Category Archives: History

25 Years After 9/11: Turning Loss Into Legacy

Posted on September 8, 2026 | 1 comment

As the 25th anniversary of her husband Adam J. Lewis’ death in the Twin Towers nears, Patty Lewis could spend her time looking backward.

Instead, she focuses on the future.

And the future of Adam J. Lewis Academy is bright indeed.

Its preschool opened with 12 children in 2013, in a revitalized Bridgeport property. The school was the brainchild and passion project of Patty and Westporter Julie Mombello. Both were longtime friends, and educators at Greens Farms Academy.

Patty Lewis (left) and Julie Mombello

Each child it served would honor the memory of Patty’s husband, Adam. In his too-short life, the Bronx native never forgot how his own world had been transformed by an educational opportunity at the Dalton School. 

Over the next 5 years, the preschool grew to its capacity of 18 children. It was a  model for what early childhood education can be: engaging students in an innovative, enriched, nurturing environment, and bridging an achievement gap that already existed at such a young age.

The first class at Adam J. Lewis Preschool 

In 2018 the school relocated to an expanded downtown Bridgeport campus, and welcomed its first kindergarten class.

Every year after, Adam J. Lewis Academy added one grade. This fall, it reached its goal. It is now a full pre-k through 8th grade independent school, with nearly 200 students.

It is a shining success story, in a city that has not had enough of them. And — with the help of many Westporters — Patty and Julie’s school continues to change lives, one child at a time, every day of the year.

It’s a testament too that — after one of the most horrific days in American history — something good and wonderful can grow and flourish.

This year’s inaugural 8th grade includes 12 students. Four have been at the school since pre-kindergarten.

Three of this year’s 8th graders, hard at work.

Julie and Patty are excited for all 12. Part of the school year will be dedicated to placing them in appropriate high schools: Hopkins, Greens Farms Academy, Lauralton Hall, Notre Dame, Kolbe Cathedral and the like.

AJLA’s dedicated staff helps prepare students for those entrance exams. A mandatory summer program for 8th graders — part of the camp the school runs for all students — includes essay writing, interviewing skills and financial aid forms

Adam J. Lewis Academy has no theater, gym or athletic field. But they’ve partnered with organizations like Wakeman Boys & Girls Club, SquashBridge and Music Theater of Connecticut, to offer the extracurriculars that round out students’ experiences.

Adam J. Lewis Academy students and staff.

Though their growth plan — pre-K to grade 8 — is complete, Patty and Julie are not resting. Their work is not done.

They’re already looking ahead. Their goal, they say, is to continue changing young children’s lives “for the next 25, 50 and 100 years.”

A capital campaign — “Secure the Future” — has begun. The goal is $25 million.

Adam J. Lewis Academy is completely self-funded. The $5 million annual budget includes no public money.

No family pays full tuition, which covers only 8% of the total cost. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods — the investment firm where Adam worked on the 89th floor in the South Tower — has been a longtime generous donor.

Adam J. Lewis Academy 7th graders.

This year’s fundraising gala is set for September 19 (6 p.m., The Point at Norwalk Cove). As they do every year, students and teachers will show their walk, and talk about AJLA and their lives.

Those conversations are always insightful and inspiring. This year, the first class of 8th graders will make an extra special impression on guests. (Click here for tickets, and more information.)

On Sunday, Adam J. Lewis was in the national spotlight, thanks to CBS News. Caroline Lewis — one of Adam and Patty’s 4 children, who works there — pitched the story to producers.

She did not tell them her connection, until after they agreed it was a piece worth telling. (Click here to see.)

“The story of 9/11 is not done,” Caroline says in the piece. “A new chapter is being written.”

Adam J. Lewis pre-K students.

No child at the academy named for her father knew him. But his legacy is strong and alive.

Every fall, students participate in the national 9/11 Giving Day. Whether singing “America the Beautiful” at a memorial service, or — this year — packing meals for local shelters, the boys and girls at Adam J. Lewis Academy give back as much as they get.

On the 25th anniversary of a day that changed America forever, Patty Lewis says, “We’ve changed the narrative from horror and tragedy, to a sense of coming together. This is a reminder of who we as a country can be.”

(To learn more about Adam J. Lewis Academy, click here.)

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25 Years Later, Westport Will Remember 9/11

Posted on August 28, 2026 | 1 comment

On September 11, 2001 Westport — and the nation —  changed forever.

