Weir Farm Looks To The Future

WILTON — The National Park Service has announced that Weir Farm National Historic Site has initiated planning for construction and rehabilitation of park buildings at the historic site.

The proposed action will construct a new facility in Ridgefield, approximately one-half mile from the historic Weir Farm. It will also include the rehabilitation of an existing non-historic structure for offices.

The combined facilities will house the administrative and maintenance functions and house the majority of the site’s museum collection. The project was identified in the site’s 1995 general management plan (GMP).

Work on an environmental assessment (EA) will begin early this year and a draft EA should be available for public review in the spring or summer. Congressionally appropriated construction funds are anticipated in 2005.

Comments or questions about the project should be directed to Superintendent Randy Turner, Weir Farm National Historic Site, 735 Nod Hill Road, Wilton CT 06897, or randy_turner@nps.gov.

Mr Turner also recently announced the opening of a public review period for the park’s draft Environmental Assessment for Cultural Landscape Preservation proposal. The National Park Service (NPS) has proposed to implement several landscape treatments within the site.

The purpose of the proposed action is to restore the Weir Complex to circa 1940 and rehabilitate the Pond and Woodland Area by replacing three historic features, as stipulated in the Weir Farm GMP.

A “No Action” alternative and a “Treatment” alternative are presented in the environmental assessment for evaluation, along with other alternatives already considered and dismissed.

The “No Action” alternative would continue present management actions for the historic structures and landscape. The “Treatment” alternative recommends that the circulation system by rehabilitated and preserved; the stone causeway be rehabilitated; meadow areas at the Weir Complex by restored; meadow areas within the Pond and Woodland Area by rehabilitated; vegetative screening be established; pond views from a ridge top by restored; the pig pen at the Weir Complex be stabilized; and the stone diversion system within the Pond and Woodland Area be rehabilitated.

Public comments on the alternatives highlighted in the draft will help NPS decide how to proceed with cultural landscape preservation, rehabilitation, and restoration at Weir Farm National Historic Site. Those interested are invited to review the document, being made available only until February 18, at the following locations:

*at Weir Farm’s Burlingham Visitor Center, 735 Nod Hill Road in Wilton;

*at Ridgefield Library (472 Main Street/Route 35) or Wilton Library (137 Old Ridgefield Road/Route 7); or

*online at www.nps.gov/wefa.

Comments may also be sent to Weir Farm Superintendent Randy Turner c/o Weir Farm National Historic Site.