Connecticut Preservation News - Connecticut Trust For Historic ...

Connecticut Preservation News September/October 2017

Volume XL, No. 5

Opportunities for Preservation 2017

Brownfield Land Banks: A New Tool for Community Revitalization and Historic Preservation

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John Poole

By Wayne Bugden

he Connecticut State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) recently held meetings across the state to gather input and advice on its new statewide strategic plan. Not surprisingly, stakeholders at the meetings reported that insufficient funding is a major impediment to preserving historic sites. SHPO representatives say this outlook can be improved by finding strategic partners— organizations whose objectives are aligned with those of historic preservation. Fortunately, a new state program should help foster such partnerships and provide an important new tool in the historic preservation toolbox. continued on page 14

E. Marchitto

Environmental cleanup was key to the redevelopment of the Winchester Lofts (below) in New Haven and Two Roads Brewery (above) in Stratford. New legislation establishing brownfield land banks should make the process easier for other historic sites in Connecticut.

In This Issue:

__________________________________________

Documenting Cemeteries in Woodstock 2 __________________________________________ What Can SHPO Do for You? 4 __________________________________________ High-Speed Railroad: What’s Next? 6 __________________________________________ Around the State 10 __________________________________________ Reusing the Litchfield Courthouse 20 __________________________________________ The Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation is a private, nonprofit organization.

ISSN 1084-189X

Myron O. Stachiw

Opportunities for Preservation 2017 Bradford-Marcy Cemetery, Woodstock

Historic Cemetery Preservation:

The Bradford-Marcy Cemetery Documentation Project By Myron O. Stachiw

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istoric cemeteries are important repositories of local, regional, and national history, and remarkable sources of historical memory and identity. These cemeteries have some protection under federal, state and local statutes and are sometimes recorded on inventories, or placed on state and national registers of historic places. But they are rarely provided the active means of preservation or protection unless threatened by development or destruction involving state or federal funds. Using grant funding generously provided by the Connecticut State Historic Preservation Office, the Woodstock Historic Properties Commission (WHPC) has completed a pilot program to inventory, evaluate, and assess the grave markers in the historic town-owned BradfordMarcy Cemetery. Measuring less than one acre and containing 371 markers with interment dates ranging from 1809 to 1989, the Bradford-Marcy Cemetery is perhaps the least well documented of the nine public or multi-family Euro-American burial grounds established in the town of Woodstock between 1686 and 1906. However, the town has nearly two dozen historic cemeteries within its borders, both privately- and municipally-owned. They contain the graves and historic gravestones of the communities’ diverse former populations—early European settlers and their descendants, and native Americans and African-Americans and their descendants—who have lived, worked, and died in the community. Our objective was to create a model for inventorying, documenting, and managing the surviving gravestones within these cemeteries, and to make this information accessible to anyone

who had access to the internet, be they research historians, descendants, or just people who appreciate historic cemeteries. Another very important goal of the project was the sharing of information about the processes of cemetery research and website development so that it can serve as an inspiration and guide to other communities interested in documenting their own historic burying grounds. An innovative and relatively inexpensive method of surveying and mapping the cemetery was undertaken by historical consultant Raber Associates of South Glastonbury. Peter Lynch, a GIS specialist, conducted the survey of the cemetery with a drone—the DJI PHANTOM 3 PROFESSIONAL QUADCOPTER with integrated global positioning system (GPS) software. He collected low-altitude, complete-coverage, down-looking photographs of the entire cemetery parcel from no more than 50 feet altitude. The photographs were then processed through digital photogrammetry software to produce a high-resolution aerial mosaic and digital elevation model. The GPS data, aerial mosaic, and digital elevation model data were exported to ESRI ARCGIS software and precise gravestone locations were digitized. The result was a map with scaled shapes of markers. In addition, the data obtained from this process allowed the creation of a topographic map of the site, and all at a fraction of the cost that would have been required with traditional ground surveying methods. All gravestones in the Bradford-Marcy Cemetery and the data inscribed on them were field-checked against the Hale Collection of Connecticut Cemetery

Inscriptions and Records, which contains vital information from headstone inscriptions in more than 2,000 Connecticut cemeteries that were recorded in a W.P.A. project directed by Charles R. Hale circa 1932-1935. This allowed checking both for accuracy and to determine if any markers had been lost since the 1930s. All markers were then photographed front and rear and evaluated as to their condition and any preservation issues such as erosion, excessive lichen, cracks or other damage, and repairs made in the past. All this information was entered into a multi-field database. Web design consultant Jim Stratos, of Stratos Studio in Woodstock, worked with the historical consultant and the WHPC throughout the project to properly shape and format the database and photographs for incorporation into the existing Town of Woodstock website. The database and search functions were formatted so that when additional cemeteries in the town are surveyed and digital databases are created, this format could be used again, the new data easily merged and integrated, and added to the existing webpage and database. The Woodstock Historic Properties Commission is continuing to work with the municipality and with private cemetery associations which are stewards of most of the historic cemeteries in town to encourage and foster similar projects on their cemeteries. The WHPC has plans to designate these cemeteries as Local Historic Properties and to obtain designation of the cemeteries as properties on the State Register of Historic Places, thus adding significantly to their preservation visibility continued on page 15

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Connecticut Preservation News, September/October 2017

