Letter from State Historic Preservation Officer May, 1980

Letter from State Historic Preservation Officer May, 1980

Shannahan, John W.

4 pages

Regarding Danbury's historic district from CT's State Historic Preservation Officer

1980

Danbury (Conn.)

Office

of the

STATE
HISTORIC
PRESERVATION
OFFICER
for Connecticut
59 SOUTH

PROSPECT STREET - HARTFORD,

CONNECTICUT

06106 - TEL: (203) 566-3005

May 13,

1980

Mr. Jeremiah F. Lombard!, Jr.
City of Danbury
Danbury Redevelopment Agency
142 Deer Hill Avenue
Danbury, Conn. 06810
Subject: Community Development Sixth Year Entitlement
Grant, DANBURY, CONN.
A95: #8003CD02
Dear Mr. Lombard!:
The State Historic Preservation Officer has reviewed the
above-named project. This office understands that the City
of Danbury's Community Development Program includes among
its components a house rehabilitation program'and the utilization of the former city jail. The'state Historic Preservation Officer's comments with respect to each subprogram are
as follows:
Housing Rehabilitation Program/Neighborhood Housing Service
Municipalities are reminded that their responsibility under the
National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (80 Stat 915, 16 USC
470 as amended), and Advisory Council Guidelines 36 CPR 800,
"Procedures for the Protection of Historic and Cultural
Properties", include the identification of those properties
which may be eligible for the National Register of Historic
Places as well as determining which properties are actually listed
on the National Register. In the opinion of the State Historic
Preservation Officer, the City of Danbury may satisfy this
requirement by means of a good faith commitment to this office
that a professional architectural and historical survey will be
initiated at the earliest possible time. This office notes that
the City of Danbury has partially investigated the Main Street
area as part of your survey funded through this agency. This
office believes that this survey data could serve as a data
base for the formulation of the city's identification of cultural resources for its rehabilitation loan program. As the City

STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICER: The person responsible for implementation in Connecticut of the National Historic
Preservation Act of 1966 administered by the Department of the Interior, Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service, Washington. D.C.
AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER/AFFIRMATIVE ACTION AGENCY

I

Mr. Jeremiah F. Lombard!, Jr. (Cont'd)

May 13, 1980
Page 2

of Danbury is aware, surveys of historical resources are eligible
for funding under the Community Development Program. Information
concerning the Department of the Interior's matching grant-inaid funds for survey purposes, administered by the Connecticut
Historical Commission, has been included with this letter. Our
office would be pleased to continue to provide your community with
survey forms, instructions and technical assistance for carrying
out this survey..
In addition to the identification of cultural resources, municipalities are mandated as Community Development program participants to assess what effect the rehabilitation grant program
will have on those properties listed on or eligible for the National
Register. If the City of Danbury is willing to incorporate the
Secretary of the Interior's "Standards for Historic Preservation
Projects" as the standard for the city's rehabilitation program,
the State Historic Preservation Officer expects that the general
concept-of the City of Danbury's Community Development rehabilitation program would be in accordance with Advisory Council Guidelines 36 CFR 800.
Rehabilitation projects which contain items not in keeping with
the Secretary of the Interior's standards, for example, sandblasting or artificial siding, should be individually submitted to
the State Historic Preservation Officer for review and comment
with respect to: 1) the property's eligibility for the National
Register; and 2) if eligible, the effect of the proposed rehabilitation program on this property.
In summary, in order to ensure that the City of Danbury's Community
Development Rehabilitation Program is in accordance with the
spirit and intent of the National Historic Preservation Act of
1966 and Advisory Council Guidelines 36 CFR 800, the State Historic
Preservation Officer recommends that the City of Danbury should
draft a Memorandum of Agreement which would incorporate the following
major points:
1) The City of Danbury will undertake a professional survey
of the historical and architectural resources in those
areas targeted for the Community Development rehabilitation
program. This survey will be conducted in accordance
with the standards established by the State Historic Preservation Officer;
2) Until completion of this survey, all properties proposed
for rehabilitation will be treated in accordance with the
Secretary of the Interior's standards; and
3) All exceptions to the Secretary of the Interior's standards
will be submitted to the State Historic Preservation
Officer for review and comment.

Mr. Jeremiah F. Lombardi, Jr. (Cont'd)

May 13, 1980
Page 3

Restoration of Former City Jail
This office notes that this property appears to meet the eligibility criteria for the National Register. Therefore, the State
Historic Preservation Officer recommends that the City of Danbury:
1) initiate compliance with the Advisory Council Guidelines 36
CFR 800; and 2) request a determination of eligibility for this
property from the Keeper of the National Register, Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service, U. S. Department of the Interior,
440 G Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20243.
Documentation should be in sufficient detail to enable the
Keeper of the National Register, Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service, to promptly respond to your agency's request
for a determination of eligibility. In accordance with the Office
of Archaeology and Historic Preservation Guidelines 36 CFR 63,
"Determinations -of Eligibility for Inclusion in the National
Register of Historic Places" such documentation should include
a physical and historical description, a s-tatement of significance,
and photographs and maps.
The State Historic Preservation Officer should receive a copy
of this documentation so that he may submit his opinion to the
Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service. If a consensus
of opinion exists as to the eligibility of this project, less
extensive documentation is requested and the review period is
considerably shortened under 36 CFR 63.3.
Liberty Street Acquisitions
The State Historic Preservation Officer understands that the City
of Danbury proposes to acquire additional property on Liberty
Street to facilitate the redevelopment of this area. This office
requests supplemental information which specifically identifies
the street addresses for those properties under consideration
for acquisition. The submission of historical information and
photographs would expedite the review of this office with respect
to this subprogram.
Feasibility Study for Health and Human Services
Facility.
The State Historic Preservation Officer understands that the
Danbury Health Department proposes to investigate the rehabilitation or construction of a multiple use facility to better suit
their needs. In this regard, the State Historic Preservation
Officer suggests that this study should include an examination
of the feasibility for the rehabilitation or conversion of Danbury 's existing building stock to fulfill the Health Department's
expansion problems. In this regard, the ongoing historic and
architectural resources survey along Main Street might serve as
an important source of information for this study.

Mr. Jeremiah F. Lombardi, Jr. (Cont'd)

May 13, 1980
Page 4

Administration and Social Service Programs
In the opinion of the State Historic Preservation Officer, all
other aspects of the City of Danbury's Community Development
Program, except as noted above, will have no effect on architectural, historical or archaeological resources listed on or
eligible for the National Register of Historic Places.
The State Historic Preservation Officer strongly supports and
encourages the City of Danbury's efforts towards the preservation and continued utilization of the existing building stock
through its rehabilitation program. In particular, this office
supports the city's efforts for the rehabilitation and revitali
zation of the former city jail.
For" further information, please contact David A. Poirier,
Archaeologist .ot Linda S. Spencer, Historian.
Sincerely,

DAP:aas
Enclosure
cc:

S
*
State Clearinghouse Dir. .Office of Policy and
Management, Hartford

Mr. Philip Forzley
U.S.Dept. of Housing and
Urban Development
Hartford, Conn. 06103

/'""Jofin W .^roannahan
S tate Historic P reservation
Officer

*