The Gregory Home, located at 2 Pimpewaug Road in Wilton, has been a topic of discussion for proposed developments on the property in years past because of its historic significance.
Courtesy State Historic Preservation Office / Contributed PhotoWILTON — Developers are looking to build a luxury multifamily development on the site of the historic Gregory Home in Wilton, according to tentative plans submitted to the town.
A team from Continental Global Ventures LLC and an attorney representing them presented their plans for 2-24 Pimpewaug Road to the Planning and Zoning Commission last month. Days later, on May 4, the town’s Historic District and Historic Property Commission expressed concern with the rhetoric surrounding the proposal.
“The developers’ representatives were really very disparaging of the historic building at 2 Pimpewaug Road and made comments of it being in very rough condition,” said Gil Weatherly, of the Historic District and Historic Property Commission. “I think what they are saying is this building is not to be missed when eliminated.”
In response, group members have decided to research the historic home and make an official statement to the Planning and Zoning Commission.
According to initial renderings, the historic home did not seem to be in the final plans for the discussed development, however no official application has been submitted to the commission for approval yet.
It also isn’t the first time the site has been eyed for new development.
In November 2018, a senior housing plan was brought before the Planning and Zoning Commission, the location being a lot of land that encompassed 2-24 Pimpewaug Road, just feet away from an intersection with U.S. Route 7.
In December of the following year, the plans were nixed. Along with issues of density and spot zoning concerns, the historic house known as Gregory Home at 2 Pimpewaug Road played a key role in the developers’ attorney announcing they would no longer proceed with the application process at the time.
According to Wilton’s Historic Resources Inventory, the house was originally built in 1790 and renovated in 1880. Two sheds and a stable were added in 1977.
One of the earliest homeowners of 2 Pimpewaug Road was Charles E. Gregory. However, Gregory was not the owner at the time of the home’s construction. Gregory purchased the home from Polly Chichester in the 1850’s, according to the State Historic Preservation Office.
The lot directly next to the home, which would be part of the tentative development, is known as Gregory Sawmill and was originally run by Gregory and has been passed down through numerous generations in the family.
According to Pamela Brown, a member of the Historic District and Historic Property Commission, the original Gregory family founded Wilton in 1726. However, Wilton had not become independent of Norwalk until it received its town charter in 1802. Before then, it was considered a congregational parish.
“The house is one of the most architecturally interesting structures on Danbury Road because of its representation of two distinct architectural periods,” a summary from the State Historic Preservation Office reads.
The Historic District and Historic Property Commission is currently in the process of drafting a statement to submit to the Planning and Zoning Commission on the tentative plan to make alterations to the historic property.
The Planning and Zoning Commission did not discuss the matter at its May 10 meeting.