At the Trust Jason Golden, Plum Island Animal Disease Center

From the Staff

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ummer brings vacations and a more relaxed work atmosphere, yet the Connecticut Trust has remained active throughout the state. In July, the Trust took a group of members to the Plum Island Animal Disease Center. Although the island belongs to New York, it is only ten miles off the Connecticut coast, and the secure federal facility invites small groups to visit as part of its community outreach efforts. On the island, the group viewed historic buildings including the National Register-listed Plum Island lighthouse built in 1869, the late-19th-century Fort Terry army barracks, and associated gun batteries built between 1897 and 1906. The group also got to experience the island’s virtually untouched natural environment and even do a little bird watching as Plum Island is home to over 200 species of birds. The Trust is glad to share this rare opportunity with our members. We hope to repeat the trip next year; stay tuned for the announce-

Connecticut Trust members toured Plum Island Animal Disease Center in July

ment, the tour fills up quickly! Trust staff continues to work closely with our partners at the Connecticut State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO). For the August congressional recess, we made plans to host the state’s U.S. Representatives and Senators at several site visits throughout the state to build support for the Federal historic rehabilitation tax credit. The site visits would allow

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 statewide organizations, it encourages, advocates and facilitates historic preservation throughout Connecticut. Board of Trustees Officers Garry S. Leonard, Chairman, Madison Sara Bronin, Vice-Chairman, Hartford Edith Pestana, Secretary, Hartford Edward W. Munster, Treasurer, Haddam Charles Janson, Assistant Treasurer, Darien Gubernatorial Appointees Edith Pestana, Hartford Edmund Schmidt, Darien Additional Members of the Board of Trustees Margaret Anderson, Marion Francis Chiaramonte, Harwinton Mary Catherine Curran, Hartford Jeremy Frost, Southport Jane Grant, Clinton Mary Ann Handley, Manchester Garrett W. Heher, Essex Henry Griggs, Madison Scott Jackson, Hamden Erica Popick Kevrekian, West Hartford Leslie King, Hamden Jeffry Muthersbaugh, Haddam Thomas W. Nissley, New Canaan Matthew Peterson, Guilford George Schoellkopf, Washington Caroline Sloat, Thompson Myron Stachiw, East Woodstock Peter Stockman, Killingworth Robert Svensk, Southport Maisa Tisdale, Trumbull John B. Toomey, Jr., Bolton Marye Wagner, Clinton Damaris Whittaker, Marlborough Richard N. Wies, Branford

Advisory Council Martha Alexander, New Haven J. Barclay Collins, Sharon William R. Crowe, Canton Jared Edwards, FAIA, West Hartford Inger Elliott, Stonington Theodore F. Ells, Branford Gerald Farrell, Jr., Wallingford Walter Fiederowicz, Litchfield Mimi Findlay, New Canaan Lynn Friedman, Woodbury Glenn Geathers, Hartford Lee Kuckro, Wethersfield Stephen S. Lash, Stonington Charles T. Lee, Greenwich Peter Malkin, Greenwich Cesar Pelli, FAIA, New Haven John W. Shannahan, Suffield

Connecticut Preservation News is published bimonthly by the Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation, 940 Whitney Avenue, Hamden, Connecticut 06517. Publication is made possible by support of the members of the Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation and by funds provided through the Community Investment Act in the State of Connecticut. The contents and opinions stated herein do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the State of Connecticut. Advertisements do not reflect the views or opinions of the Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation. The Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation does not endorse advertisers and assumes no responsibility for advertisements. © 2017, Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation. All rights reserved. ISSN 1084-189X

Staff Jane Montanaro, Interim Executive Director Christopher Wigren, Deputy Director Brad Schide, Connecticut Circuit Rider Gregory Farmer, Connecticut Circuit Rider and Director, Revolving Fund Jordan Sorensen, Membership and Office Manager Erin Marchitto, Communications Manager Wes Haynes, Project Director, Making Places Renée Tribert, Project Manager, Making Places Gregory Stroud, Director of Special Programs Connecticut Preservation News Editor: Christopher Wigren Editor, Historic Properties Exchange: Jane Montanaro Advertising Manager: Erin Marchitto Design: David Wolfram, Middletown Printing: Kramer Printing, West Haven


legislators to see first-hand how the federal government leverages significant private investment through the reuse of historic buildings. The legislators also would learn how many jobs are created during the construction phase, how reuse spurs broader economic activity in surrounding neighborhoods, and how the historic character of buildings and communities is preserved. Site were scheduled for the last week of August in Hartford, Middletown, New Britain, Norwalk and Stonington. Staff members also participated in workshops for the Statewide Historic Preservation Plan, in addition to meeting separately with the consultants who are preparing the plan. While it is a project of the State Historic Preservation Office, the plan is intended to guide work by all state agencies, as well as local governments, private organizations, and individual citizens. The workshops provided the Trust with a chance to hear ideas and concerns from a variety of people around the state. We made some useful contacts and have been able to follow up on preservation issues in several communities. We’ll continue to work with SHPO staff and the consultants as the plan progresses. As we go to press, there still is no state budget for the 2017-2018 fiscal year. Uncertainty hurts programming as Historic Preservation Technical Assistance Grants (HPTAG) and other programs are put on hold. We hope for a resolution soon that includes full allocation of Community Investment Act funds for historic preservation, open space, farmland and affordable housing. While the Trust works on its five-year Strategic Plan, the search for a new Executive Director has been put on hold. We will provide updates as planning progresses this fall.

