Greenwich Home Built In 1894 Receives Historic Property Designation

GREENWICH, CT — The Redman-Fitzgerald House, a Riverside home that represents an important period in Greenwich's history, has received historic property designation following a vote by the Representative Town Meeting on Monday night.

The RTM voted 173 in favor with three opposed and two abstentions to grant the designation, which means that any future change to a "contributing structure or factor" at 98 Riverside Ave. must receive a certificate of appropriateness from the town's Historic District Commission (HDC).

Kip Burgweger, chair of the RTM's legislative and rules committee, said the home must remain residential, although that could include multi-family use.

There was no debate on the historic designation before the RTM voted.

Andrew Melillo of the HDC told the Board of Selectmen in February that the owner of the house wanted the designation.

The home was named after the two families who each lived at 98 Riverside Ave. for over 30 years, according to documents on file with the town.

The two-and-a-half-story, side-gabled, shingle-style home was built in 1894 on an approximate acre plot of land.

Presently, no architect has been identified with those, documents note. Shingle-style homes were popular in the 1880s and 1890s and are identified with some of the early homes in the Belle Haven section of Greenwich.

"Between the 1880s and 1930, Greenwich came of age as a commuter town. The transformation from a community of farmers and fishermen was closely tied to the establishment of the rail stations in the 1870s," submitted documents say.

The convenience of local depots allowed speculators to capitalize on both commuters and seasonal renters.

Jeremiah Atwater, a Brooklyn real estate entrepreneur, began amassing land along the eastern banks of the Mianus River with the intention of dividing it and selling it to New Yorkers, the documents explain.

"Homes and/or land were sold in large tracts and this pattern helped to preserve the rural character that Riverside is known for today," the documents added. "The Redman-Fitzgerald House represents one of the few remaining homes that symbolize the development of this period in Riverside."

The house is essentially the same structure that was built in 1894, but it has undergone some changes in its long history with additions or alterations.

In 1995, the house was included in the Greenwich Historical Society's 30-plus year preservation program, Greenwich Landmark Registry.