The Historic Preservation Council | |
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Did you know that the Historic Preservation Council (the Council) is established within the Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) by state law? The Council, which includes 12 citizen-volunteer members appointed by the Governor, advises the SHPO on 16 critical historic preservation functions, including approval of grant funding and nominations to the State Register of Historic Places. The Council is also tasked with working with the Office of the Attorney General to prevent the "unreasonable destruction" of properties listed on, or under consideration for listing on, the National Register of Historic Places. In performing these functions, the Council relies on SHPO staff support.
Council members bring to each meeting a variety of backgrounds and professional expertise including history, archaeology, architecture, building construction, and public service. Their input always ensures the highest level of preservation is upheld for projects funded by the SHPO.
The Council meets the first Wednesday of the month at 9:30 a.m. The meetings are currently held virtually and are open to the public. To learn more about the Council and review meeting agendas and minutes, visit the Council's webpage here or email the SHPO, at jonathan.kinney@ct.gov.
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Recently Completed Historic Tax Credit Projects | |
Federal Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit | |
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The National Park Service, Technical Preservation Services Division has announced that the Federal Historic Tax Credit program will transition to an electronic application submission process by the end of summer 2023.
The SHPO has been accepting historic tax credit applications for about three years and we expect the federal transition to be relatively seamless.
More information about the transition will be posted in the coming weeks to the SHPO's federal historic tax credit webpage, here. The SHPO is also planning to host a brief information session about the transition. Look for an announcement soon.
Questions or for more information, please contact Julie Carmelich at julie.carmelich@ct.gov.
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Survey and Planning Grants were recently awarded to the following organizations.
Connecticut College, New London
Connecticut College was awarded a $5,000 Survey and Planning Grant for a geophysical survey of human burials at Dawley Athletic Field
Town of Enfield
Enfield was awarded a $12,000 Certified Local Government Historic Preservation Enhancement Grant for consulting services to prepare a National Register Nomination of 159 Pearl Street in Enfield
Blau House and Gardens Foundation Inc., Westport
Blau House and Gardens Foundation was awarded a $8,500 Survey and Planning Grant for consulting services to prepare a State Register Nomination for 8 Bayberry Ridge Road in Westport
Ancient Burying Ground Association, Hartford
ABGA was awarded a $5,000 Survey and Planning Grant to fund a geophysical survey of human burials
Congregation Mishkan Israel, Hamden
The congregation was awarded a $28,800 Survey and Planning Grant for architectural plans and specifications for a Roof Replacement
Be Foundation, Inc., Redding
Be Foundation, Inc. was awarded a $20,000 Survey and Planning Grant for a condition assessment for The Granite Church
City of Stamford
Stamford was awarded a $6,000 Certified Local Government Historic Preservation Enhancement Grant for an educational brochure
Congratulations to all our recent grant awardees!
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New to the State Register of Historic Places | |
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Gilbert-Farley House, Wilton
The Gilbert-Farley House is a c. 1825 building with later additions. The property also includes an English style barn and sunken garden. It is significant under state Criterion 1 for its association with Wilton's vibrant art community including Weir Farm, a National Historic Site. It is also significant under state Criterion 2 for architecture and landscape architecture.
Brian D. Jones Paleoindian Site, Avon
The Brian D. Jones Paleoindian Site preserves stratified Early, Middle, and Late Paleoindian, Early Archaic, and Middle Woodland period archaeological deposits, which date to between 13,000 to 10,000 years ago. The site is the single largest excavation site from this period in Connecticut. It is named after the late, State Archaeologist Dr. Jones who predicted the site's presence on the existing landform and for his contributions to understanding this early period in human history in Connecticut.
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Mindfulness in the Peace Garden: A Practice
Join wellness educator Robin Thompson, RN, and museum curator Joanie DiMartino as we gather together in the Peace Garden for a six-week summer series of mindfulness sessions inspired by themes of peace, community, strength, and more related to the 1830s events at the Canterbury Female Boarding School.
"Let us try to abide by her counsel, and feel at peace with all..."
--Anonymous Student, The Liberator, August 3, 1833
Robin Thompson, RN has spent over 35 years in the nursing field, including serving as director of an Integrated Medicine Department and Employee Wellness program at a community hospital. She has studied at Duke Integrative Medicine in Durham, North Carolina, and her certifications include Holistic Stress Management, Mind Body Medicine, and Integrative Health Coaching. Thompson brings extensive training in mindfulness practices from the UMASS Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society, in Worcester, MA.
Bi-weekly Sundays, 10:30 am to 11:45 am:
6/18, 7/2, 7/16, 7/30, 8/13, 8/27
Free
Limited to 15 people, waiting list to be created if necessary.
While this series is FREE, registration is required.
For more information: crandall.museum@ct.gov / 860-546-7800
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Henry Whitfield State Museum | | |
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Join us in Guilford as we celebrate Father’s Day, Sunday, June 18th, 1-3 pm with Music at the Museum, a free outdoor concert by the Shoreline Jazz Quartet. Bring your lawn chairs, blankets, and picnics, and leave room for ice cream – Sully’s Good Humor truck will be here. It's also State Museum Sunday, so the Whitfield House is open for free 10:00-4:00.
The Archaeology Field School from SCSU’s Department of Anthropology will be digging next to the Whitfield House again this summer. You can see them in action 10am – 3pm on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays throughout July, weather permitting. Dr. Bill Farley and his students are also curating a new exhibit opening July 15th in the Visitor Center galleries. History Beneath Our Feet will feature their recent finds that broaden our understanding and expand the narratives we tell at the museum.
The museum will host Nature Stewards Field Day on August 5th, 12-4 pm. Learn ways you can be a better nature steward from people doing the work, including bee conservation by Necker’s Farm (Branford) and a live birds of prey presentation by the rehabilitation center A Place Called Hope (Killingworth) at 3:00 pm.
Save the date for our second annual WelcomeFest, 12-5 pm, September 9th. This free event celebrates Welcoming Week, a movement to bring together neighbors of all backgrounds to foster mutual understanding and deeper belonging for all, and build strong and prosperous communities. Enjoy entertainment, participate in the UNITY public art project, paint a kindness rock, and browse the community expo.
Support for all of these programs has been provided by Connecticut Humanities. If you can’t make it to any of them, stop by for a tour during our regular hours: 10:00-4:00, Wednesday-Sunday. For more information, call 203-453-2457, visit our website, and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
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Old New-Gate Prison and Copper Mine | |
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Old New-Gate Prison & Copper Mine is open for the season. Hours are Friday through Monday 10:00 – 4:30, and Thursdays are reserved for group visits. Stop by to self-explore the exhibits and prison ruins as well as join a guided tour of the abandoned copper mine. Future special events include the Gem & Mineral Show on July 16th as well as Escape from New-Gate, a historic reenactment by the 5th Connecticut Regiments on August 20th. Both events are free to the public.
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