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News from the State Historic Preservation Office

What Can the State Historic Preservation Office

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he State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) and Museum Division, a part of the Department of Economic and Community Development, is responsible for overseeing the governmental historic preservation programs for Connecticut’s citizens. In partnership with the National Park Service as well as state and local preservation organizations, SHPO administers a range of federal and state programs that identify, register and protect the buildings, sites, structures, districts and objects that make up Connecticut’s cultural heritage and built environment. Very brief summaries of SHPO programs are listed here; for more information, visit www.cultureandtourism.org.

Historic Resource Identification and Recognition. The first step in preservation is to know what you have. Documentation and designation of historic resources provide recognition, establish eligibility for grants and tax credits, and

provide planning information for municipalities and state and federal agencies. • Statewide Historic Resources Inventory • State Register of Historic Places • National Register of Historic Places • National Historic Landmarks • Local Historic Districts and Properties

Grants. SHPO offers a variety of planning and preservation grants funded through the Community Investment Act and the National Park Service. Grants range from $5,000 to $50,000, depending on program, and are available to municipalities and nonprofit organizations. • Basic Operational Support Grants for historic preservation nonprofits • Certified Local Government Grants • Historic Restoration Fund Grants • Survey and Planning Grants • Hurricane Sandy Disaster Relief Assistance Grants Archaeology. SHPO works with the State Archaeologist, Connecticut’s archaeological community, and concerned citizens and property owners to designate

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significant archaeological sites as State Archaeological Preserves. In addition, SHPO issues Archaeological Permits for excavations on State-owned property.

Tax Credits. SHPO administers three tax credit programs to encourage reuse of historic buildings listed on the State or National Register of Historic Places. The State Historic Homes Rehabilitation Tax Credit provides a 30 percent tax credit, up to $30,000 per unit, for the rehabilitation of owner-occupied properties. The State Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit provides a 25 percent credit for the rehabilitation of properties for residential, commercial, or mixed uses. SHPO also conducts preliminary review of the Federal Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit, which provides a 20 percent credit for the certified rehabilitation of structures listed on the National Register. The State and Federal Rehabilitation Tax Credits can be combined. Environmental Review. Through the Connecticut Environmental Policy Act and Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, SHPO evaluates the potential impact that state or federal proj-

Do for You? ects could have on historic, architectural, and archaeological resources. Each year, SHPO reviews approximately 3,000 state and federal projects, most of which are implemented with no impact to historic resources.

Connecticut Environmental Protection Act. This law allows lawsuits to prevent the unreasonable destruction of historic buildings listed on or under consideration for the National Register (see page 8). SHPO reviews demolition proposals and works with the Attorney General’s office to consider actions by the State under the law. State Museums. In addition to historic preservation programs, the office manages four museums owned by the State where visitors can explore nearly four centuries of Connecticut history. • Eric Sloane Museum and Kent Iron Furnace, Kent • Henry Whitfield State Museum, Guilford • Prudence Crandall Museum, Canterbury • Old New-Gate Prison & Copper Mine, Granby

Minority and Women’s History Programs. SHPO sponsors studies to document and recognize places important to the heritage of women and minority communities. One prominent program is the Connecticut Freedom Trail, which recognizes sites important in African-American history in Connecticut. It is administered by SHPO, in partnership with the Amistad Committee, Inc. Other Programs Historic Cemeteries and Gravestone Protection: State law requires that SHPO, as well as decendants, receive notice of any planned restoration, improvements, or changes to historic burial grounds. Preservation Restrictions: Also known as preservation easements, these are legal agreements to prevent inappropriate alterations to historic buildings. Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route: SHPO maintains the Connecticut section of this national trail which tells how French forces helped the United States in the Revolutionary War. Certified Local Governments: SHPO administers this federal program which encourages municipalities to incorporate preservation into zoning and permitting decisions.

SHPO HAS A NEW ADDRESS! As of September 15, 2017, the State Historic Preservation Office is located at 450 Columbus Boulevard, 4th floor, Hartford 06103. While our email addresses remain the same, we have new phone numbers. Newman-Scott, Kristina Director of Culture (860) 500-2453 [email protected] Carmelich, Julie Historic Tax Credit Coordinator (860) 500-2362 [email protected] Dunne, Mary Certified Local Government & Grants Coordinator (860) 500-2356 [email protected] Labadia, Catherine Staff Archaeologist (860) 500-2329 [email protected] Levine, Todd Environmental Review/CT Freedom Trail and W3R Coordinator (860) 500-2337 [email protected] Lozupone, Alyssa Architectural Preservationist (860) 500-2426 [email protected]

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Breathing Room:

The High-Speed Railroad Announcement and What Comes Next By Gregory Stroud

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reservationists, conservationists, and community activists will get another chance to have a say in planning high-speed railroad through Connecticut and neighboring states. For the moment, it looks like a victory, but in the long run hard decisions still have to be made. On July 12, in a remarkable turn of events, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) announced that the agency would back away from controversial plans to construct a high-speed rail bypass and expanded right-of-way through southeastern Connecticut and southern

Rhode Island. The announcement came as part of a larger Record of Decision which concludes the first phase, or Tier 1, review of NEC Future planning for the Northeast Corridor. It was roundly applauded by the governors of both Connecticut and Rhode Island, the federal and state delegations, affected towns, and an array of local and statewide preservation, business, and environmental nonprofits. The announcement does not mark the end of federal plans for high-speed rail investment through Connecticut, but it does provide critical breathing room for public engagement, and for a careful reconsideration in the coming years of how best to balance preservation, environmental,

The Winthrop Mill, in New London, listed on the National Register, is located in the proposed right-of-way of the Kenyon-to-Old Saybrook Bypass.

