Town of Bridgewater recently issued the following announcement.
In case you have not seen or heard, the old Bridgewater Grange structure was taken down yesterday. Although a sad event, it has taken seven years to evaluate options with the help of many professionals, and to get clearance from the State Historic Preservation Office and the CT Attorney General to remove the condemned building. We have been able to save enough historic wood to rebuild the Captain’s House later this year and will clean up the oil contamination under part of the site.
Most of the work will be covered by a $100,000 state grant. Future site plan options will be prepared for eventual approval by a town meeting.
Over the years, public votes at Town meetings affirmed the steps the Board of Selectmen unanimously enacted about the Grange including not to sell the building to a local preservation group. No legitimate group came forward with a timely or complete offer to repair the building with a projected cost well over a million dollars. Yes, that is unfortunate from the historic preservation point of view.
I would also like to point out to our citizens that the Town has been diligently taking care of our other historic buildings and infrastructure for eight years without raising taxes. Bridgewater is a great place to live and we should feel lucky to live here.
If you have something to say to me or fellow officials, you are welcome to come to Town Hall. My door is always open, and I would welcome a civil face to face exchange of opinions and ideas.
Curtis S. Read
First Selectman
Original source can be found here.
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