R. R. STATION TO BE NEW HOME

The historical society is working closely with Mayor Timothy Barth on the formation of a Building Committee that will spearhead the restoration of our Henry Bacon designed train station. We are extremely delighted to be able to be a part of this wonderful restoration project and to redesign the station into our new home. State Representative Kevin DelGobbo secured a $250,000 state grant which will be used for the project. The grant stipulates that the project must be completed within one year from thirty days after the execution of the plan. We hope we will be in our new home by our Annual Dinner in October of 1998. The society is also actively raising funds for the preservation of the Goodyear Building. Mayor Barth has given us one year from June to raise sufficient funds and we are very confident that we will be able to do this. The historical interest in Naugatuck is very high and there are enough wonderful collections in town to fill both buildings. This is indeed an exciting and challenging time for the society.

Reference - Naugatuck Historical Society News, September–October 1997

SOCIETY SIGNS LEASE FOR RAILROAD STATION

On December 11, 1997, Mayor Timothy Barth and Ann Simons had signed a lease for the train station, which will be used as the new office and museum for the Naugatuck Historical Society. The term of the lease is for twenty years and will begin on the first day of the month following the completion of renovations. The lease will be for $100 per year, and includes the Railroad Station itself and twenty five parking spaces. The town will be responsible for maintaining the building as well as the exterior of the premises; and the Society will be responsible to maintain the building’s interior. Also as part of the lease, the town will pay for the following costs: heating, electrical, mechanical, water, insurance that will cover the property, and trash removal. Expenses inflicted upon the Society will be insurance on the contents and the liability coverage for the entire premises, telephone expenses, and minor repairs inside the building. The Society is to have the building open to the public and staffed for a minimum of twenty hours during regular business weeks.

This is indeed an historic moment for the borough... not only has the Naugatuck Historical Society never had its own home in a building by itself, but also because the town has never had a full-fledged museum. The new museum will provide an opportunity for town-wide participation in preserving and interpreting the history of Naugatuck. The Society’s vision for the future is to provide youth and adult programs in docent training and oral history facilitation, as well as history journalism and museum studies.

The Society will be offering volunteer work for people who would be interested to serve as docents, teachers, librarians, and preservationists; and to learn many other phases of museum work. Interviews will be conducted in the spring.

Reference - Naugatuck Historical Society News, January/February 1998

THE TRAIN STATION A STATE HISTORIC SITE

Thanks to a grant of $50,000 a lift has been installed in the station to enable handicapped access to the lower level. An additional grant of $30,000 will be used to make the rest rooms handicapped accessible. The State grant of $250,000 will be used for electrical work, plumbing and heating.

The Borough of Naugatuck is in the process of applying for a reimbursement grant of $400,000 from the Transportation Enhancement Program of the Federal Department of Transportation in order to expand the renovations. These funds would be used for landscaping, black topping, and bringing the interior up to museum standards. If awarded, the Federal government would reimburse 80% of expenditures. Approval of the Board of Mayor and Burgesses will be needed.

In conjunction with this application, the Borough applied to the State Historic Commission for designation as a historical site on the State Historic Register. This was granted on May 6.

Reference - Naugatuck Historical Society News, May/June 1998

President’s Corner
by Ann Simons

The train station renovation is chug, chug, chugging along. Our architect, Roy Gilley, has developed the floor plans, in keeping with the original Henry Bacon design as much as possible. Our Train Station Restoration Committee Chairman, Bob Mezzo, has fulfilled the requirements for the state grant funds, step by step. All of the committee members and the historical society board have had a chance to review the plans and express their opinion. The bidding on the project will begin soon and we should have a contractor by the middle of October. It has seemed to take a long time, but the actual renovation should be under way by the time the November newsletter is in print. That is something exciting to think about.

We are very grateful to Bob Mezzo for his devotion to the restoration project. His support has been exemplary. We are very fortunate to have an architect as patient and talented as Roy Gilley to direct and encourage us in what needs to be done. I suspect architects like him are few indeed. The Restoration Committee is a unified and dedicated group of people, supportive of the historical society, but also concerned about Naugatuck and the preservation of our assets. All of the meetings are open to the public and I would encourage any interested society members to attend.

Last month the Public Works Department, under the direction of the Garden Club, cleared all of the bushes and plants from in front of the train station. Some were transplanted to the area by the entrance to the parking lot. In the spring, after the outside renovation is complete, the Garden Club will supervise the placing of new bushes, a tree and flowers. The design will be beautiful and will compliment our lovely station, which was meant to be a focal point for downtown. We hope society members will drive by the train station regularly to watch the renovation and also to discourage vandalism, which has been a problem in the past. With the removal of the plants, the destruction seems to have ceased, for the time being. Perhaps people needed to know we were serious in our intention to restore the building. Please join with us in watching this exciting work-in-progress.

