Well Constructed

Last month Facilities Manager Ted Gaffney and I (and our accommodating spouses Dylan and Maureen) went to a dinner and ceremony to receive an Excellence in Construction Award for the Florence Griswold House restoration from the Associated Builders & Contractors of Connecticut, Inc.

Actually, the award was given jointly to the Museum and to Kronenberger & Sons Restoration, Inc. in Middletown. Kronenberger served as the construction manager for this preservation project, the most extensive in the nearly 200-year history of this landmark building. Completed in 2006, the restoration of the Griswold House has been cited as an example of “best practices” among historic houses for its effective use of “green” geothermal technology to maintain the interior environment and for the years of careful research that led to its interpretation as a boarding house for artists when it was a center of Impressionism in America. If you haven’t had a chance to see the Griswold House I hope you will do so soon.

We are starting a new project with Kronenberger. Beginning later this month, they will be undertaking the restoration of a historic barn on the Museum’s property. This mid-19th century barn will be transformed into the John and Dyanne Rafal Landscape Center where visitors will learn about the landscape traditions of the Lyme region. Scheduled to open this summer, you can follow the progress right here on this blog!