MILFORD — Lesley Mills didn’t seem bothered by the whir of the power tools in the house at 111-113 North St. To her, it was the sound of progress and rebirth.
In 2013, Mills and her company, Griswold Home Care, bought the home, known as the Sanford-Bristol House, fulfilling terms of a settlement agreement after the Milford Preservation Trust sued to block the home’s demolition. Built in the 1700s, the 2,400-square-foot house is smack in the middle of Milford’s historic district and one of only about five houses in the city with a half-gambrel, half-saltbox roofline — a now-rare combination of two popular forms of Colonial-era architecture.
However, by the time the house came onto Mills’ radar, it had fallen into disrepair and was in danger of being razed. Mills, who works in elder care, has a soft spot for the forgotten, be they human beings or pieces of property. Her love of the old house led her to purchase the home through her company for $200,000, according to tax records. And she had to do it sight unseen, as the previous owners weren’t letting anyone inside. She’s also granted the Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation an easement that will protect the house from demolition in the future.
“I’m as passionate about this as I am about elder care,” said Mills, who is Welsh and English. “There are so many similarities. In America particularly, older people are not necessarily given the respect they deserve. The same is true of these very old and wise houses.” Click here to continue reading.
No comments:
Post a Comment