Reference - Naugatuck Historical Society News, September/October 1998

About the Architect

Henry Bacon was born in 1866 in Watseka, Illinois. As a young man beginning his career as an architect, he worked in Boston and New York. When he left the firm of McKim, Mead, and White, he continued to be mentored by Charles Follen McKim.

His most famous work is The Lincoln Memorial at Washington, D.C. In 1923, he received The Gold Medal from the American Institute of Architects for his work. He designed the World War Memorial at Yale, and The Danforth Memorial Library in Patterson, New Jersey. He died in 1924.

Source
Naugatuck Historical Society Newsletter
Volume 11, Issue 4
September - October 2006

Grand Re-Opening Celebration
By Shari Carda

We are pleased to announce the Grand Re-Opening Celebration of the NHS Museum. It will be held Saturday, April 14, 2007 from 6:00 to 9:00 PM at the newly renovated Naugatuck Railroad Station.

As many of our members already know, our building was closed from August until the end of November for repairs and renovations. The heating system was upgraded, thermal windows installed, the roof replaced, plaster repaired in the great room, paint inside and out, carpet was installed in the great room and the gutter system was restored to its original copper design. The building is beautiful and our thanks go out to all involved. Many firms and agencies were responsible for the renovation. A grant to the town of Naugatuck was received through the Connecticut Department of Transportation. The architectural firm of Ames & Whitaker and architect, Alan Lagocki, provided the plans. Ross and John Tine of General Contractors of Wethersfield completed the work on the building. Stacey Vairo, architectural historian of the consulting firm, Fitzgerald and Halliday, Inc. oversaw the historical restoration. The construction managers of the firm Milone & McBroom supervised the project. The Naugatuck town engineers, Jim Stewart and Michelle Ryan, worked tirelessly and graciously for a very long period before work got started, to make sure all the plans were in place and they continued their involvement throughout the project. Metro North personnel were also present to insure safety. Also a joint committee of Naugatuck town personnel and Naugatuck Historical Society members worked for the past 6 years to see that the completion of the restoration would occur.

Now that the weather is warming up, we hope to have all our members come out and join us for an evening of socializing and fun. There will be refreshments, musical entertainment and a silent auction. There is a suggested donation of $10.00.

If you would like to donate an item for the silent auction, please call the museum at 729-9039. We look forward to seeing you at the celebration.

Remember, as with all evening programs, if you need a ride just call the museum and a ride will be arranged. 729-9039

Source - Naugatuck Historical Society Newsletter, March–April 2007 issue

President’s Report

Happy Spring, everyone! After so many rainy days in early spring, it’s wonderful to see the sun bringing us warm days. It’s a good time to visit the Museum and to see the new exhibits and building renovations.

The Historical Society celebrated the renovations on a lovely Saturday evening in April with the Museum’s Grand Reopening. About 100 guests attended, and we were serenaded by Pat Fisher on a beautiful Celtic harp. Master of Ceremonies, Kevin Knowles, led a short program. Thyrza Whittemore, on behalf of the Salem Family Fund at the Connecticut Community Foundation, presented the Society with a grant for the restoration of the clock on the museum building. Architect Alan Lagocki spoke of the satisfaction and pleasure derived from working on our historic building. Representative Kevin DelGobbo presented the Society with a State of Connecticut pewter medallion to commemorate the occasion, and Shari Carda read a letter of congratulations from Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro.

We were especially happy to have student volunteers, Kyle and Kelly Lawlor, David Crane, and Matthew and Kathleen Carda, who served refreshments and whose enthusiasm added to the festivities. The silent auction held that evening was successful, realizing approximately $1500, and appreciation goes to all who contributed and purchased items. Please look at our website www.naugatuckhistory.com for photos of the evening. Also, we are grateful to Tom Jablonowski who maintains our website.

Many volunteers worked to make the evening memorable.
Bridget Mariano

Source - Naugatuck Historical Society Newsletter, May–June 2007 issue

Historic Clock Restoration at the Train Station Museum (2007)

In early 2007, while the Naugatuck Historical Society was still located in the historic train station building, we were honored to receive a grant from the Salem Family Fund through the Connecticut Community Foundation to restore the museum’s iconic clock. The grant was presented by Thyrza Whitmore, marking a meaningful investment in the preservation of Naugatuck’s architectural and civic history.

Thanks to this support, the clock was fully restored just in time for the museum’s grand reopening. A community celebration was held on April 14, 2007, to mark this special occasion.

During the event, architect Alan Lagocki shared his reflections on the pride and responsibility of working on such a historically significant structure. Representative Kevin DelGobbo presented the Society with a Connecticut pewter medallion in recognition of the milestone, and Shari Carda read a congratulatory message from Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro.

This moment served as a proud chapter in the Society’s ongoing efforts to protect and celebrate the stories that define Naugatuck.

Source
Naugatuck Historical Society Newsletter
Volume 12, Issue 3
May - June 2007