jared Edwards Mr. Rob Sanders The S/L/A/M Collaborative Philip and Betsey C. Caldwell MiddleOak Specialty Mr. and Mrs. David W. Moore Mr. and Mrs. Michael Elgee Architects Foundation. The Middletown Press Mr. Jeffrey Morgan Mrs. Linda Fercodini Mr. and Mrs. Tyler Smith Inger McCabe Elliott Mr. and Mrs. Edmond S. Morse Mr. Edward W. Munster Mr. and Mrs. Eric Ferguson Mr. and Mrs. Steven Snyder Kronenberger and Sons Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects, Inc. Mr. and Mrs. Jeffry E. Ms. Sally Ferguson Mr. John A. Steffian Restoration, Inc. Petra Construction Corporation Muthersbaugh Mr. and Mrs. Erik Fiebert Mr. R. Lee Stump Mrs. Jane K. Talamini Mr. and Mrs. Norman Rich Mr. C. Roderick O’Neil Ms. Juana Flagg Tour de Force Designs Sue Vincent Ms. FiFi M. Sheridan and Mr. Matthew Preston Mr. and Mrs. Laurence M. Ford Mr. Paul Barbian Mrs. Rosina P. Primo Ms. Jacqueline Fowler Mr. Donald Trownsell Mr. James S. Smith Mr. Stephen Ramsey and Mr. Emil Frankel Mr. Theodore Tucci and Ms. Anne Jones Pam and Paul Gallagher Ms. Nancy A. Hronek Ms. Jane L. Schnitzer Ms. Melanie Ginter and Mrs. Martha B. Vida Ms. Ann Sheffer and Mr. John Lapides Ms. Deanne H. Winokur Mr. Bill Scheffler Mr. and Mrs. Richard B. Gould Mr. and Mrs. Wick York Mr. and Mrs. Gary J. R. Singer Mr. Rowan A. Greer Union Savings Bank Mr. Peter Gulick Jane and Peter Vercelli Mr. and Mrs. Jon T. Hirschoff Hon. Patricia Widlitz Mr. and Mrs. Al Hollingsworth Mrs. Alice Houston

Preservation Circle JOIN THE CONNECTICUT TRUST! ■ Chairman’s Circle $ 1,000 ■ Preservation Patron $ 500 Name ■ Mr. ■ Mrs. ■ Ms. ■ Miss ______■ Circuit Rider Sponsor $ 250 Street______■ Heritage Partner $ 100 City ______State _____ Zip______Basic Membership Telephone (______)______■ Business $ 100 ■ Non-profit/Municipal $ 75 Email______■ Family $ 50 Employer (for matching gift program)______■ Individual $ 40 ■ Check enclosed (payable to “Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation”) You can join the Charge my: ■ Mastercard ■ Visa ■ American Express Mail to: Connecticut Trust 940 Whitney Avenue online too, at Card Number______Hamden, CT 06517-4002 www.cttrust.org Telephone: (203) 562-6312 Exp. Date ______/______Signature______All contributions are tax deductible.

14 Connecticut Preservation News, March/April 2008 Heritage Partners, $100 Mr. Thomas J. Farnham Ms. Berit Lytle Mr. and Mrs. Robert H. Schaffer Matching Gifts or above Mr. Robert B. Ficks, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Timothy MacDonald Mrs. Anne Schenck Organizations Mr. George W. Adams, III Mr. and Mrs. Robert H. Ms. Anne G. Maletta Schoenhardt Architects Aetna Foundation, Inc. Ms. Mary Ann Agostini Finkelstein Mr. and Mrs. David Malloy Ms. Dori Seamans AT&T Agricola Corporation J.P. Franzen Associates Mr. Paul H. Marlowe Ms. Pamela E. Searle Deutsche Bank Mrs. Deborah M. Angotti Ms. Lynn Fusco Hughes Ms. Susan B. Matheson Mr. John A. Seel Gartner The Architects Mrs. Kristina Gade-Diels Mayor Mike’s Restaurant Mr. Paul H. Serenbetz GE Foundation Architectural Preservation, LLC Mr. Roger E. Galliher Mr. and Mrs. Richard Mazan Mr. and Mrs. Fred Sette IBM International Foundation Mrs. Mary B. Arnstein Ms. Lynne Geane MB Historic Décor Shallenberger Architectural Pfizer Foundation Austin Patterson Disston Gibble Norden Champion Brown Mr. and Mrs. David A. McCauley Design Random House, Inc. Architects, LLC Ms. Marion Gilbert Dr. J. Bard McNulty Shanley Associates The Stanley Works Mr. William Bailey Mr. Alfred H. Gildersleeve Mr. and Mrs. Paul Meade Mr. and Mrs. Jack W. Shannahan Unilever United States Mr. Benjamin M. Baker Ms. Nancy S. Gilliland Middletown Plate Glass Sharon Historical Society Foundation, Inc. Mrs. Ruth K. Balchunas Michael Glynn Architects Company, Inc. Mr. and Mrs. John W. Sheppard, Jr. United Way Mr. Barun Basu Mr. and Mrs. F. Lawrence Ms. Anita L. Mielert Simsbury Main Street Partners Mrs. Margaret W. Becker Goodwin Ms. Frances L. Miller Stanley-Whitman House In-kind Donations Mr. and Mrs. Donald Gordon Mr. Edward T. Mohylowski Mr. and Mrs. Ronald G. Ms. Robin M. Beckett John F. Bolles, III Mr. and Mrs. Timothy R. Beeble Mr. Kevin Gough and Monarch Painting Strackbein Ms. Paula