The 9/11 terrorists did more than kill nearly 3,000 people (including several with local ties.) They changed our culture, politics, and sense of ourselves.

On a strikingly clear day, we saw smoke from the Twin Towers. Sherwood Island State Park was readied as a staging area that, tragically, was never needed.

The iconic 9/11 photo was taken by Staples High School graduate Spencer Platt. He lived near the Twin Towers on that awful morning.

Westporters — first responders, and others who just wanted to help in any way possible — spent time in the rubble, and nearby.

Sherwood Island is now the site of Connecticut’s 9/11 memorial. Scholarships honor the memories of friends and neighbors we lost.

Sherwood Island State Park 9/11 Memorial (Photo/David Squires)

Next month, our town will remember both the lives lost, and the extraordinary acts of kindness and unity that followed, in a special way. Officials have planned 4 days of service, to neighbors and the community.

Residents, families, businesses, schools, non-profits and community organizations are invited to gather, serve and honor together.

The 4-day observance — September 8 through 11 — will recognize the courage and sacrifices of first responders, military members and public servants, while strengthening our community through service, compassion and generosity.

Among the activities:

  • A ceremony on September 8, with a call to serve throughout the week
  • Volunteering with a participating Westport non-profit
  • Donating food, supplies or funds to a non-profit
  • Performing independent acts of kindness or community service
  • Thanking first responders, veterans, healthcare professionals, teachers, and others who serve our town

A special page on the town website (click here) includes information about volunteer opportunities, donations, and other ways to get involved.

9/11 Memorial & Museum (Photo/Andrew Colabella)

There is also an “Online Tribute Wall.” Residents are invited to share:

  • A memory of September 11, 2001
  • A tribute to someone who was lost
  • A story of service or kindness
  • Recognition of a first responder, veteran, healthcare worker, teacher, volunteer or community member
  • A message of gratitude
  • A photograph and the story behind it
  • A reflection on what September 11 means to you today.

Submissions may include a name, or be posted anonymously.

View from the Sherwood Island 9/11 Memorial. (Photo/John Kantor)

After the 4 Days of Service and Remembrance, the town will publish highlights of volunteer participation, acts of service, charitable giving, and stories of remembrance.

For now, put September 8 to 11 on your calendar.

That time of year is always busy. School, and many programs, start up again. Organizations swing back in action. Everyone kicks into fall mode.

But 9/11 is special.

Whether you were here that day or not — or were alive or not yet born — it’s time to pause.

Reflect.

And then — as Americans did, a quarter century ago — take action, in whatever way you can.

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On Our 250th Birthday, Saluting America’s Greatest Invention

Posted on July 5, 2026 | 7 comments

As America celebrates its 250th anniversary, every media outlet has tried to find a different angle.

The Wall Street Journal came up with our nation’s “most valuable inventions.”

They noted many: the light bulb. The internet. The telephone. The iPhone. Airplanes. Refrigerators. Costco. The microchip. Chocolate-chip cookies.

But the greatest — at least, according to writer Ben Cohen — is the white line on the right side of the road.

He explains:

In the 1950s, around the time Jonas Salk cracked the polio vaccine, a metallurgist named John V. N. Dorr became the champion of a different lifesaver: a white line on the right side of the road.

For years, Dorr told anyone who would listen — and everyone who wouldn’t — about his simple way of making highways safer. A line on the side of the road, he argued, would give drivers somewhere to aim their eyes at night other than oncoming headlights. It was both cheap and incredibly effective, which made it a brilliant investment. Over time, his revolutionary stripe of paint would reach billions of people and guide drivers across the planet.

To this day, you depend on it without knowing anything about it.

John V.N. Dorr (Photo courtesy of Wall Street Journal, from the Dorr Foundation)

Of course, “06880” is “where Westport meets the world.” The WSJ story — and this one — include a very important local connection.

Dorr — whose eponymous company was based in Westport, though the story does not mention it — realized that drivers naturally hugged the center line. That led to frequent collisions, especially at night and in poor weather.

And if they couldn’t stick to the center, they swerved to the side. But they didn’t know where the shoulder was.

Dorr’s proposal: paint a line on the right side of the road.

This simple white line — shown here on Compo Road South 3 days ago — was devised in 1952 in Westport.

In 1952, he proposed his idea to Connecticut’s highway commissioner. “The man in charge of Connecticut’s roads told him to get lost,” reports the Journal.

