BY ANDREAS YILMA
CITIZENS NEWS
NAUGATUCK – The Naugatuck Historical Society is looking to expand and increase members as the borough seeks a state grant to repair the Naugatuck History Museum at the Tuttle House.
The Board of Mayor and Burgesses on June 4 adopted a resolution in support of the State Historic Preservation Office Planning Grant application for the Tuttle House at 380 Church St.
Borough officials planned to apply for a $65,000 SHPO grant in the beginning of June. The first $20,000 of the project will have no match requirement while the remainder of the project will be on a matching basis. The match will be provided by the working capital fund.
The Tuttle House requires architectural planning for work to include painting, water intrusion at the entrance, clustered fire suppression at the grand stair, and the external second floor egress to reactivate the second floor, the resolution states.
“It is the goal that the society and the town and the state will work together and it may take several years, but to bring that building back to its original splendor with the outside porches and that’s the really the only way to get a lot of help from the state,” Mayor N. Warren “Pete” Hess said.
Naugatuck Historical Society President Theresa Forish said the historical society is an all volunteer organization whose mission is to keep the stories of the borough alive and accessible to the public through exhibits, research and presentations. They also maintain and preserve collections for the purpose of inspiring a love of local history and contributing to civic pride.
The house, which is on the National Register of Historic Places and sits at one of the gateways to the downtown area, was originally built for Bronson B. Tuttle. Tuttle was partners with John Howard Whittemore.
Workers began building the house in 1879 before Brunson, his wife Mary Ann and teenage son Howard moved into the house a few years later.
“It is one of the few remaining reminders of Naugatuck’s 19th century industrial past and is a symbol of Naugatuck’s Victorian era of prosperity,” Forish said.
When Mary Ann Tuttle died in 1929, her estate left the house to the town of Naugatuck to be used for educational purposes. It was a school from 1930s through the 1960s and then became the central offices of the Board of Education until 2016, Forish said.
The Naugatuck Historical Society opened the Naugatuck History Museum in the Tuttle House in December 2022.
“We are dedicated to working with the town to preserve the Tuttle House, one of the most valued artifacts of our rich history,” Forish said. “The main exhibit of the museum tells a story of Naugatuck’s rise from a small manufacturing village to a center of industrial might. The exhibit tells a story of invention and enterprise that created employment for many and great wealth for a few.”
The society was able to successfully get the museum open however it has become clear that keeping it open is sure to be a challenge.
“The consultant recommended that we expand our board and committee structure so that responsibilities can be redistributed,” Forish said. “However that requires many more volunteers willing to give their time and talents.”
Burgess Charles Marenghi said borough officials are looking at the entirey of downtown and the north end of it can’t be neglected.
“Speaking for myself and I think for everyone, we’re all in, the building and the society and the future and on my end, I’m going to do everything I can to expedite the construction project and the funding and get up to the second floor, hopefully quickly and then work with SHPO every year to get additional grants to finish the entire building,” Hess said.
