2012 Preservation Awards Announced by Greenwich Historical Society

The Greenwich Historical Society is pleased to announce the winners of its 2012 Preservation awards, created to honor projects and initiatives that demonstrate historical and/or architectural significance and represent the aesthetic, cultural and economic benefits of preservation. "It is now especially important to remind everyone that saving a building means preserving the resources embedded in it as well as protecting our architectural heritage," said Awards Committee chair John Morris Dixon.

The following winners will be formally recognized at the Greenwich Historical Society's 81st Annual Meeting on September 19, 2012.

Amos Brush House was cited for a historically sensitive addition. One of the town's most elegant surviving houses in the Second Empire style has been thoughtfully expanded by owners Faith and Darius Toraby. Located in the Strickland Road Historic District and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the 1873 landmark had long accommodated the Toraby family, but the property lacked any garage, and a modest expansion of the house was desired. Although the grounds are ample, there was limited area for extending it to the rear--the only acceptable option in this district--so an adjustment in setback requirements had to be obtained from the town. The completed addition with ornamental details adapted from the original house includes a two-car garage with a library above it, a reorganized kitchen, and a solarium for family dining overlooking the side yard.

Shell Island Tower received an award for restoration. This stone tower on one of the town's islands, long a landmark for boaters, has been thoroughly restored after decades of deterioration. Constructed in 1925 as a memorial, the 60-foot-tall cylindrical structure is built of local Byram granite, and an iron spiral stair links the four interior levels. When the Greenwich Land Trust took possession of the five-acre island in 1990, temporary measures were taken to prevent vandals from entering and to screen openings from birds and other wildlife. But moisture entering through bullet holes in the copper roof caused continuing deterioration of interior wood framing and masonry walls. When restoration was undertaken in 2010, the cost was contained by employing a steeplejack contractor, which required no scaffolding and minimized the ferrying of workers and supplies to the site. Meticulously restored, the tower continues to serve as a maritime landmark.

Great Captain Island Lighthouse also received an award for restoration. Built in 1868 to replace earlier, less substantial lighthouses, this one was taken out of service in 1970, when an automated navigation light took over its function. After the town purchased the portion of the island in 1973, the abandoned structure continued its gradual deterioration. The Return the Light Committee rallied support for its restoration and collected contributions toward the largely town-funded project. A memorial to victims of the World Trade Center tragedy, which occurred as restoration plans were being made, has also been erected on the lighthouse grounds. Work on the structure included abatement of mercury contamination from the original tower light, insulation of walls and windows, and assurance of a dependable power supply. The modernized caretaker's apartment within the lighthouse now includes restored wood floors and original wood trim. A solar-powered green light, clearly distinguishable from actual navigation aids, now shines from the tower.

Brant Foundation Art Study Center was recognized as an example of creative adaptive reuse. A stone barn built in 1902 as a cold storage facility for local orchards, then altered and expanded in 1985 as a sports venue, has now been adapted as an art study center for a private foundation. An extensive skylight unobtrusively located on the rear slope of the roof lights the varied gallery spaces of the 9,800-square-foot interior. A mezzanine gallery is set back from the exterior walls, so that it reads clearly as an insertion into the expansive space and allows skylight illumination to reach the main-floor gallery below. The "club room" with its hardwood floors and stone fireplace (built during the sports venue years), has been retained as a combination library and exhibition space. A new stone and grass terrace wrapping the structure provides a viewing platform for the adjacent polo field.

Greenwich Preservation Trust was recognized for preservation action. Establishment of the Greenwich Preservation Trust in 2009 grew out of efforts to preserve the early 18th-century Thomas Lyon house in Byram, the town's oldest unaltered Colonial structure. Among other preservation efforts, the Trust has since supported: assisting the Bethel A.M.E. Church in its National Register nomination; sponsoring public lectures on preservation; taking public stands against cell towers near historically recognized areas and mounting the exhibition Greenwich Lost and Preserved at the Bruce Museum. The campaign led by the Trust to save the 1937 Central Fire Station, which is listed on the National Register and located in a town Historic District, ultimately failed, but the process increased public awareness of preservation issues. The Trust in now focusing on the restoration and adaptive use of the Lyon house.

The distinguished jury for the 2012 Preservation Awards included Greenwich residents John Morris Dixon, FAIA; Aris Crist, AIA; Debra Mecky, PhD, executive director, Greenwich Historical Society (non-voting member); Carol Bentel, FAIA, of Locust Valley, New York; Françoise Bollack, AIA, of New York City; and John Herzan, Preservation Services Officer at the New Haven Preservation Trust.

To attend the Historical Society's 81st Annual Meeting and 2012 Preservation Awards, visit www.greenwichhistory.org or call 203-869-6899.