Now comes our moment in the national spotlight. (Hat tips to “06880” readers Jonathan Rosenoer, David Smith, Joseph Scordato, Eileen Lavigne. Michelle Sagalyn, Linda Stern, and Craig and Brooke Mogan, all of whom sent a link to the WSJ story.)

The next time he suggested it, he wrote to the Westport Town Crier newspaper in 1953 and offered to pay for “a demonstration test of a few miles.”

This time, he got a more welcoming response.

“Dr. Dorr’s suggestion,” the paper wrote in an editorial, “is a dandy.”

Before long, Connecticut was testing his dandy idea on a few miles of the Merritt Parkway between Greenwich and Stamford. The study found that Dorr’s line nudged cars away from the center line, into the middle of their lanes, and narrowed the speed gap between day and night. In other words, the study found scientific evidence that a single line could dramatically alter human behavior.

John Dorr’s amazing creation, on the first road it was tested: the Merritt Parkway. (Photo courtesy of Wall Street Journal)

Dorr — by then in his 80s — began pitching his idea relentlessly: to the highway commissioners of all 48 states, engineering publications, governors, a Broadway star, even former president Herbert Hoover.

It worked.

“In less than a decade,” the Wall Street Journal says, “Dorr’s line was so popular that people wondered how they ever lived without it.”

But wait! There’s more!

The WSJ does not mention it, but John V.N. Dorr is not Westport’s only contributor to road safety.

Years before, our town was home to William Phelps Eno. Known as “The Father of Traffic Safety,” he devised the stop sign, pedestrian crosswalk, traffic circle, 1-way street, taxi stand and pedestrian safety island. He designed traffic plans for New York, Paris and London.

He did it all in Westport, in a handsome Saugatuck Avenue building near the Norwalk town line.

And — you can’t make this up — Eno did it all despite never learning to drive. (Click here for his fascinating Wikipedia page.)

So there you have it: Westport’s place, as home of America’s most important invention(s) of the past 250 years.( Click here to read the full Wall Street Journal story.)

And then — because this is Westport, and our drivers often disregard traffic lights, stop signs and everything else, including white lines — drive safely!

(“06880” is indeed “Where Westport meets the world.” If you enjoy stories like this — or anything else on our hyper-local blog — please click here to support our work. Thank you!)

William Phelps Eno was honored with a plaque at the old Westport YMCA.

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Posted in History, Looking back, Transportation

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Happy 250th, America!

Posted on July 4, 2026 | Comments Off on Happy 250th, America!

And here’s to the next 250!

Comments Off on Happy 250th, America!

Posted in History, Politics

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After 26 Years, A New Westport History: 1639-2025

Posted on June 18, 2026 | 11 comments

The covers offer clues to what’s inside.

On the front is a photo of the handsome stone building that is now Massi Co.

The back shows Westport’s classic Town Hall.

If you’ve been here a while, you know the relationship. The Post Road restaurant on the front is our original Town Hall. (The current one is the repurposed Bedford Elementary School.)

Westport’s original Town Hall.

The images are from “Westport Connecticut: The Old and New Historical Accounts.”

Bob Weingarten’s 234-page book — plus 4 appendices, and an exhaustive index — is the first history of this place since Woody Klein’s “Westport Connecticut: The Story of a New England Town’s Rise to Prominence” in 2000.

Heavy on Greens Farms (the author’s neighborhood since 2002) and on historic homes (his passion), it also features stories about Longshore, the Minute Man Monument, road names (spoiler alert: Cross Highway comes from its “crossing” of the Eleven O’Clock Roads) and more.

“Stories” is the right term. The book includes 37 “articles,” many of them originally written by Weingarten for Greens Farms Living magazine, and other publications like Westport Magazine. (He is a frequent contributor to “06880,” too.)

Weingarten is not an architectural historian by training. He has a master’s degree in electrical engineering, and spent 30 years in software development.

But after moving more than 2 decades ago into an 1805 barn, he devotes hours each day to research.

Old homes are of particular interest. Weingarten has obtained 359 historic plaques; curated 5 exhibits for the Westport Historical Society; served as house historian for the WHS (and now the Westport Museum for History & Culture), and spent 10 years on the Historic District Commission.

Bob Weingarten, with one of his historic home plaques. The Simon Couch Chaise House is on Morningside Drive.

This book grew out of all that. It’s an important complement to Klein’s work, and George Penfield Jennings’ exhaustive “Green’s Farms, Connecticut: The Old West Parish of Fairfield,” published in 1933.

