State Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff (D-Norwalk) today announced that the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum is slated to receive a $5 million grant from the State Bond Commission for HVAC and electrical upgrades.
This grant will allow the Mansion to take a major step forward with the implementation of the Master Mechanical Plan. This plan was originally inspired and funded by the Board of Trustees in 2008, and with support from the City of Norwalk, Norwalk Historical Commission and previous state grants, several Americans with Disabilities Act phases have already been completed.
“Norwalk’s Lockwood-Mathews Mansion is a cultural treasure and an important part of Connecticut’s history,” said Sen. Duff, who played a key role in securing this state funding. “I first went to Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum as a Marvin Elementary School 5th-grader and fell in love with it. Since then, I have worked over the years to bring funding to restore the mansion to its rightful glory. The Mansion is a community gem that has an important story to tell to our kids and our grandkids. I am proud to have worked to help secure this funding so that the Mansion can continue its mission for years to come.”
This funding will provide, for the first time, a fire protection system for the Mansion, bring electricity to the second and third floor of the Mansion, and additionally support a new heating system that will allow the museum to stay open during the winter months.
“We are very grateful to Senator Duff for securing this $5 million dollar grant. Bob fell in love with the Mansion during a school tour as a Norwalk student, and he has been a strong advocate of the Mansion’s history and programs ever since,” said Patsy R. Brescia, chairman of the Board of Directors of the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum. “This means an enhanced visitors’ experience, expansion of community use, and increased educational programs. We are grateful to Governor Malloy and to all the legislators that have supported this funding opportunity.”
“On behalf of the City of Norwalk, thank you Senator Duff for your leadership in pushing forward this necessary funding for the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion,” said Norwalk Mayor Harry Rilling. “We were thrilled this funding was approved to help improve this wonderful facility that those in Norwalk and around the region enjoy. This is wonderful news.”
“The Lockwood-Mathews Mansion is a national landmark and is a unique structure in American architecture, and it was the first large ‘country house’ built in the United States—preceding the Newport mansion by 20 years,” said David Westmoreland, chair of the Norwalk Historical Commission. “This funding will provide critical infrastructure improvements to keep the Mansion viable into the future. The Norwalk Historical Commission is extremely grateful to Governor Malloy, Senator Duff and the State Bond Commission for these funds.”
A National Historic Landmark since 1971, the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum is regarded as one of the earliest and most significant Second Empire Style country houses in the United States. The Mansion offers preservation activities and educational programs that illustrate our nation’s late 19th century heritage and its significance to our own and future generations.