Jones Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Morris Stonington Garden Club Bush-Holley Museum Richard Bergmann Architects Chris and Ken Crooke Mr. Frederick Biebesheimer, FAIA James K. Grant Associates Mr. and Mrs. Norton H. Morrison Ms. Adele Strelchun Mrs. Katherine Green Ms. Gay Myers Suzio / York Hill Scott Goff Ms. Susan Bishop The Family of Harlan D. Griswold Mr. and Mrs. Kurt R. Bissell Mr. Albert Hadley Mystic River Foundry Ms. Susan K. Tepas Ms. Christine Hall Mr. Kenneth Nelson Ms. Lenora Tomporowski William Hosley Bridgeport Public Library Thomas Nissley Jay Warren Bright, AIA Mr. and Mrs. Scott A. Hanley Nelson Edwards Architects Mr. and Mrs. Terry J. Tondro Mr. David D. Harlan New Canaan Historical Society Mrs. Fred W. Toohey Stephen Marshall H.P. Broom Housewright, Inc. New Canaan Historical Society Ms. Barbara D. Bryan Mr. Karsten Harries New London Landmarks Mr. John B. Toomey, Jr. Mr. Robert J. Harrity, Jr. Mr. Herbert S. Newman Mr. and Mrs. David T. Totman New Hartford Historical Society Mrs. Robinson D. Buck New Haven City Hall Building Conservation Associates Mr. Robert E. Hatch, AIA Noyes Vogt Architects Mr. and Mrs. Robert Tranzillo Ms. Kristin Hawkins Ms. Patricia M. O’Donnell, FASLA, Trinity College Library Judith Miller Shanner Mr. and Mrs. Michael S. Burd Bob Valentine Ms. Beth Caldwell Mr. Harold Heck AICP Ms. Terry Twigg Mr. Robert L. Heckart Mrs. Nicholas Ohly Mr. Joseph V. Vallone, AIA Windham Town Hall Ms. Rose Canha Neal Yates Canton Historical Society Mr. Roger Herriman and Mr. Jerry G. Olson and L. Wagner and Associates Mr. Greg C. Graml Ms. Vivian Stanley Wank Adams Slavin Associates, Mr. Jay E. Cantor Great care has been taken to Mr. and Mrs. Joseph E. Carbonell, Mr. David Francis Higgins Mr. Michael E. Pakalik LLP Mr. Christopher Holbrook Mr. David Parisi Mr. and Mrs. William K. Wasch ensure that all donations are III accurately acknowledged. Ms. Gail Carmody Ms. Lisa K. Holmes P.A.S.T., Inc. Mrs. G. H. Wayne, Jr. Mrs. Mary B. Hobler Hyson Mrs. Herbert W. Patterson Ms. Jeanne Webb If an error has been made, Mr. Fred A. Cazel, Jr. please notify our office. Center Development Housing Enterprises, Inc. Mr. Bruce B. Peabody Mr. and Mrs. H. B. Westerfield Corporation Innerglass Systems, Inc. George Penniman Architects, West River Restoration Chapin Park Bed & Breakfast Mr. Mark S. Ingalls LLC Dorothy Whitfield Historical Ms. Janet A. Cianelli Mr. and Mrs. John W. James Pequot Library Society Mr. and Mrs. Herbert T. Clark, III Ms. Sally S. Johnson Mr. and Mrs. James Pfeffer Mr. Carl H. Wies Mr. Michael D. Coe Stephen J. Joncus, AIA - Mr. Glenn S. Pianka Mrs. Ellen Wigren Please remember the Architects Dr. Anne Bingham Pierson Mr. and Mrs. Howard A. Willard Mr. James E. Cohen Connecticut Trust in Mr. and Mrs. Ira G. Colby, III Ms. Lisa Jones Mr. Joseph F. Pierz Ms. Norma E. Williams Mr. and Mrs. John H. Cole Mrs. Hugh M. Jones Mr. Donald Poland Yale University your will. Connecticut Main Street Kaestle Boos Architects Ms. Cynthia Powell Judge Dianne E. Yamin Mr. William G. Conway Mr. Bill Kapura, Building Wayne E. Pratt & Co. Mr. Neal Yates Prof. Abbott L. Cummings Contractor Mr. Michael Price Ms. Barbara Young Ms. Dorothy E. Curran Mrs. Paulette Kaufmann Ms. Ruth Anne Ramsey Mr. and Mrs. Joe L. Zaring Mr. and Mrs. Edward A. Currie Ms. Jean R. Kelley Richbrook Conservation Ms. Margaret Zellers Ms. Carol Davidge Ms. Diane Keune Mrs. John F. Reynolds, III Mr. and Ms. William Zielenbach Mr. and Mrs. Bruce E. Dodson Mr. and Mrs. Harvey L. Koizim Mr. and Mrs. Edwin T. Rice Mr. Bob Zoni Ms. Barbara Donahue Konowitz, Kahn and Company, Ms. Betty Richards Mr. and Mrs. Henry E. Dunn, III P.C. Mr. and Mrs. Walter G. Rodiger, Jr. Mr. Mark S. Dunn, Jr. Mr. Bill Kraus Ms. Julianna Rogalla Mrs. Harold Edwards Jr. Mr. John J. Kriz Mr. Stewart G. Rosenblum Mrs. Alberta Eiseman Mr. and Mrs. Arthur L. Lathrop Mrs. Mary B. Rousseau Ms. Andrea Endresz-Vlachos Dr. Charles N. Leach, Jr. Mr. Richard Rumohr and Enviro Science Consultants, Inc. Mr. and Mrs. Garry Leonard Dr. Elizabeth Rumohr Silvia F. Erskine Associates, LLC Mr. and Mrs. Jack Leonardo The Russell Agency, LLC Dr. Margaret McCutcheon Faber Mr. Henry Link Mr. James J. Ryan Faesy-Smith Architects Mr. and Mrs. Rip Littig Ms. Jane Fearer Safer Ms. Mary A. Falvey Ms. Barbara R. Livingston Mr. Lincoln Sander Farmington Canal Rail-to-Trail Ms. Susan E. Lockwood Ms. Cece Saunders Association Mr. and Ms. John Logan Mr. Philip H. Schaeffer and Ms. Irene S. Auerbach

