One of New Canaan’s most venerable nonprofit organizations has purchased an 1830-built church next door, officials say.
The New Canaan Museum & Historical Society announced in a press release that it has acquired the adjacent 2.3-acre St. Michael’s Lutheran Church on Oenoke Ridge.
L-R: New Canaan Museum & Historical Society Board President Tom Monahan, Dede Bartlett, NCM&HS Executive Director Nancy Geaery, and Ken D’Arinzio from the St. Michael’s Lutheran Church transition team.
“The property, adjacent to the Museum’s campus, contains the oldest church in New Canaan, formerly St. Mark’s Episcopal and now St. Michael’s Lutheran, along with a large annex of offices and meeting rooms, a parsonage, playground, and parking lot,” NCM&HS said in the press release issued April 4. “Under the terms of the agreement, St. Michael’s Lutheran will continue to meet and worship in the church, and its operations will continue uninterrupted. The Museum funded its acquisition in part through a substantial gift from Dede and Jim Bartlett.”
The Bartletts are strong supporters of NCM&HS. Last year, the organization opened the “Jim & Dede Bartlett Center for New Canaan History,” a permanent exhibition located in the Town House.
It wasn’t immediately clear how much NCM&HS paid for the property. The information wasn’t included in the press release and hadn’t been recorded in the Town Clerk’s land records as of April 2.
The church “holds a remarkable place in New Canaan history,” NCM&HS Executive Director Nancy Geary said in the release.
“It is critical to the Museum’s mission that it be preserved in perpetuity,” she said. “In addition, this purchase gives the Museum the opportunity to double the size of its campus.”
It’s a campus that’s been remade in recent years. The church acquisition is the latest in a series of major steps for NCM&HS. After reopening the 1878 Rogers Studio in the fall, the organization in January opened the new Jim Bach Special Collections Museum.
NCM&HS Board of Governors President Tom Monahan, together with the Board’s Executive Committee and Geary, negotiated with the church for nearly two years, according to the release.
Monahan said in the release: “The result is a win-win for both parties. We are all very grateful to the Bartletts for their vision in spearheading this purchase and their generous support.”
Dede Bartlett said in the release that she and Jim Bartlett “felt this was an important gift to the Town of New Canaan.”
“We believe in the transformative role that the Museum is playing in celebrating and educating the community about the importance of its history,” she said. “This expanded campus is an incredible asset for the people of New Canaan.”
Ken D’Arinzio, a member of the St. Michael’s Lutheran Church Transition Team and its Council, said in the release, “St. Michael’s looks forward to working with the Museum on this next phase of its church life.”
The New Canaan Museum & Historical Society’s “Celebrate New Canaan” annual gala will be held 6:30 to 10 p.m. on Friday, May 30. Tickets and information here.
New Canaan is incredibly lucky to have Dede and Jim Bartlett!
This is a brilliant arrangement. Congratulation to Dede, Jim, Tom, Nancy and Ken.
This is exciting news! The NCM&HS is really quite a jewel of New Canaan!
Wonderful news! Congratulations to all those involved who had the foresight to preserve this piece of New Canaan. The combined properties will form an even more impressive footprint to protect and display New Canaan’s history for generations to come.
This is incredible news! Captain Stephen Betts, who lived post-Revolutionary War as a farmer on Oenoke Ridge, donated 200 pounds of his own money to help see this church constructed which was the original St. Mark’s Church, but did not live to see the church actually used. The original pews were hewn from local New Canaan trees. Many thanks to the donors. I am so glad to see this church preserved.
A historical society in a historical church is nothing short of perfect.
What a great gift to New Canaan! The former c1833 Episcopal Church, so much history is contained within “the little brown church on the hill” – yes, that’s what it was called after the 1857-8 renovation by NYC architect Henry C Dudley when painted beige in the Italianate Style to compliment his round arched windows, new octagonal tower and entrance porch. Much of that 1857 church remains today,with its round arches, except for the paint colors. It was finally painted white in 1922 during our Colonial/Classical
Revival period (Much to the relief of the New Canaan historian, John Pennypacker). And the two remaining stained glass windows were designed by D. Putnam Bromley, Silvermine artist in 1912. His other windows were taken by the Episcopal Church when it built its new St Mark’s up the road. Thank you to Dede and Jim!
A terrific acquisition for the New Canaan Museum & Historical Society! Congratulations.