Another Factory Building

For Sandy Hook?

To the Editor:

On behalf of our entire Board of Trustees, we are strongly opposed to the construction of a new “Brick Factory Building” in Sandy Hook. We understand this building is intended to house a new branch of the Newtown Savings Bank. We are not opposed to Newtown Savings coming to that location, in fact we support it. We are opposed to the current design proposed for this new structure.

The bank or the developer plans to destroy the historic William B. Glover homestead located at the intersection of Glen, Riverside, and Church Hill Roads, and replace it with another brick factory building. We believe the architect’s intention for this project is probably to depict Sandy Hook as a factory town.

It is true that Connecticut was a major manufacturing locale during the industrial revolution. Red brick buildings were built all over our state. Many still exist today and most are considered blight. Many architectural historians feel that American architectural design hit bottom during this era. Why would we want to replicate this?

Yes, we have our share of 19th Century red brick factories because of the abundance of waterpower from the Pootatuck River; however, I would like to point out that Sandy Hook has a rich history going back way before the industrial revolution. Benjamin Curtiss came here in 1716 and built his home in Sandy Hook in 1748. The Sanford farm property on Church Hill Road was established in 1712.

The hamlet of Sandy Hook is currently a mix of 18th and 19th Century buildings, with of course newer buildings. I do not think most Sandy Hook residents want to depict our town as a factory town.

The Glover Homestead, which is planned to be demolished, is an attractive colonial design. Why don’t we replace it with a similar colonial structure? A few years ago the town allowed the demolition of an 18th Century colonial building on Church Hill Road, near Queen Street for the construction of a restaurant. The architects designed an attractive colonial structure to replace it.

When the Newtown Savings Bank expanded its headquarters on Main Street it demolished and rebuilt the old Congregational Parsonage with elements of the original building in order to preserve the streetscape. Why can’t they do something similar with the old Glover homestead?

We hope that Planning and Zoning will reject the design of this project as currently proposed.

Sincerely,

Lincoln R. Sander, President

Newtown Historical Society

PO Box 189, Newtown                                                      June 23, 2010