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and infrastructure concerns in southern New England. The decision also represents a significant shift in the conversation from just two years ago, when plans for a bypass from Old Saybrook to Kenyon, Rhode Island, constructed through the National Register historic district of Old Lyme at a height of forty feet, nearly sailed through the first critical stages of environmental review without notice or serious consideration. To the east of New Haven, in place of a proposal for adding two additional tracks between Branford and Guilford and the Kenyon-to-Old Saybook Bypass, the Federal Railroad Administration has given Connecticut and Rhode Island an opportunity to develop a more sensitive, and

David Ransom, National Register of Historic Places

economically beneficial, transit solution as part of a joint “New Haven to Providence Capacity Planning Study.” This study, to be coordinated with the FRA, will reconsider possible inland alignments through New Haven and Hartford, while providing for further study of the Branford-to-Guilford, and Kenyon-to-Old Saybrook routes. The FRA hasn’t ruled out a return to the previous planned routing through Old Lyme, but the political headwinds should prove prohibitive.

To the west of New Haven, where the Federal Railroad Administration has retained plans for 29 miles of new rail corridor (the New Rochelle-to-Greens Farms Bypass through Fairfield and Westchester counties) the challenge and proposed historic impacts remain considerable. But building off of our advocacy and success in the eastern portion of the state, with the support of the state and federal delegations and local partners,

the Trust is committed to a successful outcome for the potentially-impacted communities of Greenwich, Darien, Westport, Norwalk, and Stamford. More than sixteen months of engagement with the issue has provided the staff at the Trust with invaluable expertise for the task ahead. On July 26, the Connecticut Trust participated in an informal meeting hosted by the Greenwich Preservation Trust at Greenwich Town Hall. It drew a standing-room-only crowd, as well as the participation of state and local leaders, and Richard Kehoe, State Director for Senator Richard Blumenthal. On August 15, Senator Blumenthal hosted a meeting with the Connecticut Department of Transportation in Stamford for affected municipalities. Presentations by the Connecticut Trust and partners in Darien and Westport are planned for early fall. In the end, every preservation success is a provisional one, but the latest is undoubtedly great news after considerable efforts by the Trust with our local partners are planned for early fall in Darien and Westport.

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Opportunities for Preservation 2017 Roger Clements, New London Landmarks

The Connecticut Environmental Protection Act

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s CPN goes to press in late August, the Connecticut Trust and the Connecticut State Historic Preservation Office continue to monitor potential demolition cases in New London and Thompson for possible action under the Connecticut Environmental Protection Act (CEPA). The Act allows any citizen to sue to prevent the unreasonable destruction of buildings listed on, or under consideration for, the National Register of Historic Places. In New London, owner William Cornish is seeking to raze two buildings in the Downtown New London National Register district. According to New London Landmarks, 116 Bank Street was built between 1786 and 1789, just after troops led by Benedict Arnold burned the city during the Revolution. Its neighbor, 130 Bank, was built in about 1828 for John Deshon, a sea captain who helped develop New London’s whaling industry. Both are integral parts of the historic district and New London’s busiest downtown commercial street. At a meeting of the state Historic Preservation Council on July 5, Mr. Cornish continued to be vague about his plans for the site, but was unwilling to consider development that would incorporate the historic buildings, even with the prospect of rehabilitation tax credits. He also refused to sell the buildings, declaring that he has the right to do whatever he wishes with his property. At that meeting, the Council voted to request that the Attorney General file suit under the Environmental Protection Act to block the demolition. The Attorney General’s office is currently considering the case. If the case goes to court, Mr. Cornish will have to demonstrate that there are no feasible and prudent alternatives to razing the buildings. The plaintiffs would counter by producing redevelopment plans and pro formas, or seeking out potential buyers interested in purchasing the property at a reasonable price for redevelopment. Either would demonstrate that it is feasible to reuse the buildings. In the meantime, officials and citizens in Thompson discovered in the spring that

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116 (left) and 130 (right) Bank Street in New London are threatened with demolition, although they are part of a bustling commercial streetscape.

the owner of the Grosvenor-Dale Company mill in North Grosvenordale had contracted with Southend Reclaimed, a North Carolina company, to tear down the main section of the mill and salvage its bricks and timber. The building, also known as the River Mill, was built in 1871 for the GrosvenorDale Company and produced textiles until 1954. The massive structure is the physical and historic heart of the North Grosvenordale National Register district, surrounded by company housing, private


residences, churches, and commercial and community buildings that served the company’s workforce. Shawn Donohoe, the property manager and a former owner of the property, says he tried for thirty years to redevelop the mill but without success. However, the economy of northeastern Connecticut is changing and may now be more conducive to redevelopment. Large mill projects are currently underway in Norwich and Putnam. Thompson is within easy reach of

C. Wigren

The Grosvenor-Dale Company mill in Thompson is one of the most imposing industrial structures in the state.

