Representatives of the New Canaan Preservation Alliance, Neele Stichnoth and Wes Haynes, recently updated the Board of Selectmen on the Church Hill Historic District initiative. The conversation revolved around clearing up misunderstandings and stressing the honorific nature of the national listing.
“We’re here to celebrate and honor the compelling history of this district, which dates back to 1731,” Stichnoth emphasized. She clarified that the national listing is not an expansion of the local historic district. Rather, it’s an overlay. Existing regulations in the local God’s Acre District will remain unaffected.
There’s an underlying pride in recognizing and preserving the history of our town.
Haynes, Executive Director of the Merritt Parkway Conservancy and has past affiliations with the preservation office, provided insights on the National Register, the cornerstone of preservation policy within the U.S. “In comparison to international standards, our protections might appear weak due to our strong emphasis on property ownership. But the National Register is about offering incentives rather than disincentives,” Haynes stated.
A lingering rumor suggesting that neighbors could sue homeowners within the Historic District for demolition activities was addressed. “The only entity that truly has the power to get an injunction against demolition in a historic district is the State Attorney General. It’s a rigorous process,” Haynes explained, debunking the myth that was wrongly propagated through flyers and newsletters.
In a light-hearted moment, there was a brief back-and-forth about the exact year the Waveny Historic District was listed. “Seven years ago,” Stichnoth finally confirmed, after a bit of playful debate with Haynes.
The Church Hill Historic District, if approved, could provide benefits such as federal tax credits and grants to property owners. The underlying sentiment, however, remained clear: the push for the Church Hill District isn’t as much about defense as it is about preserving and celebrating New Canaan’s rich history.
“There’s an underlying pride in recognizing and preserving the historical value of our town,” commented First Selectman Kevin Moynihan, a proponent of the initiative. “It’s not about using the designation as a shield, but about celebrating New Canaan’s beautiful and storied past.”
While many neighboring towns already have historic districts, New Canaan’s move is seen as a step forward in recognizing the town’s heritage and its significance. The sentiment was summed up aptly by Stichnoth: “For a town as beautiful as New Canaan, it’s high time we celebrated our history.”
The application for the Church Hill Historic District has been unanimously approved by the State Historic Preservation Office to be forwarded to Washington for further consideration.
