News

Town Officials: Local Builder Close To Making Offer on Vacant Historic Home on God’s Acre

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Though recent talks with one prospective buyer appear to have fallen through, a local builder now is putting in an offer on a deteriorating antique home on God’s Acre, officials said Thursday. Long vacant and tied up for years in foreclosure proceedings that have stalled its transfer, the 1780-built Greek Revival-style home at 4 Main St., if sold to an active owner, could be restored to prominence and in New Canaan’s designated historic district, according to the volunteer commission that oversees it. The Historic District Commission’s job now is to encourage the upkeep of the property there, and should consider requesting that the town get involved, Janet Lindstrom, the group’s acting chairman, said at a regular meeting. “I would like to to go the town and say, ‘Is there something we can do?’ Because to have that in the center of our district is really, really terrible,” Lindstrom said at the meeting, held at the New Canaan Historical Society’s Town House, just two doors up the hill from the .43-acre property in question. A member of the commission, Tom Nissley, last year had contacted homeowner Dr. James Talbot and received permission to have someone mow the lawn there, Lindstrom said.

Government

Neighbor Lodges Complaint About Dumpster Outside Historic Home on Park Street

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A neighbor’s complaint about a dumpster outside a prominent home in New Canaan’s historic district is prompting town officials to get assurances that the structure will only be there temporarily. The dumpster outside the garage of 63 Park St.—an 1863-built Greek Revival known to locals as the former home of Maxwell Perkins, the great Scribners editor of Hemingway and Fitzgerald, among others—has been in place for at least two weeks, according to Janet Lindstrom, acting chairman of the Historic District Commission. The complainant has claimed that it’s been there for four months, she said at a meeting of the commission on Thursday evening. “I don’t think we can do anything about it except to see if it stays a lot longer than it should,” Lindstrom said during the meeting, held at the (member-supported) New Canaan Historical Society. Lindstrom relayed that she has spoken to the owner of the home, which is on the market, and said they’re using the dumpster as needed as they move some items out.

News

Though Under Contract, Vacant Historic Home on God’s Acre Remains Tied Up In Foreclosure Proceedings

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Though progress appears to have been made in the sale of a prominent, deteriorating antique home on God’s Acre—a development long sought by historic preservationists—the property remains vacant and tied up in foreclosure proceedings that have stalled its transfer. The 1780-built Greek Revival-style home at 4 Main St. is being foreclosed upon, through a civil lawsuit filed by the bank that’s been tied up in court for more than three years. In 2013, a local couple, whose detailed plans for restoring the 10-room, 7,000-square-foot home had been looked on favorably by the Historic District Commission, made an offer on the .43-acre property that they said last March had been accepted by the bank. Two months later, officials reported that the home’s owner, Dr. James Talbot had rejected that offer.

Government

Historic District Officials Raise Concerns About Red Cross Building on Main Street

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Town officials say they’re concerned that the 1889-built Red Cross building on Main Street appears to be deteriorating and are eager to steer the nonprofit organization toward grants available for capital repairs. The building’s owners appear to have taken care of some problems with the 2,600-square-foot structure at 51 Main St. but its porch appears to have regressed further, members of the Historic District Commission said at their most recent meeting. “We are reaching a point where it is beyond sheer stabilization, it is reaching that point,” Commissioner Martin Skrelunas said at the June 25 meeting, held at the New Canaan Historical Society. New Canaan’s historic district encompasses 21 structures near and around God’s Acre, including the building at number 51 that the Red Cross purchased in 1952 for $28,000.

Government

Officials Invoke Prospect of Blight Citation for God’s Acre Antique

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Officials are investigating whether they may invoke New Canaan’s blight ordinance to prompt action from the owner of a vacant and seemingly neglected antique home on God’s Acre. The 1780-built Greek Revival-style home at 4 Main St. is being foreclosed upon, and a civil lawsuit filed by the bank has been tied up in court for three years. Members of the New Canaan Historic District Commission, long fearful that the prominent home would fall into such a poor state that it would be deemed uninhabitable and face the wrecking ball, said Thursday that they intend to find out whether the home could be cited for blight. “I think we should do that, so that we understand what we can reasonably do,” Commissioner Terry Spring said at the group’s meeting, held at the New Canaan Historical Society.