Worcester, and even Providence, and the Town is putting together a new economic development marketing plan that highlights the town’s rural and historic character. A hearing before the Historic Preservation Council has been postponed twice at the owner’s request and is currently scheduled for early September.

At the meeting, the Council will discuss the reasons for demolition with the owner and, if not satisfied that there are no feasible alternatives, again ask the Attorney General’s office to take action. However, potential developers have been touring the site in the meantime, raising hopes for a deal to reuse the mill.

The Environmental Protection Act offers Connecticut preservationists and communities a powerful tool to prevent demolition of historic buildings. In the past twenty years, court cases have established precedents to show how the act can be applied. When presented with evidence of realistic redevelopment plans or buyers willing to purchase endangered properties for rehabilitation and reuse, courts have agreed that preserving buildings is reasonable and have blocked demolition. Preservationists in New London are confident that if the Bank Street case comes to trial, a court would rule that there are prudent and feasible alternatives to razing them. Even without going to court, the Environmental Protection Act can help preserve historic buildings. Often, the potential for a lawsuit is enough to convince owners to reconsider their plans and either redevelop properties or sell them to someone who will. This was seen recently in Norwich, where the City approved funding in 2016 to demolish the long-vacant Reid and Hughes department store building downtown. Faced with the possibility of a lawsuit under CEPA, the City issued a new request for proposals for redeveloping the building, and on August 24 signed an agreement with the Women’s Institute of Housing and Economic Development to stabilize it and convert it to housing. Preservationists hope for similar results in Thompson and New London.

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Around the State

Briefly Noted C. Wigren

Colebrook.  For 225 years, the Colebrook General Store has been a center of town life. The Federal-style building, listed on the National Register, was built in 1812, and for many years the beginning of the business was dated at 1803. However, new research by the Colebrook Historical Society pushes the founding back to 1792. After the store closed in 2007, residents organized the nonprofit Colebrook Preservation Society to buy and manage the property. The store reopened in 2014 and continues to be a community gathering place. In early August, several hundred people assembled to celebrate the anniversary of this historic local institution. East Haddam.  The long-abandoned village of Johnsonville has a new owner, after a church group bought it in July. Founded in the Philippines, Iglesia Ni Cristo has a history of reusing older buildings. In the 1960s industrialist Raymond Schmitt bought the Neptune Twine and Cord Mill. Although the mill burned in 1972, its office survived, and Schmitt moved historic buildings from other places to create a village (pictured: Gilbert livery stable, from Winsted). He operated Johnsonville as a tourist attraction and museum, but closed it in the 1990s after a dispute with the town. After Schmitt’s wife died, the property passed through several owners but never saw any new use. A spokesperson for Iglesia Ni Cristo told the Hartford Courant that plans were not finalized, but that the church did intend to preserve the historic structures.

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ConnecticutBarns.org

Around the State Wm. C. Beecher and Rev. Samuel Scoville, A Biography of Rev. Henry Ward Beecher (1888).

Mystic Seaport

 Litchfield. Almost twenty years after it was dismantled, the Beecher house (1774; SR) resurfaced this year on Ebay with an asking price of $400,000. The house was home to Lyman Beecher, minister of the Litchfield Congregational Church, from 1810 to 1826 and the birthplace of several of the remarkable family’s children, including author Harriet Beecher Stowe, clergyman Henry Ward Beecher, and suffragist Isabella Beecher Hooker. Later, it became a dormitory for the Forman School, which sold it in 1997 to make room for a new building. The buyers, Chandler Saint and Stephen Solley, dismantled the house and loaded the pieces into trailers. But they never were able to re-erect the building, and it disappeared from view until Woodbury antiques dealer Art Pappas acquired it and put it up for sale. As CPN went to press in August, the Ebay auction had closed with no bidders, but Pappas has said he will try again to find a buyer. In the meantime, as Connecticut historian Peter Vermilyea wrote in the online Journal of the Civil War Era, “The sale and subsequent saga of the Beecher home is a powerful reminder of the stakes of historic preservation, and the need to protect the places where we tell the history of slavery and anti-slavery.” 

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Mystic.

Mystic Seaport’s steamship Sabino (NHL) returned to service on August 2 after a two-year restoration. Built in 1908 in East Boothbay, Maine, Sabino is the oldest coalfired steamboat in regular operation in the United States. She originally provided ferry service between Maine towns and islands, and has been at the Seaport since 1973. The restoration included reframing much of the stern, replacing keel bolts, installing new planking and decking, and restoring portions of the superstructure. In addition, numerous mechanical and systems upgrades were carried out, most notably the fabrication and installation of a new boiler to meet modern safety and regulatory requirements. Funding came from federal and state grants as well as private donations. The Seaport offers cruises on Sabino; for more information visit www. mysticseaport.org. continued on page 12 11

Around the State cont’d from page 11 R. Tribert

New Britain. Britain. 

