John Fonfara

Hartford to Benefit from Historic Preservation Grants

Senator Fonfara says grants will create jobs and conserve energy, preserve and enable reuse of historic buildings

Senator John W. Fonfara (D-Hartford), co-chair of the General Assembly’s Energy and Technology Committee, says that three locations in Hartford will receive state Historical Preservation Technical Assistance Grants to help grow jobs and preserve the city’s heritage through the renovation of historic buildings and improvements in their energy efficiency.

“These initiatives will help keep history alive and relevant here in Hartford,” said Senator Fonfara. “All three grants will put people to work restoring historic buildings, and help these older structures to remain in use, environmentally friendly and productive in the city of today.”

The grants are funded by the Connecticut General Assembly, The Connecticut Humanities Council and the Commission on Culture and Tourism.

• The Hispanic Health Council has been awarded $16,600 for the design of a new energy efficient heating and cooling (HVAC) system for its historic Main Street building, a contributing resource in the South Green National Register District. The project will allow the Council to save money by lowering operating costs while maintaining and preserving the historic integrity of the building.
• The Connecticut Community for Addiction Recovery has been awarded $8,000 to conduct an assessment of the Charles B. Haskel House (1896), one of a cluster of lots developed by Mrs. Samuel Colt between 1880 and 1900 along Wethersfield Avenue. The project seeks to preserve the historic attributes of the building while improving building efficiency and conserving energy.
• Immaculate Conception Shelter & Housing Corporation has been awarded $19,695 to draw up architectural plans and seek community input to determine an appropriate reuse of the former Immaculate Conception Church, an 1894 Gothic Revival design by Michael O’ Donohue in the Frog Hollow neighborhood.

Forty-one non-profit organizations and municipalities in Connecticut received Historic Preservation Technical Assistance Grants this year. The Connecticut Trust for Historical Preservation says that every grant, “ . . . creates one or more short term jobs that employ architects, structural, mechanical and civil engineers, historic and preservation consultants, energy use consultants, technology firms and planning companies.”

In a letter of support for the Hispanic Health Council’s grant, Sheryl Hack of Connecticut Landmarks stated, “Energy efficiency is vital in enabling historic building stock to survive within a realigned energy environment.” “Renovating and reusing these older buildings not only preserves their historic value—it also helps them to consume less energy, and it allows those who occupy them to use more of their resources for important work in the community,” said Senator Fonfara.