New Canaan Land Trust Acquires ‘Grupes Homestead’ on Valley Road

The New Canaan Land Trust has acquired a long-disused property on upper Valley Road, guaranteeing preservation of an antique structure once slated for demolition and providing a first-ever headquarters for the esteemed local nonprofit organization. 

The acquisition of 1124 Valley Road, final as of April 19, ends years of enmity between the town and 2.23-acre property’s former owner, the First Taxing District of Norwalk. 

The town in 2018 had offered to acquire what was then a full four-acre parcel for $1.2 million. But the Taxing District rejected that offer. After applying for a demolition permit and then withdrawing it, the Taxing District later rejected the town’s offer to purchase just the house with .8 acres carved out around it, for $250,000—a figure New Canaan had arrived at following an appraisal of the property. Then former First Selectman Kevin Moynihan (a retired lawyer who routinely overspent the town’s legal budget) threatened to take it by eminent domain.

The property abuts the Grupes Reservoir connects directly to the Browne Preserve, one of the first properties to come under the protection of the Land Trust. The ca.-1750 home was once a farmhouse for an expansive farm during the 18th and 19th centuries, officials have said.

Rob Fryer, president of the Land Trust’s Board of Directors, said in a press release that the organization is “thrilled to have acquired this historic property for our new headquarters.”

“The purchase marks a milestone for our organization and sets the stage for further land conservation in our beautiful town,” Fryer said. “The list of people to thank is long and includes donors, the Town, several local family foundations, and of course the seller, the First Taxing District Water Department with whom we worked over many months to make the purchase a reality. Thank you all.”

The Land Trust made headway toward the purchase in earnest in the past year-plus. The Board of Selectmen approved a $150,000 contribution from the town toward the purchase last summer. Then the Planning & Zoning Commission in September approved a Special Permit recognizing the parcel as a legally non-conforming lot.

Calling the house (now permanent headquarters for the Land Trust) “the Grupes Homestead,” the organiatoin said in the press release that the acquisition fulfills “a vital objective” of its strategic plan.

“This central hub will enhance the Land Trust’s intern, volunteer, and youth service programs, strengthening non-profit ties to the community,” the press release said.

Land Trust Executive Director John Winter will reside there. 

He said, “We look forward to making the property a sustainable building renovation and education campus and a demonstration site for native plantings and other environmentally conscious land uses.”