Roderick Scott, L&R Resources, LLC

Stanley Black & Decker began demolition of nine historic factory buildings in July. The buildings, constructed between 1871 and the early 20th century, are part of the complex that Stanley Works developed beginning in the 1840s as it became an international hardware and tool manufacturer. Company representatives said the buildings, vacant since the 1990s, were unsound and not suitable for reuse and that the company has no immediate plans for the site. While the buildings had no historic designation, the State Historic Preservation Office considered them eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. Unfortunately, the demolition will create a large gap in the complex so the remaining buildings likely will not qualify for designation.

Stamford.  The Hoyt-Barnum house (1699; NR) opened again to visitors in late June, after being moved in November from downtown to the grounds of the Stamford History Center. The City paid to have the house moved, in order to build a new police headquarters on the original site. To fit the house under Merritt Parkway bridges, the roof and upper portion of the chimney were cut off and moved separately. The State Historic Preservation Office and National Park Service will review the completed work to determine if the house retains enough historic character to keep its National Register status. As part of the project, updated National Register documentation is being prepared to supplement the brief original nomination completed in 1969. 12


Around the State R. Tribert



Vernon.

The Talcott Brothers Mill (1869ff.; NR) reopened as apartments in June. Located in the village of Talcottville, the mill produced woolen cloth for more than one hundred years, up to the 1940s; the oldest section of the current building was constructed after a fire in 1869. As rehabbed, the complex contains 83 units, which are being advertised as “workforce development housing” offered at affordable prices. Funding included federal and state historic rehabilitation tax credits as well as monies from the Department of Economic and Community Development, the state Department of Housing, the Connecticut Housing Financial Authority, and a tax abatement from the town of Vernon.

 Waterford. The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection spent July and August collecting public input on the Environmental Impact Evaluation (EIE) for Seaside State Park, incorporating the former Seaside sanatorium (1931; NR). The EIE analyzes development options for their potential effects on natural and cultural resources. Two options call for reusing the historic buildings as a hotel, while the others call for demolishing the buildings. At a hearing on July 31, neighbors expressed concerns about noise and trash. Some questioned the State’s ability to carry out improvements, given its ongoing budget difficulties, or whether the proposed hotel would be successful. Speaking on behalf of the Trust, Deputy Director Christopher Wigren stressed the national significance of Seaside, the first purpose-built facility in the nation for the heliotropic treatment of tuberculosis in children. Because C. Wigren of this high level of designation, he argued, the EIE understated the positive impact of reusing the historic buildings. continued on page 18


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Brownfield Land Banks, cont’d from page 1 Connecticut Public Act 17-214, enacted this year, authorizes the creation of “brownfield land banks.” A “brownfield” is defined by the Environmental Protection Agency as “real property, the expansion, redevelopment or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant.” Brownfields have significant consequences to a community—dragging down property values, reducing tax revenue, perpetuating blight, and curtailing economic growth. Municipalities want to facilitate the cleanup and reuse of brownfields, but few have the technical expertise and administrative capacity to do so. In addition, local officials are often concerned about the uncertain cost needed to acquire brownfield properties and clean them up. Many worry about environmental liability, public safety, and the political risks of using municipal resources to tackle a complex brownfield project. The new legislation provides a means for the local government to avoid these pitfalls. A brownfield land bank is a non-stock corporation, certified by the State of Connecticut, which can acquire a brownfield site, clean it up, and market it for re-sale on behalf of the municipality. In this way, the community achieves its objective without ever taking title to the property. Alternatively, a brownfield land bank may contract with a municipality to provide staffing assistance, helping local governments fill gaps in technical expertise. A brownfield land bank has several advantages to help it achieve its objectives. Like a municipal government, the land bank may be granted environmental liability relief from the State. A land bank is eligible to receive state and federal grants, loans from private lenders and various state and federal agencies, and tax abatement from local government. And, since a land bank is likely to be a non-profit corporation, it can receive tax-deductible contributions. For brownfield sites of historic significance, private donations may offer an important source of funding; philanthropists are likely to be particularly interested in donating money that is used to simultaneously protect public health, improve environmental quality, promote community revitalization and preserve historic landmarks.

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Not all brownfields are historic properties. But for those that are, the new legislation offers an important new mechanism to tackle the many obstacles to site restoration. Imagine, for example, a large masonry mill that once employed hundreds. Vacant and neglected, it nonetheless retains its impressive architecture. It’s easy to envision

this mill reborn as fashionable office space, restaurants, shops and art space; examples of such successful adaptive reuse are found in communities across the region. However, environmental conditions, real or perceived, can impede this project. Before a developer can begin renovations, it must first address environmental hazards—from asbestos and

The Chidsey-Linsley house was built about house retains its original layout and most of the 1790 across from the East Haven Green, where original exterior clapboards. Interior floors, trim, General Lafayette and his troops camped during and paneling remain in pristine condition. Listed the Revolution. The 1½-story, center-chimney on the National Register of Historic Places, Cape is notable for its unusual flaring roof, which the house is eligible for Connecticut’s Historic swoops out to wide eaves front and back—a Homes Rehabilitation Tax Credit. Within walking feature common in Dutch houses on nearby distance are shops and restaurants, Long Island Long Island but extremely rare in Connecticut. Sound, and scenic salt marshes. The builders thriftily re-used parts from an $175,000 older house, which still can be seen in the baseKatherine Bennett, Betsy Grauer Realty, ment. They even reused an older foundation, (203) 787-3434; [email protected] which may account for the double front door and the side door—both features typically seen only on larger dwellings. Owned for many years by an architectural historian, the Chidsey-Linsley


