WANTED: People with a passion for historic preservation of old New England architecture, who are also good with a hammer and saw. Must be willing to exchange renovation expenses for a 25-year lease with the state for the Smith-Curtiss House on Hawthorne Avenue at Osbornedale State Park.
That’s not an actual advertisement but it just as well could be, as the state Department of Environmental Protection’s Resident Curator Program opened applications today (Wednesday) for people interested in becoming resident curators at the Smith-Curtiss House, a 2,300 square-foot saltbox built between 1740 and 1780.
Gov. M. Jodi Rell toured the house, which includes a kitchen, keeping room, dining room, parlor and three bedrooms. She announced that 19 other historic homes like it will be leased through the program in the same way.
“Out here, your neighbors are peace and quiet,” Rell said, as she looked over the white-painted home in its wooded setting.
The property has been part of Osbornedale State Park since 1956, when Frances Osborne Kellogg, granddaughter of John W. Osborne, one of the Naugatuck Valley’s early industrial entrepreneurs, donated the total 411 acres.
The state does not have the funding to renovate all these historic old houses, though. That is where the public-private Resident Curator partnership comes in, said Susan Frechette, Deputy Commissioner of the DEP.
To be considered, you have to be able to give a serious commitment to the program. They must be able to restore the place, maintain its historic character, show they have the financial resources to do so, and be willing and able to sign on for 20 to 25 years.
The restoration work is not minor. The Smith-Curtiss House would cost an estimate $500,000 to $1 million to restore, Frechette said.
“It needs a lot of work,” she told a tour group that include State Sen. Joseph Crisco, State Rep. Linda Gentile, State Rep. Themis Klarides and Mayor Anthony Staffieri.
“This is an angel program for conservation,” Crisco said.
Applying to lease the home is also quite involved. The individual must provide a detailed restoration plan and be open to monthly and yearly inspections by the state to make sure they are on track. They must document their work and follow guidelines. Terms to protect against them not performing the work would be negotiated prior to signing the lease.
The rent for the house is paid in the form of restoration, rehabilitation and ongoing maintenance of the house and property.
There were reportedly 90 applications made already, although the process just began. Open houses will be conducted Oct. 29 and Nov. 20 for people to take a look. The closing for applications is Dec. 13.
The old houses must be restored for several reasons, one of which is that they are an asset to the community, said Helen Higgins, executive director of the Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation. The occupants must open the homes to tours twice a year.
“It is part of a neighborhood here in Derby and it needs to be restored,” Higgins said.
More info available from the DEP:
