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BARN AGAIN! A CONNECTICUT YANKEE VISITS PROVENCE

Fooled by the serene Colonial style exterior, Westport’s 2011 Barn Survey Team missed counting this ingenious and stylish renovation of what appears, from the inside bones, to have been a Puritan-era bank-style barn associated with Westport’s oldest home. See and hear for yourself in the cozy, beamed “Calfing Room”; then, warmed by exuberant, Provencal colors, ascend to the main, hilltop level’s stunning kitchen, dining room and living room and upstairs bedrooms. Don’t miss the guest house bath!    

AT HOME WITH STONE & SUSTAINABLE FRAZIER PETERS

Before touring, see our current WHS Frazier Forman Peters exhibits to place this impressive and wonderfully sited 21st century stone expansion in context. In a tear down age, only one of Peters’ 38 + sustainable stone Westport homes has been lost to commercial not residential development giving evidence of the timeless appeal and value of his technique
This grand, welcoming residence honors and re-imagines Peters’ design principles with great flow and articulate spacing for today’s living by a large, active family. Fittingly, cherished work by legendary Westport artists dominates family collections.

GRACIOUS MANOR, CELEBRATING BLENDED TRADITIONS

This sumptuous, elegantly appointed, stone and clapboard manor offers a tour within a tour, orchestrated for us by the author of Holiday Decorating for Dummies. Just as the architectural details and furnishings meld Old World grace and style with state-of-the-art home technology, the holiday decor celebrates this blended family’s dual holiday traditions with 20 separate displays, ranging from the grand foyer’s 14′ Christmas Tree with 1500 lights to “Hanukkah Heritage” in the Kosher Kitchen, “Winter Wonderland in the living room and “Vintage Candyland” in the lower level.

IF THESE WALLS COULD TALK (AND THEY HAVE!)
Spared by the British during the Revolution, this home–a recent gut renovation and chic restoration, with passionate attention to preservation detail, including a rebuilt barn—is a triumph, and a fine example of “less is more”. The beams whisper history while the floors gloat with pride. Vintage lighting fixtures and choice antiques complement the owner’s incredible custom carpentry and custom combed and faux painting. DO allow time for oral history and renovation/archaeological artifacts (including 1897 newspapers found in the walls, and farm tools and Ford Model A parts, in the barn). Unforgettable!

EARLY GINGERBREAD! STUNNING 1865 GOTHIC REVIVAL
Dating to 1865, originally home to Henry Jennings’ son, Peter, and, later, to generations of Quinns, this rare American Gothic Revival has it all: cross-beams, pointed arches and decorative verge boards fronting the gables. Both the Railroad and Turnpike are part of its intriguing story, but this house, replete with original windows and moldings, along with thoughtful changes, addition and fancy landscaping, lives to tell the tale. Choice antiques and festive holiday décor make this house picture perfect!

You will be asked to remove your shoes upon entering each home.
No photography inside the homes, nor children under 12.
Tickets may be picked up at the Westport Historical Society,
Mon. Nov. 28 to Sun., Dec. 4, 2011, 10 am to 4 pm.
No tickets will be mailed. Events will be held, snow or shine.
Tickets are $50 Non-members, $40 Members, $55 Day of  Tour

Saugatuck River

Led by people in the know: Allen Raymond, Town Historian, Ron Malone, Former Westport Chief of Police and Susan Gold, Executive Director, The Westport Historical Society. Whether it’s Coleytown (where’s that?), Green’s Farms, Longshore or Saugatuck, Westport is filled with historic neighborhoods, and this two-hour tour visits them all. Well, maybe not all of them, but a lot of them. Did you know, for instance, that for years the New Haven Railroad identified the station stop in our town as “Westport & Saugatuck?” What happened to cause the change? We’ll visit Saugatuck and let you decide.

And why was Compo Parkway at one time a Mecca for softball enthusiasts on Sunday mornings, but no more? As we drive by- we’ll make an educated guess. We’ll, of course, visit many close-knit, and historic neighborhoods such as Compo Beach, Old Mill (the late Ken Montgomery called it “heaven”), Old Hill, Sherwood Island (did you know there were private homes on Sherwood Island?) And, if we have time, we may even visit “Downtown”, where some of us will lament the loss of its three hardware stores, its meat market, and department stores.

The 2011 Committee pictured includes: Deborah Herbertson, Pat Voris, Hope Trowbirdge, Susan Gold, Joni Andrews, Roseanne Ganim, Katie Chasem Susan Wynkoop, Paula Leonard, Dorothy Curran, Maryann Laurita, Cynthia Lee, Nancy Sherter & Leo Cirino.

