Stamford's Hoyt-Barnum House Returns To Nat'l Historic Registry

STAMFORD, CT - From The Stamford Historical Society: The Stamford History Center is delighted to announce that the National Park Service has approved placing the Hoyt-Barnum House back on the National Register of Historic Places.

The historic home, built in 1699 and the oldest house in Stamford, was moved two years ago from its original site on Bedford Street, to its new location next to the History Center at 1508 High Ridge Road in Stamford. Hoyt-Barnum has been restored as close as possible to its original condition. Portions of the house added in the 20th century have been removed. Stamford Mayor David Martin officially re-opened the house to the public last June.

Dr. Thomas Zoubek, Executive Director of the History Center, commented, “This was a major collaboration between the History Center, the City of Stamford, Christopher Williams Architecture LLC and Davis Building Movers. In its new location, the Hoyt-Barnum House is an extraordinary window for students and their parents to experience the reality of life in Stamford in the 18th century. It has really enhanced our programs for Stamford schools.”

“We are very pleased with the news from Washington,” said Marshall Millsap, Chairman of the History Center, “as no building has ever returned to the National Register after a move like this. Our goal was always to restore the house so that it could be reconsidered for designation as an Historic Place. Throughout the project, we got great advice and guidance from the Connecticut State Historic Preservation Office, the Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation, Stamford’s Historic Preservation Advisory Committee, and Historic Neighborhood Preservation, Stamford’s local non-profit preservation group. We all knew it would not be easy. This is a major win for Stamford.”

“The complexity of the project was always clear,” adds Jeff Pardo, Construction Manager for the City of Stamford. “SHPO told us, when we originally met in July 2015, that no house listed on the Register that was dismantled, relocated, and restored had been permitted to remain on the Register. The loss of historic and structural integrity would considered too great to overcome. This is the only house on the Register that has ever achieved this distinction. The teams from the City of Stamford and Davis Building Movers knew we had a unique challenge.”

“It took a village to move the house that started the village,” commented Lynn Drobbin, Chairman of the Historic Preservation Advisory Commission of the City of Stamford. “The relocation and relisting of the Hoyt Barnum House on the National Register of Historic Places demonstrates that a difficult project, fraught with a multitude of challenges along the road (literally!), can be accomplished by a dedicated team of city engineers, architects, experienced movers, historic preservation advocates and professionals. We also would like to thank the State Historic Preservation Office and the Connecticut Trust for their support and guidance for this seemingly impossible task and for understanding that progress must respect the Past but the Past must not restrict progress.”

The project recently received the Award of Merit from the Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation, one of only two historic houses to receive the award this year. A film of the move and restoration, shown at the award ceremony earlier this month, drew audible gasps from an audience of preservation enthusiasts when they watched the two dismantled sections of the house barely fit under the Merritt Parkway bridge on its way to the new site.