News

Still Vacant: Owners of Historic 1780 Home on Main St. Reject Offer

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Though it had been said that a bank accepted one local couple’s offer on a vacant 1780 home in New Canaan’s historic district, the antique house’s current owners have rejected that offer, officials said. Members of the Historic District Commission said Wednesday that they’re disappointed the Greek Revival-style home at 4 Main St. will not see the prospective new owners take over. “They were putting some thought into it,” commissioner Richard Rose said at the group’s meeting, held in the ca. 1825 Town House, one of eight museums and historic buildings operated by the venerable New Canaan Historical Society (a member-supported organization).

Government

Construction Workers Only: Town Inks Parking Deal with Historical Society, St. Michael’s

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In what town officials are calling a definitive step toward solving emerging downtown parking concerns, New Canaan is poised to secure 20 spaces in the lot behind the Historical Society for construction workers. Those spots will be specially permitted for and used exclusively by construction workers at Town Hall and the fire station, helping to relieve some problems of space availability for parking permit-holders in the Locust Avenue lot, First Selectman Rob Mallozzi said. Though some i’s need dotting and t’s crossing, the agreement should be finalized in time to take hold next week, he said. The agreement will be for six months with an option to renew, and will specify early morning to early afternoon hours, Mallozzi said. He thanked the Rev. Geoff Sinibaldo of St.

Around Town

God’s Acre Gets a New Evergreen Tree for Christmas Caroling

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New Canaan resident Scott Gress lost 14 of the 80-foot pine trees on his property when Superstorm Sandy struck two years ago. Shortly after, it occurred to Gress while driving past God’s Acre that if the iconic fir tree there came down, there’d be no centerpiece for one defining community event for New Canaanites: Christmas Eve caroling. Gress said he identifies New Canaan strongly with the annual Dec. 24 gathering on the sloping green in front of the Congregational Church. “There’s no question about it.

Now & Then

South Avenue Landmark: Brooks Sanatorium, Reincarnated

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South Avenue has undergone a conspicuous transformation these last 15 years. Once lined with mid-20th century Capes and Colonials, it’s now dominated by modern, custom-built homes. (Nothing wrong with that. It’s just … different.)

One holdover from the “old” South Avenue is a gorgeous three-story home at the corner of Brooks Road, with the columned wraparound porch and dormer windows looking out over a perfectly manicured front lawn. The home is not only a throwback to an earlier time, but also has a significant history in the annals of New Canaan itself.

Now & Then

In Search of New Canaan History: Stephen Weed’s Fort

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New Canaan’s long and storied history has produced its fair share of characters and legends, some apocryphal, some true. One such legend and character is Stephen Weed and the story of his Revolutionary War-era fort. Weed was a Canaan Parish soldier in the American Revolution who helped defend New York against the British under the command of Captains John Carter and Daniel Benedict, historians say. According to 1951’s “Landmarks of New Canaan,” published by the New Canaan Historical Society, he was captured and ultimately imprisoned in the notorious Sugar House prison in New York City. Eventually Weed was released and returned home, though as a shell of his former self: His battlefield experience and subsequent imprisonment had caused postwar syndrome.