Under Danbury's Ownership

The Danbury Preservation Trust formed a committee soon after the purchase of the C.D. Parks property in an effort to determine the best use of their newest addition. They concluded that there were two sound options. One was was for the City of Danbury to assume the costs of repairs to the building and then rent it out for events, much like Tarrywile Mansion. Another option was to let a private party repair the building under a long-term lease, as was done at the Danbury Firehouse. Ideas are floated for using the building as a conference center or restaurant.

Additionally, the paper spends a fair amount of time noting the historical and architectural significance of Hearthstone and its outbuildings.

Two years after Danbury's acquisition of Hearthstone, nothing had been accomplished at the property. The building had been boarded up and it was difficult to access it. The castle had fallen into disrepair, and the Danbury Preservation Trust was eager to rehabilitate the property. David Coelho tried to gain access to the castle in order to assess its condition but was denied entry. The situation soon devolved into a screaming match, when City Planning Director Leonard Sedney accused Coelho of playing politics and opposing everything Mayor Dyer tried to accomplish, rather than simply trying to repair the castle.

The event is an example of what a mess the situation at Hearthstone had become.

In October of 1987 a public forum was held on the deterioration of Hearthstone Castle. The agenda reveals how contentious the issue had become. The authors clearly implicate Mayor Dyer as responsible for the castle's deterioration. Through their agenda it is easy to see how passionate they are about the castle, and how strong their feelings are on the matter.