Joseph J. Crisco, Jr.

Crisco Reports Two $1,500 Grants to Preserve Historic Barns in Hamden

State Senator Joseph J. Crisco, Jr. (D-Woodbridge) today welcomed two grants, each worth $1,500, for historic barn preservation in Hamden. Senator Crisco said the grants are from the non-profit Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation, established by the General Assembly in 1975 to ‘protect and nourish the vitality of significant buildings and landscapes.’

Senator Crisco said one grant was awarded to the Town of Hamden to underwrite a ‘conditions assessment’ for the barn at 524 Brooksvale Avenue, which is listed on the state’s Historic Resource Inventory. A second grant was approved for the Hamden Historical Society for a comparable assessment of the barn at 390 Gilbert Avenue.

“Brooksvale Park, boasting more than 400 acres and a host of recreational opportunities, was created from 19th century farmland on the property that served as the town’s poor farm from 1861 until well into the 20th century,” Senator Crisco said. “Safeguarding the barn, which was the focal point of that original farm, would maintain a key link to Hamden’s history and it’s my hope this grant will help toward that end.”

Senator Crisco said the two Hamden grants are among 23 awarded statewide by the Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation, which in turn receives funding from the state’s Community Investment Act and the General Assembly. The combined value of these 23 Barn Grants is more than $97,000.

“The historic barn on Gilbert Avenue, built in 1890 on what’s known as the Maselli Farm, is one of just a few remaining that feature post-and-beam construction and a gambrel roof, and for that reason alone is well worth the effort to preserve,” Senator Crisco said. “I’m also drawn to this project because of the partnership that has emerged between the state, the Hamden Historical Society, and the Dunbar Hill Civic Association, which raised seed money in order to qualify for the state funds.”

Senator Crisco said the Maselli Farm operated until 2008, when the Town of Hamden bought the property, and that the town would consider a plan to put the parcel back into production if and when the future of the barn, as a lynchpin of the project, is assured.

Senator Crisco has served in the General Assembly since 1993.