(About that apostrophe: Weingarten addresses the centuries-old debate about the proper punctuation of Greens/Green’s Farms in depth. Spoiler alert: He prefers “Green’s,” but concludes, “Your call!”)

His exhaustive look at historic homes — illustrated with plenty of photos — ranges into areas like barn conversions (“there were a lot more than you’d imagine,” he says), and the Underground Railroad. (Spoiler alert: Though Westporters helped enslaved people on their journey north, no Westport homes have been “officially certified” as stops on the network of secret routes.)

Have you wondered about Westport’s oldest houses? Weingarten writes about them (and includes photos): 187 Long Lots Road (circa 1683), 46 Kings Highway South, 28 Compo Road North, 81 Clapboard Hill Road and 41 Kings Highway North.

(Speaking of Long Lots, spoiler alert: The term comes from land grants that were just  50 to 875 feet wide, but 10 miles long.)

The oldest home in Westport is on Long Lots Road, near the Fairfield line. (Photo/Larry Untermeyer)

Weingarten also discusses well-known Greens Farms residents, like Rodney Dangerfield, Gene Tierney and Robert Ludlum; modern topics like solar panels, and the “changing streetscape” of structures that have been moved, like the Kemper Gunn House (from Church Lane across Elm Street, to its current incarnation as Serena & Lily), and nearby Spotted Horse Tavern.

He also mentions the Red Barn restaurant, a historic structure on the other side of town from Greens Farms. It was in the news recently (after the book was published) because its owner, the Westport Weston Family YMCA, plans to build an ice skating rink on the site.

So is our historic architectural character — of homes, the Red Barn and more — in jeopardy?

Despite his deep love for old homes, Weingarten takes a measured tone: “We need to carefully study any proposal (for change) from both a preservation point of view and a property owner’s point of view. Not an easy task.”

“Westport Connecticut: The Old and New Historical Accounts” will launch officially with an event at the Westport Book Shop on July 8 (6 p.m.). There will also be a signing at MoCA\CT, at a date to be announced. For more information, and to purchase, email rwmailbox@aol.com.

(“06880” is your source for local history, stories of past and present, and much more. We rely on readers for support. To make a tax-deductible contribution, please click here. Thank you!)

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Herb Podel: From Abraham Lincoln To Today, Heeding History’s Lessons

Posted on May 26, 2026 | 1 comment

Herb Podel — the 101-year-old World War II Seabee veteran and longtime Westporter — did not get to ride in a car, as grand marshal of the 2026 Memorial Day parade.

The event was canceled, by a forecast of rain.

But the longtime businessman and civic volunteer took center stage at Town Hall, where the ceremony was moved.

In a heartfelt speech, delivered in a clear, powerful voice, Podel brought listeners from Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, to current events.

Noting the spread of autocracy around the world, he asked, “How do we respond to the call to always go to war?”

Michael Chait taped Podel’s 8-minute talk. To listen to the message from the Pacific Theater veteran, click here or below.

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Memorial Day 2026: Westport Remembers

Posted on May 25, 2026 | 3 comments

A forecast of rain forced the cancellation of today’s Memorial Day parade.

But nothing could stop Westport’s ceremony, honoring America’s fallen servicemembers.

It went on as scheduled, inside Town Hall rather than across Myrtle Avenue at Veterans Green.

Grand marshal Herb Podel (center) with, from left, Governor Ned Lamont, 1st Selectman Kevin Christie and Congressman Jim Himes. Standing in back are 2nd Selectwoman Amy Wistreich and 3rd Selectman Don O’Day.

A capacity crowd heard a retired general, political leaders. and grand marshal World War II veteran Herb Podel offer moving stories of sacrifice, and stirring reminders of the role democracy plays in American life.

Podel — a Seabee aviation and electronics specialist in the Pacific Theater who went on to found a successful business, and has spent over 6 decades involved in Westport’s civic life — delivered his address in a strong voice.

He tied President Lincoln’s Gettysburg address and the “be the change you want to see in the world” quote attributed to Mahatma Gandhi, to today’s world.

“We all have a role to play, in the spirit of our forefathers,” the grand marshal said.

He urged the audience — which gave him standing ovations before and after he spoke — to “vote! Stand for freedom!”

Other speakers also wove together together and today.

