Avon Historical Society Mobilizing For Derrin House Restoration Donations

AVON, CT - The Avon Historical Society has set up a fund for residents who want to donate to the Derrin House restoration efforts.

The historic farmhouse on West Avon Road was damaged in an accidental fire on May 11.

See the account of the fire here.

Donations can be sent via a Gofundme account:

www.gofundme.com/derrin

or via:

Avon Historical Society,
P.O. Box 448, Avon, CT 06001

Avon Historical Society President Terri Wilson also sent the following letter to residents about the fire:

May 14, 2016

Letter to the Editor

On behalf of the Avon Historical Society Board of Trustees listed below, I wish to thank the Avon Volunteer Fire Department for their very swift and proper handling of the fire at the Derrin Farmhouse on West Avon Road the morning of May 11, 2016.

Their quick response, along with mutual aid from Farmington and Simsbury, exemplify what training and teamwork is all about when a disaster strikes. The State Fire Marshal’s office stated that Avon’s fire department did an outstanding job at saving a piece of our local heritage. We are grateful for their efforts, and the extraordinary precision which kept the damage contained within the walls of this home that has stood in Avon for over 200 years.

Volunteer organizations are comprised of people from every walk of life and every background. The Avon Historical Society and Avon Volunteer Fire Department are shiningexamples of teamwork in action. As a volunteer organization, many members of the Society have worked tirelessly for twenty years in restoring this farmhouse which continues to inspire local historians and the community. It has become a symbol of agrarian life in rural New England.

The Board of Trustees is saddened by what happened, but are strong in our resolve to bring this farmhouse back to life for future generations.

We also wish to thank the dozens of individuals, as well as state and local organizations, that have stepped up to help with this disaster. It’s said that it takes a village to raise a child. We now know there is a village of help out there with sister organizations ready to provide support, guidance and assist with this situation as we cannot do it alone.

Lastly, we know our community in the Valley is giving and caring. For this reason we have launched a fundraising site to assist us in the restoration effort beyond what our insurance will cover. The site www.gofundme.com/derrin is now open to take donations. Donations can be sent to: Avon Historical Society, P.O. Box 448, Avon, CT 06001. All contributions are tax deductible.

We thank everyone, in advance, for their support. History teaches us a lot about the past. The Avon Historical Society is a team of people with a mission to keep history alive for everyone and thanks to everyone for being part of who and what we are in the present.

Thank you.

Avon Board of Trustees: Helaine Bertsch, Sue Cho, John Forster, Ben Isaacson, Deb Key, Mary Harrop, Satvinder Mayall, Carolyn McGrattan, Cal Miller-Stevens, Sebastian Saraceno, Eric Throndson, Len Tolisano, Terri Wilson, Peter Wright