Cemetery Preservation, cont’d from page 2 lead paint, to soil and groundwater contaminants. Cleanup costs can run into the millions, and the challenges of establishing and implementing a remediation plan could endanger the existence of the mill. A brownfield land bank will be specifically organized to tackle such environmental problems. If the land bank acquires the mill through purchase of tax liens, for example, it may remediate the contamination and market the property for sale. Moreover, because the mill is a critical asset for successful site redevelopment, the brownfield land bank may use its resources to fix roofs, seal window openings or perform other repairs needed to preserve the integrity and value of the building. In addressing these structural issues, the brownfield land bank can greatly improve the likelihood of saving the mill—a critical outcome from the standpoint of environmental, economic and cultural goals. Importantly, brownfields do not need to be industrial sites. Other historic properties, including hospitals, schools and even jails, have received state brownfield grants to address the cleanup of hazardous building materials such as asbestos and lead. In the years to come, brownfield land banks may play an essential role in the cleanup and revitalization of other important historical properties. As of this writing, one brownfield land bank—the Connecticut Brownfield Land Bank, Inc., in Hartford—is already up and running. Planning for others is in the works in other regions of Connecticut. Going forward, it makes sense that groups focused on historic preservation collaborate with brownfield land banks. Individuals passionate about historic preservation may wish to participate on the advisory committees or boards of directors. The complementary goals of environmental cleanup and historic preservation, leveraged through the new brownfield land bank legislation, should mean better outcomes for both. Wayne Bugden is a geologist and Connecticut licensed environmental professional. He has nearly thirty years’ experience in environmental consulting and is manager of environmental services for CME Associates, Inc. in Mansfield. Wayne specializes in brownfield revitalization, particularly historic mill sites, and has been a member of the Connecticut Brownfield Working Group since 2011.

and oversight. The WHPC is also beginning work with owners of private properties on which some of the smaller family and Native American cemeteries are located to encourage and assist them in placing formal preservation restrictions on those burial grounds.

Myron Stachiw is Chair of the Woodstock Historic Properties Commission and a Trustee of the Connecticut Trust. The web page for the Bradford-Marcy Cemetery is https://www. townofwoodstock.com/index.php/cemeteries/ bradford-marcy-cemetery.html.

A sample data page from the website for the Bradford-Marcy Cemetery

Resources for Cemeteries Two other provisions help in the protection and maintenance of abandoned cemeteries. There is a new state law that strengthens protections for abandoned cemeteries. Public Act 17-49, which takes effect on October 1, gives abandoned cemeteries the same legal protections as other burial places from desecration or interference, including destruction or defacing tombs, monuments, gravestones, or enclosures and maliciously disturbing the contents of any burial. The act grew out of a case in Greenwich, where adjoining property owners altered an abandoned African American cemetery and used it to store building materials. Without the new law, the town was able to stop the neighbors from using land they did not own, but not to protect the site as a cemetery. Connecticut Preservation News, March/April 2017

In addition, the State Office of Policy and Management offers Neglected Cemetery Account Grants of up to $2,000 for “reclamation and maintenance of neglected cemeteries.” Towns or cities may apply for one grant per year. The grants are funded through fees charged for death certificates by the state Department of Public Health and are awarded on a firstcome, first-serve basis as long as funds hold out; in fiscal year 2016, 22 towns received grants. For information, visit http://www. ct.gov/opm/cwp/. The Connecticut Gravestone Network offers programming and resources for historic burial places and grave markers. To read about gravestone art and cemetery preservation, visit http://www.ctgravestones.com/. 15

the Gap HistoricClosing Properties Exchange , cont’d from page 6

Around the State, cont’d from page 13

Threatened Buildings Available September/October 2017

LoopNet

Yantic Woolen Company/Hale Company Mill 140 Yantic Road, Norwich

The centerpiece of the village of Yantic in Norwich, the National Register-listed ashlar granite mill was built by the Yantic Woolen Company. The stone buildings (1865, 1887, 1892) feature classic 19th-century textile-mill construction: stone walls with heavy timber framing, built-up wood floors, and an exterior stair tower to minimize potential fire damage; narrow depth for maximum penetration of natural light; open floors with 14-foot-high ceilings. Reuse and redevelopment efforts have stalled. Eligible for Federal and State Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credits. Replacement windows

and Otis elevators have been installed. Broker states “clean environmentals.” Building area: 96,000 square feet, lot size: 7 acres. Contact: Tom Simjian, Keller Williams Realty, 203-506-0388. http://www.loopnet.com/Listing/20422486/140-Yantic-RdNorwich-CT/ C. Carveth

Carriage House

26 Cherry Street, Milford

Available for removal from the site, this one-story carriage house (or barn) with loft is listed on the National Register as part of the River Park Historic District. Identified as “28 Cherry Street” in the National Register nomination, the carriage house is thought to have been built at the same time as the Stick-style house that accompanies it, c.1880. A notice of demolition was posted on July 19, 2017.

Contact: Chris Carveth at cbcarveth@carvethlaw. com or (203) 530-2454.