Governor Lamont quoted Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Paine and Lincoln. Congressman Jim Himes honored the sacrifices of patriots battling the British who landed at Compo Beach, and the 1.4 million Americans killed in all wars since.

First Selectman Kevin Christie said, “History is not distant.” He slowly recited the names of more than a dozen Westport veterans, all of whom died in the past year.

Master of ceremonies Brigadier General (retired) Brien Horan drew heartfelt applause at the end of the hour.

Remarking on America’s special history, he noted that servicemembers “swear an oath to the Constitution — not to any political party.”

Brigadier General (ret.) Brian Horan, master of ceremonies.

The ceremony also included presentation of the colors by an honor guard; the national anthem sung by the Greens Farms Elementary School Chorus; a Westport Police Department firing detail; the pledge of allegiance led by Cub Scout Pack 39 and Scout Troops 39 and 139; “Logan’s Order” played by the Staples High School band; “Taps” by Staples buglers Abigail Kane and Jessica Willis, and an invocation and benediction from Rev. Sophie Beal of Green’s Farms Church.

Grand marshal Herb Podel, with his speech. 

Patty Kondub and Phil Delgado. She is with VFW Post 399 Auxiliary; he is the Post’s quartermaster. 

Scouts lead the Pledge of Allegiance. A veteran in the honor guard (front) joins in. 

The honor guard enters.

Kevin Mazzarella conducts the Staples band.

Staples band, and a small part of the capacity crowd. (Photo/Ted Horowitz)

Congressman Jim Himes leaves soon for Ukraine. “Godspeed,” said Governor Lamont. (All photos/Dan Woog unless otherwise noted)

Memorial Day began with a ceremony at Fire Department headquarters. Chief Nick Marsan (left) and Deputy Chief Matthew Cohen spoke. (Photo/Carl Wistreich)

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Longtime Westporter Bill O’Brien sent this note to family and friends. He asked “06880” to share it with the entire community. Bill says:

As we get ready to celebrate this holiday with cookouts, cold beer and fun activities. it’s important for all Americans to pause at least a bit to reckon with what Memorial Day is really all about.

The origins of special services to honor those who die in war is based in antiquity. Athenian leader Pericles offered a tribute 2,400 years ago to the fallen heroes of the Peloponnesian War that could be applied today to the 1.4 million Americans who have died in the nation’s wars: “Not only are they commemorated by columns and inscriptions, but there dwells also an unwritten memorial of them, graven not on stone but in the hearts of men.”

To ensure the sacrifices of America’s lost are never forgotten, in 2000 the Congress passed and the president signed into law “The National Moment of Remembrance Act.”

Part of this act is to encourage all Americans to pause wherever they are at 3 pm local time on Memorial Day for a minute of silence. to remember and honor those who have died in service to the nation.

I think you’ll agree it’s the least we all can do to honor the fallen and help remind us of what the true meaning is behind the words “MEMORIAL Day.”

Bill’s wife Jacque O’Brien adds this, with 2 photos:

I came across these photos, taken 22 years ago when Bill and I visited our daughter Shannon and her family in Washington. We went the newly opened World War II Memorial.

Our grandson Garrett was just 4 years old. He decided to stop, trace the word, then rest on the monument. I remember thinking how special that moment was.

Every time I see these photos, I still get choked up.

 

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George White & Cedar Pond Road: The US Capitol Connection

Posted on May 13, 2026 | 1 comment

Many Westporters have never heard of Cedar Pond Road.

Or George M. White.

The street is off West Branch Road, which itself lies off Weston Road, in the far north of town.

The man served from 1971 to 1995 as Architect of the US Capitol. During that time — under 3 presidents — he created a master plan for the future development of the Capitol complex. Balancing conflicting demands of preservation, expansion and modernization. he oversaw major projects too, including the Library of Congress Madison, Hart Senate Office and Thurgood Marshall Federal Judiciary buildings, plus expansion of the Capitol Visitors Center.

He’s the one too who recommended that presidential inaugurations be moved from the east side of the Capitol to the more majestic western façade, overlooking the Washington Monument and Mall. Since Ronald Reagan’s in 1981, all inaugural ceremonies have taken place there. (Click here for a full biography.)

Thanks to George M. White, ever since 1981 (above), presidential inaugurations have taken place on the west side of the US Capitol.

Before all that though, White designed several Westport homes.

One was at 3 Cedar Pond Road. The architect created it specially as a replica of an early 1800s Connecticut Colonial.

