Connecticut Trust Awards Historic Preservation Technical Assistance Grants: Fall 2010

In November, the Connecticut Trust awarded $144,255.00 in Historic Preservation Technical Assistance Grants. The grants will make possible a total initial investment of $302,145.00 in these historic sites.

The grants are part of a comprehensive historic preservation technical assistance program of the Trust, in collaboration with and with generous funding from the Connecticut General Assembly, the Connecticut Humanities Council, and the Commission on Culture & Tourism, through the Community Investment Act. The grants are intended to encourage and support community efforts in planning for the preservation, restoration, and rehabilitation of historic buildings and places.

In the following list, “NR” means that a building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, “SR” means that it is on the State Register, “NHL” means that it is a National Historic Landmark, and “LHD” means that it is in a local historic district.

Bridgeport, Friends of Seaside Park (co-sponsored by Black Rock Community Center): $7,500 for a conditions assessment of Fayerweather Lighthouse located in Seaside Park. Built before 1840, it is one of the oldest remaining lighthouses in New England. (NR)

Bridgeport, Barnum Museum: $10,000 for structural and environmental assessment of tornado damage. (NR)

Chesterfield, New England Hebrew Farmers of the Emanuel Society: $2,500 for engineering analysis of foundation ruins of a synagogue and creamery and for some landscape planning for this state archaeological site. (SR)

Deep River, Deep River Historical Society: $3,755 for a capital needs assessment of the Stone House and its carriage barn. The house was built in 1840 by Ezra Southworth using local granite; it was added to in 1881 and 1899, the same year that the carriage barn was built. (SR)

Greenwich, Audubon Greenwich: $12,000 for a capital needs assessment of the Benjamin and Zebediah Mead farmhouse (c.1742) located at the Audubon Center.

Hartford, Charter Oak Cultural Center: $5,000 for an energy audit of the Charter Oak Temple. Erected in 1876, it was the first building in Connecticut constructed as a synagogue and now serves as a community center in a multi-ethnic neighborhood. (NR)

Hartford, Church of the Good Shepherd: $14,750 for ADA and fire safety upgrades to the Caldwell Colt Memorial Parish House. The Romanesque Revival structure was commissioned by Elizabeth Colt and erected in 1895 in memory of her only son. (NR, NHL)

Killingworth, Town of Killingworth: $10,150 to develop a long-range plan for the use and maintenance of the Parmelee Farm by analyzing and documenting the farm’s historic assets, preparing a nomination to the National Register, and determining present and future public uses.

Litchfield, Greater Litchfield Preservation Trust: $19,500 for a conditions assessment and feasibility study for adaptive re-use of the Old Litchfield Jail, which currently is owned by the Connecticut Department of Public Works.  The GLPT hopes to support efforts to return this unique structure to productive use. (NR, LHD)

Mystic, Mystic and Noank Library: $11,000 for plans and specifications for the exterior restoration of the library. Built in 1892-1893 in a transitional style between Queen Anne and Classical Revival, the library is a prominent feature in the Mystic River Historic District. (NR, LHD)

New London, New London Landmarks (co-sponsored by the City of New London): $16,000 for a conditions assessment and feasibility study of 147 & 153 Bank Street, aimed at returning these commercial buildings to active use. (NR)

New London, New London Maritime Society: $4,600 for a conditions assessment and preservation plan for the New London Harbor Light (1801), the fourth oldest lighthouse in North America and the oldest on Long Island Sound. (NR)

Town of Newtown; $5,000 for an energy audit of Edmond Town Hall. Begun in 1929, the building is the centerpiece of Newtown’s Main Street and a center of community life. (NR, LHD)

South Kent, South Kent School: $12,500 for an historic structures report of an 18^th-century farmhouse on the former Beard estate. The report will be used to guide the restoration of the house and serve as the basis for involving students in its documentation, research and restoration.

Washington, St. John’s Church: up to $20,000 for a conditions assessment of the exterior of the church, designed in 1917 by Ehrick Rossiter, as well as its rectory and cottage. This assessment is expected to be the first phase of an overall preservation master plan.  (NR, LHD)

For more information on Historic Preservation Technical Assistance Grants, visit www.cttrust.org or call Jane Montanaro at (203) 562-6312.

Originally published in Connecticut Preservation News XXXIV/1 (January/February 2011)