Technical Assistance Grants Fund Projects across Connecticut

              The Connecticut Trust awarded $198,216 in Historic Preservation Technical Assistance Grants to non-profit organizations and municipalities from across the state in October.


            The grants are part of a collaborative historic preservation technical assistance program of the Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation, with funding from the Connecticut General Assembly, the Connecticut Humanities Council and the Commission on Culture and Tourism. They support efforts that help communities plan for the preservation, restoration and rehabilitation of historic buildings and places.


Connecticut 4-H Development Fund Inc., Bloomfield: preservation plan for the "Mushroom Barn," $4,000. The Fund wants to study the history of this unusual agricultural building and explore adaptive use, including possible educational programs. 

Town of Bolton: preservation and restoration plan for the Heritage Farm House and Barn, $10,000. Recommendations for repairs, suggestions for adaptive use, and an archeological study are planned for this farm, listed on the National Register and designated a State Archeological Preserve.

Burlington Historical Society Burlington: designs for sympathetic addition to the Brown-Elton Tavern, $7,900. The addition will house offices and bathrooms, allowing restoration of additional spaces in the tavern itself to their original appearance. The tavern is listed on the National Register.  

Canton Historical Society, Canton: preservation and renovation plan for the Canton Historical Society Museum, $13,850. Renovation will make the museum, originally part of the Collins axe company, more visible and improve its accessibility. The building is part of the Collinsville National Register district.  

Stanley-Whitman house, Farmington: updated historic structure report, $7,000. Updates will include a maintenance plan for this National Historic Landmark, dendrochronology (see CPN, March/April 2006) to determine more accurately the construction date, and a symposium to publicize the results. 

Historical Society for the Town of Greenwich: local historic district study for the Sachem Road area of Cos Cob, $2,800. Formation of a local historic district is seen as a way to preserve the architectural and historic character of this neighborhood. 

Hamden Historical Society, Hamden: State Register and State Archaeological Preserve nominations for Jepp's Brook Mill site, $3,361. This historic industrial site once included a grain mill, two saw mills, and a distillery. 

First Church of Christ, Hartford: capital needs assessment, $8,000. This study will allow the congregation to create an appropriate maintenance plan for its meeting house, listed on the National Register, and parish house. 

Hartford Preservation Alliance, Hartford: training workshops, $2,000. Six workshops will help building owners and contractors comply with Hartford’s new preservation ordinance, which protects more than 4,000 buildings. 

Milford Historical Society, Milford: historic structures report and restoration plan, $7,500. The society hopes to understand better its three museum houses—the Eels-Stowe house (listed on the National Register), the Clark-Stockade house, and the Bryan-Downs house—and plan for their maintenance.  

Westville Village Renaissance Alliance, New Haven: restoration plans for the Miles Elezar Hotchkiss house, $25,000. WRA bought this abandoned Greek Revival structure to save it from demolition and hopes to redevelop it for community and educational activities. 

Area Cooperative Educational Services,New Haven: preservation plan for the Little Theatre on Lincoln Street, $25,000. Plans for this theater, listed on the National Register, include updated systems and production technology, improved accessibility, and a sympathetic addition.  

New Haven Preservation Trust, New Haven: strategic plan, $6,000. The Preservation Trust will hire a consultant to facilitate strategic planning.  

Connecticut College, New London: historic structure report and National Register nomination for the Steel House, $7,000. The college plans to develop a stabilization plan for this rare prefabricated house erected in 1933 and explore possibilities for adaptive use. 

New London County Historical Society, New London: preservation plan for the Shaw Mansion, $7,500. The society plans to create an accessible bathroom and classroom and find ways to improve environmental conditions in its artifact storage spaces.  

Town of New Milford: structural evaluation and restoration plan for the Larson barn and outbuildings, $9,000. The town is studying ways to use this historic barn and other farm buildings preserved when a high school was built on the property.  

Norwalk Preservation Trust, Norwalk: preservation web portal, $3,105. A dynamic, interactive website will connect the general public with the local preservation community.  

Norwich Historical Society, Norwich: historic neighborhoods presentation, $6,000. The presentation, on the character, architecture and history of Norwich neighborhoods, is seen as a way to build community pride and promote preservation.  

Roxbury Historic District Commission, Roxbury: National Register nomination for the Roxbury railroad station, $3,000. The nomination will document the history of the station and surrounding buildings and encourage appropriate new use.  

Christ Church Episcopal, Sharon: evaluation of exterior brick, $7,200. A specialist will be hired to investigate the causes of deteriorating locally-made bricks at the church and other buildings in Sharon, and to recommend solutions.  

Sherman Library Association, Sherman: expansion plans, $10,000. The design will link the library with an unused barn, which will be adapted as a meeting space. The Library is a contributing resource in the Sherman National Register district.  

Wethersfield Historical Society, Wethersfield: historic structure report and preservation plan for the Captain James Francis house, $20,000. Careful study will help the society restore and interpret this house, a contributing resource to the Wethersfield National Register district.  

Woodbridge Conservation Commission, Woodbridge: preservation and restoration plan for the Massaro farm, $3,000. The commission plans to restore the farmhouse and barn on this town-owned property as a working community-supported farm.