The Westport Historic District Commission honored it for its authenticity and architectural significance.

Now it’s on the market. The listing price is $1.99 million.

3 Cedar Pond Road

Unlike many historic Westport homes, this one is not on a main road. It’s tucked away at the end of a long private drive, overlooking its small namesake Cedar Pond.

Built in 1967 — 4 years before White began his Washington work — the 4-bedroom, 2 1/2-bathroom, 3,046-square foot house on 2.19 acres has been well maintained (with, for example, marble countertops and modern appliances), while updated in keeping with its Colonial character. (Speaking of an 1800s replica: There are 4 fireplaces too.)

One of 4 working fireplaces.

At a time when faux farmhouses pop up all over town, 3 Cedar Pond Road is a reminder of a time when Colonial architecture was admired, and replicated.

Even if very few residents know it — or the street — exists.

Or just how famous its architect was.

Click here for the full listing of 3 Cedar Pond Road, by Shannon Manning and Jacque Haberstroh of the Riverside Realty Group.

(“06880” reports regularly on Westport real estate, interesting people — and, like today, their intersection. If you enjoy stories like this, please click here to support our work. Thank you!)

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Westport 250: Let’s Celebrate

Posted on May 12, 2026 | 2 comments

Happy Birthday, USA!

All year long, we’re celebrating the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

America250 is a national project. It encompasses events big (collecting personal stories, oral histories and videos for the Library of Congress; a contest inviting students to share what this country means to them; passports featuring a portrait of President Trump on the inside cover. a UFC fight on the White House South Lawn) and small ( community block parties, parades and historical reenactments).

Our town is joining in too.

It hasn’t gotten much publicity. But we’ve got a website — Westport250 — which serves as a central hub.

Town operations director Tom Kiely is helping coordinate the project. Right now, just a few events are listed: a Tavern Cooking Class at Wakeman Town Farm, a Vintage Flag Day, ribbon-cutting at a new home for the Earthplace birds.

But there’s much more.

“06880” emailed Kiely. He sent a preliminary list of events — some confirmed, others possible.

The list includes:

  • Declaring Independence: Why 1776 Matters — Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Edward J. Larson (past event)
  • Team Westport Essay Contest — Theme: “The Declaration of Independence Challenge” (past event)
  • Westport 250 Poem
  • Memorial Day Parade: “250 Years of Honor & Service”
  • Westport Garden Club Summer 2026 Campaign: Red, white and blue pop-up flowers at sites throughout the community
  • Most Patriotic Dog
  • Celebrate America Window Display Contest
  • Fourth of July Community Décor Contest
  • Westport Fireworks
  • 1976 Time Capsule Reveal: 50 years later
  • American Spirit 250 Flower Show
  • Westport Permanent Art Collections Art Exhibit: Home in America
  • A Day in the Life Photography Exhibit
  • Field of Flags

Also in the works: a time capsule burial, to be opened in 2076.

The Westport Garden Club’s red, white and blue flowers on Main Street include the Westport250 logo.

Kiely adds, “Many local organizations are planning programs and activities tied to the 250th anniversary themes. I expect the events calendar to begin filling up quickly as we get closer.”

Organizations and individuals can submit ideas for Westport250 by email: tkiely@westportct.gov.

(Let’s celebrate America, Westport — and “06880”! Reader support keeps this hyper-local blog going. Please click here, and help us celebrate for the next 250 years. Or close to it. Thank you!)

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History Lives! 10 Homes Earn Preservation Awards

Posted on May 8, 2026 | 9 comments

All across Westport, new construction is replacing old.

Almost everywhere, that is.

Last night at Town Hall — a repurposed building itself — the Historic District Commission’s Preservation Awards reminded residents that buyers of older properties have options other than demolition.

The ceremony celebrated “homeowners, builders and businesses (who) are dedicated to preserving our shared history for the future.”

2026 Preservation Award winners include:

4 Old Hill Road
Owner: Ann Sisto
Excellence in Ongoing Care and Maintenance

Purchased in 2021 by Ann Sisto, this is a refined Colonial Revival home, built circa 1932 and sensitively renovated in 2022.

Early owner Emil Dennert — a painter involved in the building trades — adds an element of artistic heritage to the property.

The house sits on a level lot on the north side of Old Hill Road, opposite the King’s Highway North Drill Ground. Its main block features a roof ridge parallel to the street, wood shingles, and a tall central brick chimney. A prominent, asymmetrically placed gabled bay defines the south façade, while a 2-story addition extends from the north elevation.