Connecticut Preservation News, March/April 2008 15 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™ Insulation Retrofit It is worth getting the details right in the first place. The last Last year, we bought an 1850s vintage house in Maine with no thing you should consider is insulating the side walls. Insulation insulation. After paying our oil company too much we want to add in the side walls of an older house can trap moisture within the some insulation. The plaster on the inside appears to be in good wall during the winter, causing superficial damage (exterior shape and the clapboards on the outside are in good shape. Despite peeling paint) as well as significant structural damage (fungal post and beam walls, the wall cavities appear to be only 2 to 3 inches decay). The source of the moisture is usually within the house, thick. We’d prefer to have the installation done from the inside, due to a damp cellar or moisture generated from showers, cook- which I gather isn’t quite “standard” but I’ve never seen a “plug job” ing, etc. This situation is frequently compounded by adding in clapboards that isn’t obvious from 100’ away. vinyl siding, which traps even more moisture within the wall. In —East Boothbay, ME. my experience over the past 25 years about half of the pre-1940 houses with insulation and vinyl siding have excessive moisture If the stud space within your walls is only 2” you may have within the walls, and about 10-15% have developed at least “back plastering” which is a lath and plaster sealing within the some superficial or more serious structural damage. stud space. Ordinary insulation contractors may not recognize this com- Window Weather Stripping plication and may install the insulation so that condensation Some time since 1924, when our house was built, one of the own- occurs within the wall causing moisture damage. Before doing ers tried to fix the counter weight ropes in some windows. They any insulating at all, be sure to do everything you can to limit air left out the zinc guide track which is really necessary to keep the infiltration. Tighten up the exterior weather envelope by repair- wind out when the window is pulled down. This is the usual zinc ing woodwork and caulking open joints between woodwork ele- metal track with a protruding guide rail folded out to accept the ments. Add storm windows (interior or exterior) and refurbish groove cut in the window sides. It is trimmed at the foot to sit over the existing windows if they contribute to the historic character the zinc strip tacked across the bottom. The bottom piece is still in of the house instead of replacing them with plastic windows. In place; I just need side pieces. a 140 year old house this is bound to give you the greatest “bang for the buck.” Then insulate the ceilings above heated spaces. Check with Blaine Window Hardware, 17319 Blaine Dr., This should only be done if the attic spaces above can be Hagerstown, MD 21740, (301) 797-6500, 800 678-1919, effectively ventilated to prevent moisture buildup. Painting www.blainewindow.com. They have an extensive supply of the ceilings with a vapor retardant older window parts and can fabricate practically anything. primer can help prevent moisture Also, Accurate Metal Weatherstripping Co. Inc., 725 S. migrating through the ceilings, but Futon Ave., Mt. Vernon, NY the ventilation is a necessity. One of 10550, (914) 668-6042, may my recent clients in Belgrade Lakes, have your type of weather- Maine, just had extensive ice stripping in stock. Be pre- damming and moisture dam- pared to send samples for an age due to a poorly designed exact match. If you cannot insulation project. She had find an exact match you may to remove most of the insula- end up replacing the weather- tion, take off all the roofing, stripping with a similar type and reinstall it along with an from these same sources. effective ventilation scheme. continued on page 13

16 Connecticut Preservation News, March/April 2008