Hidden Garden Tour

Cockenoe Island, Westport

David Park, author of the guidebook Kayaking In & Around the Norwalk Islands will be our guide as we walk around Cockenoe Island, now also known as a bird sanctuary.  David Park is a board member of the Norwalk River Watershed Association. Copies of his book will be available for purchase for $10. Allen Raymond, town historian, will talk about his experiences on the island over the years. He remembers visits to the island as a young boy and will share great memories about their wonderful destination.
DID YOU KNOW? Cockenoe Island, off Seymour Point is only accessible by boat (less than 1 mile from shore).  Known for birds and wildlife crabbing, shell fishing and trails, it is an ideal spot for camping and picnics. 

In 1967, the United Illuminating Company wanted to build a nuclear plant perceived as a clean and inexpensive source of energy.  Opposition to the plan was swift and the town preserved the natural beauty of the island.  Life Magazine heralded Westport’s acquisition of Cockenoe as one of the most significant conservation victories in the nation.

Discover more of this natural treasure with town historian Allen Raymond.  He remembers visits to the island as a young boy and will share great memories about their wonderful destination.  Please join us for this premiere tour that will take 2 1/2 hours.  Intermediate level kayak ability is required. 

Depart from Longshore Sailing School
Tour will take about 2 1/2 hours. 
Intemediate level Kayak ability is required. 

Reservations required:  Call 203-222-1424 

Kayak rentals available at Longshore Sailing School,(separate fee), call 203-226-4646, visit www.westporthistory.org

With Westport resident town historian Allen Raymond as guide, participants will be swept on a journey of historical Saugatuck. Over the course of the 1-hour walking tour, you will discover a local historical area that was once the bustling center of commerce and development, uncover the origins of many historic buildings in the area, and gain insight into the daily lives of Westporters from the early 1800s to present day. Resident Loretta Santella Hallock will join as another guide to share stories of growing up in one of the original Old Saugatuck Italian families.

Following the tour, guests are invited for complimentary cocktails at River House, just down the street on Riverside Avenue. Those wishing to stay for dinner will receive a percentage off that night at River House. (excludes alcohol, tax, and tips).

Please meet at the New York-bound train station at 4pm to start the tour. Pre-registration required. Please call The Westport Arts Center at 203-222-
7070.
Sponsored in part by: Co-presented with The Westport Arts Center

photo by Phyllis Groner

The Kings Highway District includes the only remaining drill ground in Westport, plus a one-room schoolhouse and a very early gristmill and ice-harvesting site.  It also includes what some call “the oldest house in Westport.”  To the west on the Post Road (Route #1), and almost across from Kings Highway South, is the location of the tavern-marked by a plaque-where George Washington spent the night.  To the east, at the intersection of Kings Highway North and Wilton Road (Route 33), is the location of the Kings Highwy Bridge over the Saugatuck River, a bridge that George Washington  crossed on his way to Cambridge.  (The original bridge has long since been replaced by a new bridge.) 

George Washington, as he moved through the District, was luckier than Madame Sarah Knight, who rode through in 1703, before the bridge over the Saugatuck River was built.  As she made her way to Bosotn, she had to ford the river, and called the Saugatuck a “difficult river.”

There will be three house visits with guides as part of this historical tour – an 18th and 19th century home and an architectural artist studio converted to
 a home.
For reservations, call Sue Gold at 203-222-1424

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Back by popular demand for the 24^th straight year, The Westport Historical Society’s annual Holiday House Tour and Twilight Soirée benefits will light up the town on Sunday, Dec. 5. Held snow or shine, the room-by-room, docent-guided Tour of five remarkable residences, from 11 AM to 4 PM, is followed, from 4:30 to 7:30 PM, by Twilight Soirée, a festive celebration of wine, hors d’oeuvres, live music and Silent Auction.

Concurrently, extending its year-long celebration of Westport’s 175^th Anniversary as a Town, the Historical Society will host free public open houses from 11 to 4, both at its own Bradley-Wheeler House (Tour ticket headquarters and site of the current “Putting Westport on the Map” and “Zooming in on Westport” exhibits) at 25 Avery Place, and at Westport’s historic Adams Academy, a 19^th century one-room schoolhouse, on 15 Morningside Drive North.

Attracting hundreds of style fans and idea-seekers from all over Fairfield and Westchester Counties, New York City, New Jersey, upstate Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts, Westport’s House Tour, “a self-guided odyssey of architecture, art and antiques,” has something special for every taste. For many, Westport’s Holiday House Tour is a standing annual date among friends, and some confide that they use it as design inspiration before renovating or furnishing their homes or shopping for their own seasonal décor and housewarming gifts. The 2010 Tour offers a particularly intriguing array of architectural vintages and interior home design styles, paired with stunning examples of holiday decoration, floral and tabletop design, all described in rich detail by eloquent docents.

The five private homes on the 2010 Tour range in age from 1840 to 2009, plus free bonus stops at the Westport Historical Society’s 1795 Bradley-Wheeler House (at 25 Avery Place, to pick up tickets) and at Adams Academy, Westport’s own 19^th century schoolhouse, on Morningside Drive North. The after-Tour party, Twilight Soirée & Silent Auction (additional ticket required), follows at another lavishly decorated private home.

 “We’re very excited about the houses on this year’s Tour and the stories behind them,” says Dorothy Curran, Westport Historical Society president. “One of the homes won a preservation award ten years ago, but has continued to improve. Antique lovers will adore the interior décor–antique English furnishings matched to the 1840 year of original construction, and kitchen cabinets made from attic floorboards. Another Queen Anne-style home won awards for new construction. Using sumptuous patterns and textures, old and new, and a bit of dry humor, the interior designer reinterprets high Victorian style for today’s tastes. By contrast, we have another more recent renovation, near Compo Beach, is a triumph of maximizing views, serenity and casual comfort within the constraints of Zoning and FEMA.”

“As always, a major part of the fun is comparing notes after the Tour, at Twilight Soirée. This year, concert violinist, Gabriela Stastny, will be serenading us, as we sample wine and hors d’oeuvres and bid on Silent Auction items.”

Major sponsors of this important Westport Historical Society fundraiser include BNY Mellon Wealth Management, Weichert Capital Properties, Berchem Moses & Devlin, Patriot National Bank, Kowalsky Brothers, Connecticut Cottages & Gardens, Cohen & Wolf and Venture Photography.

The five featured homes for 2010 include:

GREEK REVIVAL REBORN as STYLISH 1877 ITALIANATE A number of Westport’s prosperous Victorian-era fashionistas shed their “dated” Colonials or Greek Revivals by expanding and encasing them in new, Italianate facades and rooflines. The Historical Society’s own 1795 Bradley-Wheeler House is one example; this 1840 Jesse Bradley house is another. Its current owners found the missing staircase, created an exposed brick bath by the central chimney, added a chic butler’s pantry, mudroom, bedroom and master bath, converted the lookout attic and cupola to fabulous work/play space and restored the barn/garage.

 WIT and WHIMSY in a QUEEN ANNE REVIVAL This eye-catching, custom-built, award-winning 2002 Queen Anne Revival house successfully melds high Victorian style with today’s kitchen, bath and lifestyle amenities. Fancy millwork and sumptuous patterns and textures, choreographed with wit and whimsy by the owner-designer, extend the Victorian idiom throughout. The main level’s stenciled floors, long windows and staircase open to the rooftop cupola offer perfect framing for holiday trimming, including a homemade gingerbread house.  

COMPO BEACH HAVEN Serenity and clean lines pervade the flow, floorplan and décor of this thoughtfully designed 2008 FEMA-compliant renovation of a 1928 cottage. Sited just steps from Compo Beach and bathed in shore light and salt air, this active family’s home–raised over 4 feet, flood-vented and framing strapped for hurricanes—rewards its owners daily with Sound views, casual comfort, year-round lifestyle space and holiday readiness. Enjoy the stars!  

 CONSUMMATE CONNECTICUT COUNTRY RETREAT The curving approach, stone walls, long setback and festive holiday greenery to this 1930’s Colonial revival house and cozy guest cottage suggest that only a horse and sleigh are needed to complete the Currier & Ives tableau, but the expanded interior’s exuberant and eclectic blend of furnishings, 20^th century art and lighting—including the dining room’s Murano glass chandelier–will surprise and delight modernists.  

 RIVERFRONT SPLENDOR, GEOTHERMAL & SMART Sited on a knoll by a branch of the Saugatuck, this splendid new shingle-style geothermal “smart” home pays homage to woodland surroundings while celebrating its owners’ elegant cultural and lifestyle tastes with a grand foyer, magnificent domed ceiling dining room and 3-storey skylit kitchen. The lower level has a stunning wet bar, home theatre and French doors overlooking the outdoor fireplace, pond, river and twin bridges to a private island. 

You will be asked to remove your shoes upon entering each home. No photography inside the homes, nor children under 12. Ticket forms are available at The Westport Historical Society, 25 Avery Place, Westport, or at www.westporthistory.org. Tickets may be picked up at the Westport Historical Society, Mon. Nov. 29 to Sun., Dec. 5, 2010, 10 am to 4 pm.   No tickets will be mailed. Events will be held, snow or shine.
Additional forms at www.westporthistory.org  

 
EVENT SPONSORS            
      BNY MELLON     Betty R. & Ralph Sheffer Foundation    Berchem Moses & Devlin   WEICHERT Capital Properties   Cohen & Wolf        Venture Photography   Connecticut Cottages & Gardens  Kowalsky Bros

  BONUS! FREE OPEN HOUSE
11-4, at Historic ADAMS ACADEMY, 15 Morningside Drive North Westport                                                                                                                                                   “Twilight Soiree” A Festive Post-Tour Wine & Hors d’Oeuvres Celebration with Silent Auction SUNDAY, DECEMBER 5, 4:30 to 7:30 PM   Please join us to celebrate the day’s pleasures at a savory hors d’oeuvres & silent auction party, Twilight Soirée, at yet another fabulous home, specially decorated for this event.   Stroll around, sample the wines and hors d’oeuvres, enjoy the romantic music  of concert violinist, Gabriela Stastny, place a bid or two.   Ticket forms also available on www.westporthistory.org                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

                               About the Westport Historical Society
The Westport Historical Society, founded in 1889, is a non-profit, 501 (c) 3 educational organization dedicated to preserving, presenting and celebrating the history of Westport, Connecticut. In addition to the Holiday House Tour, the Society hosts an annual Hidden Garden Tour, unique historical celebrations and one-of-a-kind events for children and their parents. At the center of the Society’s Wheeler House are its two galleries, which rotate highly professional as well as entertaining exhibits. The property includes the only heptagonal roof cobblestone barn in Connecticut, which was restored completely over a ten-year period and houses the Museum of Westport History, including both a diorama of the town as it looked toward the end of the nineteenth century and an audio guide recorded by Joanne Woodward. Net proceeds of gifts and fundraisers support the Society’s archive, programs, tours, collections, exhibits and scholarships.  
                                                  COMMITTEE
Dorothy E. Curran, Chair, Holiday House Tour  
Mindy Wolkstein, House Captain
Margaret LeBedis, House Captain
Deborah Kulback, House Captain
Hope Trowbridge & Richard St. Francis, House Captains
Susan Kirby, House Captain    

 |                                               Twilight Soirée
Totney Benson
Susan Wynkoop
Deborah Herbertson
Erika Horn Miller  

 Larry Untermeyer, Photography
 Miggs Burroughs, Graphic Design

                                                      Advisory 
Joni Andrews, Barbara Brauner, Katie Chase, Mary Lee Clayton, Leo Cirino, Maggie Feczko, Lorraine Feliciano, Deborah Gordon, Lois Harner, Mary Ann Laurita, Dave Matlow, Beverly McArthur, Kathy Nixon,  Kristan Peters-Hamlin, Dorothy Robertshaw, Leah Scherzer, Nancy Sherter, Laurie Stefanowicz, Amy Tambini  

Westport Historical Society President
Dorothy E. Curran  
Westport Historical Society Executive Director
Susan Gold  
We wish to express gratitude to all our sponsors, contributors and the many volunteers who work on the day of the Tour. Our special thanks to the property owners for sharing their extraordinary homes.    

Tour are $40 for Historical Society members and $50 for non-members and may be picked up at the Westport Historical Society, 25 Avery Place, Westport, beginning Nov. 30. Children under 12 not permitted. On the day of the event, which will be held snow or shine, all Tour tickets are $55.

The British Are Coming

This historic and popular “signature bus tour” of the Westport Historical Society follows the route the British took when they landed at Compo Beach in 1777 for an invasion of Danbury, where the British intended to raid supply warehouses maintained by the patriots. 
Town historican  Allen Raymond will be our guide pointing out significant historical battles along the route  from Compo Beach to Ridgefield and Danbuy.  The trip includes a visit to the area of the epic battle between the British and the local militia in Ridgefield, followed by a guided tour of Ridgefield’s famous Keeler Tavern Museum. The fee covers the coach bus, a souvenir map and a catered box lunch. 

For Reservations, call 203-222-1424

Lantern Tour

Join the Westport Historical Society and Green’s Farms Church in this unique tour of the GFC Upper Cemetery, located across the parking lot from the Church on Hillandale Road. The church is celebrating its 300th anniversary on June 12, 2011 and has invited the WHS to feature this cemetery in conjunction with the anniversary celebration.  Guided by Peter Jennings, the tour will visit the gravesites of several Westporters and GFC members, including the Sherwood Family, Edward Coley Birge and Charles Rowe, sexton of GFC and a freed slave. Don’t miss this chance to learn about some of Westport’s most notable residents!

Sponsored by Harding Funeral Home and Brown’s Monument Works

Saugatuck River, Photo Laurence S. Untermeyer

Join us as we paddle to the first fishway on the Saugatuck just upstream from King’s Highway North in Westport, learn about the river, its rich history and The Conservancy with our guide Sally Harold, Project Director of the Conservancey’s Saugatuck River Watershed Partnership.

Kayakes are available for rental at Longshore; singles are $38 and doubles are $48. Pick up and reserve kayakes from Stephanie at 203-226-4646.  The tour is 2 1/2 hours, meet  at 1:00 pm at Longshore if renting.
For reservations, please call 203-222-1424 or e-mail bbrauner@westporthistory.org