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Hotchkiss Brothers Company Mill 199 Water Street, Torrington

Located within walking distance of the Warner Theatre on Main Street and the new Litchfield County Courthouse, the Hotchkiss Brothers Company complex backs up to the Naugatuck River and a proposed future greenway, and is in the Water Street National Register Historic District. Three of the four buildings are of brick, dating to 1895, 1906, and 1924. Cast-iron storefronts face Water Street and a drive-through provides access to the back of the property; upper stories have open floors and large window openings, as well as several skylights. The fourth building, 1895, is wood-framed and currently sided with corrugated metal. The last owners completed some work including reroofing, replacement windows, and installation of a dry sprinkler system, but the property has been little used for over ten years. It is in an Incentive Housing Zone for affordable housing development and Torrington’s Downtown District which allows a variety of retail, commercial, educational and cultural uses. Eligible for Federal and State Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credits. Building area: 106,000 square feet, lot size: 3 acres. Contact: Vance Taylor, Commercial Real Estate Group, 860-482-9695. http://www.loopnet.com/Listing/20429566/199Water-St-Torrington-CT/ LoopNet

Deadline for the next issue is October 20, 2017. Historic Properties Exchange is published to advertise endangered properties in Connecticut by the Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation, a statewide nonprofit organization located at 940 Whitney Avenue, Hamden, Connecticut 06517. Real estate advertised in this publication is subject to the Federal Housing Act of 1968. Neither advertisers nor the Connecticut Trust are responsible or liable for any misinformation, misprints, or typographical errors contained in Historic Properties Exchange. To list a property, learn about properties listed or to subscribe, contact Jane Montanaro, Director of Preservation Services, at [email protected] or call 203-562-6312.


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Around the State, cont’d from page 13 National Register of Historic Places, Stephanie Dyer-Carroll

Westport.  Connecticut’s latest village district took effect in July in Westport Center. The district is a zoning overlay applied to 79 properties in the downtown. A press release from the town says the district establishes design standards to guide property owners altering existing buildings or constructing new ones in the district. The goal is “to protect the distinctive character, landscape, historic structures and development patterns within the Village District while encouraging a mixed use, walkable district that is attractive to residents, businesses, employees, and visitors.” Establishment of the village district and the listing last year of the Westport Center National Register district both were outcomes of a Vibrant Communities Initiative grant from the Connecticut Trust.

Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation

Revolving Loan Fund

Short-term loan financing to transform underutilized historic buildings, support economic development, and preserve community character.

Types of Loans • Construction Loans • Pre-Construction Loans • Pre-Purchase Loans

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$ 100 $ 75 $ 50 $ 40

Guidelines and Qualifications www.cttust.org For more information Gregory Farmer (203) 464-7380 [email protected]

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Litchfield Courthouse, cont’d from page 20 to the forefront but, unexpectedly, the building’s longtime occupant, the State of Connecticut, will not determine its future.

Upcoming Meetings Connecticut Historic Preservation Council October 4, 9:30 a.m. Conference call To participate contact Todd Levine (860) 500-2300 [email protected]

November 1, 2017, 9:30 a.m.

at the State Historic Preservation Office, Department of Ecconomic and Community Development 450 Columbus Boulevard, 4th Floor Hartford, Connecticut

———————

Connecticut Historic Preservation Board September 15, 2017, 9:30 a.m.

The courthouse, opened in 1890, is the fourth to serve the county and the third to occupy its site on West Street facing the green. Its predecessors, erected in 1796 and 1886, were both destroyed by fires. But the land on which they sat was only leased to the State in 1803, and that lease has created a unique situation. According to the document, the land and any improvements on it revert to the lessors “…whenever the same or any part thereof shall be applied to any other purpose than that of a county courthouse.” Litchfield attorney Michael D. Rybak has identified the heirs of the lessors as a Missouri man and the estates of his two sisters. In May of this year, the Connecticut Department of Administrative Services confirmed that it will turn the courthouse property over to them. Preserving the courthouse is a priority for all parties concerned. Unlike its predecessors, the building was built of stone to

resist fire, originally in a Romanesque Revival design that was modified in 1914 as part of a townwide campaign to recapture Litchfield’s colonial appearance. With its sturdy granite walls, white trim, and cupola, the building is an important part of Litchfield’s town center. Mr. Rybak told the Hartford Courant that his clients hope the courthouse will be put to some public use, rather than being converted to shops or a restaurant, as is being done to the Litchfield Jail just across the green. The Greater Litchfield Preservation Trust, Inc., has begun to investigate possible new uses for the courthouse. The organization acts as the parent of operating partnerships organized to own and operate historic properties in the town. Perley Grimes, a director of the organization, says it has commissioned environmental and architectural assessments that are due in early September and hopes to identify possible new uses for the courthouse that would meet community needs and be consistent with the building’s historic character.

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Litchfield Courthouse: Change of Use?

Litchfield Courthouse

F

or more than 250 years there has been a courthouse at the Litchfield green, the physical embodiment of the town’s status as county seat and the legal center of northwestern Connecticut. That tradition came to an end in August, when the courts moved to a new courthouse in Torrington. When the decision to build a new courthouse was made in 2014 (after nearly forty years of discussion), the State intended to renovate the historic building for continued judicial use. In the end, the money designated for renovation was used on the new building instead, and the State moved out of the historic building. With this change, the question of preserving the historic courthouse has come continued on page 19
