Seaside sanitarium6/19/2023 ![]() ![]() Paul Formica, R-East Lyme, requires the state Department of Economic and Community Development "to develop and issue a request for proposals to develop or dispose of the former Seaside Sanatorium facility in the town of Waterford and to preserve the adjacent area for a park with public access." The state has failed to maintain the structures over time, and they continue to deteriorate.Ī bill introduced by state Sen. Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C., designed the main hospital building on Seaside's property and an employee building. Since then, the state has attempted to attract developers to convert the property's historical buildings into a resort, apartments, condominiums and the like.Ĭass Gilbert, an American architect best known for the Woolworth Building in New York City and the U.S. It's been about three decades since Seaside, a former center for the developmentally disabled, was vacated. Such a tiny percentage of the Connecticut coastline is public." We can work toward creating a botanic garden, a natural habitat for animals, pollinator pathways, walking paths, ways to preserve the coastal habitat. "Once you understand the development is wrong, then we can talk about having Seaside as a passive park open to everybody. If you look at what's going on in the world and understand the importance of coastal property, if you look at inevitable climate change and sea rise, that's the wrong place to develop," she said. ![]() "I don't want to see any development on that piece of land. Waterford - Helen Post Curry, the great-granddaughter of the designer of the main hospital building at the former Seaside Regional Center, is continuing a Quixotic effort to keep developers' hands off what is now Seaside State Park.Ĭurry, also the founder of Friends of Seaside State Park, advocates for doubling down on Seaside's designation as a state park by improving it. The former tuberculosis hospital, designed by renowned architect Cass Gilbert, was designated a state park in a surprise announcement by Gov. On behalf of the Trustees and members of the Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation, I urge you to defeat SB 252.Buildings of the former Seaside Regional Center in Waterford on March 22, 2018. The people deserve the opportunity to enjoy its beautiful scenery and its history. Nearly 90 years ago, the people of Connecticut built Seaside to care for their own children. His balancing of functional innovation with familiar forms and motifs created a facility that was technically up-to-date yet offered a comforting and comfortable environment for patients and staff. Although Gilbert was a prominent traditionalist, at Seaside he was given the task of inventing a new building type. And, it is architecturally significant as the work of a nationally-recognized master, Cass Gilbert. In addition to its place in medical history, Seaside is important in social and political history as an example of government efforts in the 1930s to promote the welfare of its citizens. ![]() As the first purpose-built facility in the United States for the heliotropic treatment of tuberculosis in children, it represented a significant step forward in combating a devastating disease. Seaside State Park is a site of outstanding historical importance, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It’s not an exaggeration to say that they belong to the people, and are merely held in trust by the State. But parks are where we exercise, socialize, play, enjoy natural scenery, or soak up historic atmosphere. We may never have call to enter a state office building we may associate courthouses or DMV offices with, frankly, unpleasant experiences. Unlike many state-owned properties, state parks hold a special place in the hearts of the citizenry. Here are some excerpts from the testimony of Connecticut Trust Deputy Director Christopher Wigren on one of the bills, Senate Bill No.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |