1984 and 1986: Architectural and Historic Resource Surveys

In the early 1980’s the State Preservation office had grant money available for the survey of buildings throughout the state 50 years old or more.   The Trust board appointed a grants administrator, in 1984, to apply for a 70-30% matching grant to survey the Northfield section of Litchfield.  Working with members of the Northfield Historical Society, three consulting firms were interviewed and one selected to undertake the survey.  The Trust managed the 30% match, 15% of which came from donated time.  The Survey was completed in 1984, with copies of the results given to the Northfield Historical Society, the Litchfield Library and the Town Clerk’s office.  The consultant also presented his findings to the community.

With the first survey complete, the Trust applied for two more surveys which were now 50-50% matches.  The areas surveyed were the Borough of Litchfield, exclusive of the Landmark District and the Bantam section of Litchfield.  The Trust again worked with members of the Litchfield and Bantam Historical Societies and hired two separate consultant groups to undertake the concurrent survey grants.  Completed in 1986, the Trust had implemented the survey of more than 700 historic structures in the town by including buildings to town borders.  The following year, the Landmark District was surveyed with funding from the borough of Litchfield and the GLPT.  The printed surveys have been used by countless homeowners, land-use boards and commissions, non-profits and the public.

 

2014: Architectural and Historic Resource Survey

In 2014 The Trust has received an award of a Survey Grant from the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) for the purpose of documenting 200 historic buildings, 50 years old or more, in the northeast quadrant of the Town of Litchfield.  The survey area encompasses all structures beginning with the Chestnut Hills and Fern Avenue north to the Torrington line, then east to Naugatuck River, with the documentation of East Litchfield’s village history a major focus.  The project documented this last, but important, area of town and its historic buildings.  The Trust, with grants from the SHPO surveyed Northfield, Bantam/Milton and Litchfield in the mid-1980’s.  This long overdue project will complete a resource that has been widely used by residents in the rest of the town for the last 30 years.

Rachel Carley was the Architectural Historian selected to undertake the project.  Rachel is well known to the Litchfield community, not only as a resident but by her work on many projects related to the town’s historic and cultural past.

This project was funded with grant funds from the Community Investment Act of the State of Connecticut as administered by the Department of Economic and Community Development, State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO).

2014 Sample Survey Page:   79 East Chestnut Hill Road

Click on any Title below to View Survey:

Bantam and Milton 

Litchfield Borough 

Milton 

Northfield

 

2014 Northeast Litchfield Survey

Printed copies are available for viewing at
The Town Clerk’s Office, Oliver Wolcott Library & Litchfield Historical Society.