The entrance is sheltered by an integral shed-roof portico incorporating a projecting bay window. The paneled door, framed by sidelights and topped with a pronounced cornice, reflects the elegant characteristic of Colonial Revival architecture.

For her commitment to the preservation and careful stewardship of this historic home, Ann Sisto and her team — Bill Achilles of Achilles Architects; Jill O’Shea of Jill O’Shea Home Design, and Keith Manca of Keith J. Manca Building Company — earned a 2026 Preservation Award for Excellence in Ongoing Care and Maintenance.

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6 Oak Street
Owner: Eva Kornreich
Excellence in Ongoing Care and Maintenance

(Home not pictured)

This is a 1-½ story Colonial Revival Cape. It features a gabled roof set parallel to the street, an exterior end chimney, and a narrow eave overhang. The 5-bay façade includes a central entrance with a modern paneled door and full-height storm door, sheltered by a gabled portico supported by square posts. A small 2-step stoop provides access. Windows are paired with 6-over-1 double-hung sash with molded trim.

Owner Eva Kornreich worked with architect Kevin Huelster on this project.

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14 Treadwell Avenue
Owners: Nate Collins and Lili Bordan
Restoration Preservation Award

Built in 1890, this is a well-preserved example of a popular type of vernacular Victorian dwelling, typically erected from stock builders’ plans and sold through mail order plan books in the late 19th century.

The house is a simply massed rectangular building, oriented with its gables to the north and south and crowned with a pitched roof with deep overhanging eaves. The south gable serves as the façade, where the front entry is offset to the west of 2 parlor windows.

Its dominant architectural feature is a 1-story hip-roofed wraparound porch, mounted on seven turned posts fitted with jig-sawn brackets designed to support the porch cornice. Also notable is the double-arched window lighting the attic gable.

Owners Nate Collins and Lili Bordan have preserved its architectural integrity and Victorian charm.

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24 Morningside Drive South
Owners: George Tsahirides and Lillian Fortino
Restoration Preservation Award

The c.1852 Charles B. Sherwood House is a well-preserved example of the Italianate villa, a hallmark of the Victorian-era picturesque movement.

This residential style was valued for offering practical, comfortable, and visually appealing homes that could be built economically. Designs for small villas like this one were widely circulated in the period’s architectural pattern books.

Notable Italianate features of the house include its machine-cut roof brackets, tulip-capped colonnettes supporting the porch roof, and tall 6-pane ground-floor casement windows — elements that retain the character of the home’s original design.

George Tsahirdes and Lillian Fortino meticulously restored and stewarded this historic property.

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26 Treadwell Avenue
Owners:26 Treadwell LLC
Rehabilitation Preservation Award

The Henry Patchen House stands on a lot he acquired in 1912. Despite later porch alterations, the property remains a strong example of a Queen Anne–period residence, a style commonly built from builders’ plans sold through mail-order catalogues.

Notable features include its cross-gabled form, designed to maximize natural light; incised brackets made possible by advances in assembly-line production during the Industrial Revolution, and characteristic mix of siding materials that provide visual texture.

The Victorian-era cross-gable house is fronted by a 1-story, 3-sided wraparound porch supported by simple rectangular posts, with the east side now screened. Deep overhanging eaves define the roofline. The intersecting east and west wings feature 3-sided angled window bays with distinctive corner overhangs trimmed with incised console brackets. The main structure is clad in clapboard, while the gables are finished with novelty-pattern shingles.

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35 Wright Street
Owners: Carl and Cynthia Muller
Helen Muller Preservation Award

The Zalman Sanford House was built in 1845. By 1955 the property was occupied by Theodore Muller, and it has remained in the Muller family ever since.

The 2-story, 3-by-2-bay structure was built in the Greek Revival style. A 2-story ell and 1-story attached garage were added in the 1960s. The most recent renovations were completed in 2025.

Owners Carl and Cynthia Muller worked with Jack Franzen and David Woitowitz of J.P. Franzen Associates; Mike Kaesmann of Kaesmann Builders LLC; Gloria Gouveia of Land Use Consultants; Diane Devore of Devore Associates; and Mike Ceci of Ceci Bros, Inc. The Helen Muller Preservation Award honors a property within a local historic district that exemplifies excellence in restoration or preservation.

