GREENWICH POINT CONSERVANCY TO MAKE GIFT OF UP TO $275,000 TO TOWN FOR RENOVATIONS TO INNIS ARDEN COTTAGE; GIFT APPROVED BY RTM
October 25, 2005: GREENWICH, CT -- The Greenwich Point Conservancy, a local non-profit organization formed to support restoration and preservation efforts of the historic structures at Greenwich Point, announced today that it will make a gift to the town of up to $275,000 for renovations to Innis Arden Cottage, the beach cottage at Greenwich Point (also called the Queen Anne Building), which will include a new cedar shingle roof, as well as shingles, siding and replacement windows for the second floor dormers. The new roof and siding will be constructed of cedar shingles, a low-maintenance material with a long life expectancy, and the new windows will replicate those original to the cottage. The renovations are intended to be consistent with the original architectural design of the cottage, when it was first built by J. Kennedy Tod on his estate ‘Innis Arden’, which is now known as Greenwich Point.
The gift to the town for the Innis Arden Cottage renovations was presented to and accepted by the RTM at its meeting yesterday, October 24, 2005. The gift is the first project of the GPC, which has worked closely with Department of Parks and Recreation, the Board of Parks and Recreation and the Department of Public Works on this gift. The Greenwich Point Conservancy hopes to make additional future gifts to the town for restoration and preservation efforts at Greenwich Point, and has targeted Innis Arden Cottage and several other historic buildings at Greenwich Point, such as the Chimes building, the Boathouse on Eagle Pond and the Seaside Center building.
The GPC has been conducting fundraising efforts for its projects and, since the commencement of a capital campaign last fall, has raised more than $300,000, including funds raised in July at a benefit attended by more than 330 supporters of the group, including First Selectman James Lash, Selectman Peter Crumbine, State Representative Lile Gibbons, State Senator Bill Nickerson, U.S. Congressman Christopher Shays and former Connecticut Governor Lowell Weicker.
Christopher P. Franco, president of the GPC, said, “We are very pleased to be able to provide to the town funds for much needed renovations to the Innis Arden Cottage. The cottage is a wonderful and historically important building, and is clearly a favorite at Greenwich Point for many people. We are very grateful to have received such generous support from all parts of our community, and are also thankful for the support we have received from the town – the Department of Parks and Recreation, the Department of Public Works, the Selectmen and the RTM. There is clearly broad support for the restoration and preservation of these great buildings, and we hope and expect that this will be the first of several projects that will bring the beautiful and historic buildings at Greenwich Point, which are in pressing need of attention, back to their original condition. We thank everyone who has supported our efforts, and encourage continued citizen involvement and stewardship at Greenwich Point, which is the crown jewel of our public parks here in Greenwich.”
The Greenwich Point Conservancy was formed in 2003 by residents concerned about the deteriorating condition of the historically-important structures that once comprised the estate of Mr. and Mrs. J. Kennedy Tod, built there beginning in 1887. The town purchased Greenwich Point in 1945 from the New York Presbyterian Hospital, heirs to the Tod estate. The Greenwich Point Conservancy is a non-profit organization, and all donations are fully tax-deductible. To make a donation to the group, or to learn more about its activities, visit the GPC Website at www.GreenwichPoint.org or contact the GPC at GPConservancy@aol.com or P.O. Box 377, Old Greenwich, CT 06870.