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44 Compo Mill Cove
Owners: Lance and Anne Lonergan
Rehabilitation Preservation Award

The much-photographed Gallagher Cottage is one of the oldest remaining homes in the Mill Cove Historic District. The district is composed of cottages and bungalows designed in Colonial Revival and Bungalow-style architecture, all built between 1908 and 1940.

The Gallagher Cottage was constructed circa 1917 as a bungalow, and is noted as one of the best preserved structures in the district. The modest home also had a smaller cottage built circa 1905.

The home exhibits typical Bungalow-style architectural characters, with some details commonly seen in Craftsman architecture dating from 1905 to 1930. It is a 1-1/2 story simple floor plan featuring a large central fireplace with a stone exterior, a deep covered porch tucked beneath the main side-gabled roof, and a large, shed dormer looking out to Long Island Sound. Distinctive roof details typical of the style include exposed rafter ends at the exterior walls, and a subtle break in the roof slope.

The home has changed hands less frequently than usual. Anne and Lance Lonergan purchased the home in 2022. They undertook a significant restoration project to raise the home to meet modern standards for coastal resilience, while preserving its historic character.

Preserved details include the deep porch, shed dormer and described roof, which was further enhanced with the installation of the more historically appropriate cedar roof in place of the asphalt shingles.

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64 Wright Street
Owners: Kathy Bergsteinsson & David Grimes
Restoration Preservation Award

This historic home is named after its original owner, Frederick Morehouse, who earned his living as a shoemaker. Constructed circa 1840, the residence has undergone several additions over time. It was most recently restored in 2024.

This well-preserved vernacular Greek Revival-style home, accented with Colonial Revival details, is distinguished by its gable end facing the street, wide roof overhangs at the eaves and rake, and returns at the gable ends.

The façade is arranged in a 3/3 bay configuration with an offset entrance sheltered by a gabled portico supported by slender columns. The entrance features an arched transom and 3/4 sidelights, with the arch echoed in the portico’s gabled roof.

The house occupies a level lot on the north side of Wright Street, within the King’s Highway North Local and National Historic Districts.

The owners are new to Westport, but have chosen an iconic building as their home. In recognition of their commitment to preservation, they are honored along with Alfred Demarco, owner; Steven Folb, developer and owner’s agent; Deirdre O’Farrelly, architect; Peter Stofa & Company and team, builder; Cuoco Structural Engineers, engineer; Andy Ramage, ARD Builders, restoration contractor, and Maggi Baumbusch & Family, inspiration.

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70 Turkey Hill Road South
Owners: Rahul Ghai and Priyanka Singh
Restoration Preservation Award

The John F. Dingee House stands on a lot purchased in 1892. The owner later assisted in constructing the nearby trotting track (c. 1915) used by E.T. Bedford at his horse and breeding farm on West Parish Road. The two men shared use of the track for many years.

This late-19th-century Queen Anne residence has been extensively restored by current owners Rahul Ghai and Priyanka Singh. Although a previously issued demolition permit would have allowed them to raze the structure, they elected to preserve it, utilizing zoning regulation 32-18, which also permitted construction of an additional building. Their project included rebuilding the front and rear porches, replacing vinyl siding with wood, and installing a new wood roof in place of asphalt shingles.

The house is a distinguished wood-framed structure characterized by its asymmetrical massing and distinctive roofline of hipped and peaked forms. The primary gable-front block faces east toward Turkey Hill Road, while a secondary hip-roofed wing containing the main entrance extends north. A 1-story shed roof porch supported by 3 posts unites the 2 volumes, and frames the northern entry bay. All 2-over-2 window sash are reproductions.

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107 Wilton Road
Owner: Janet Liston-Reynolds
Rehabilitation Preservation Award

The Hurlbutt-Haslam House, constructed circa 1740, is an early Federal-style residence that has undergone substantial alteration through multiple additions over the past two centuries.

The main block is oriented with its gable end facing the street. A 1-1/2 story ell extends from the north elevation, followed by a set-back single-story garage. The ell aligns flush with the main block.

The house features wide eave and rake overhangs, and a modern brick chimney is centrally located along the main-block ridge near its junction with the ell.

The property, referred to as the “Old Mansion House” at Old Hill in an April 5, 1790, deed, was likely built by Captain Phineas Hanford sometime after 1737.

(“06880” regularly covers Westport history and real estate — and, often, their intersection. If you enjoy stories like this, please click here to support our work. Thank you!)

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