Weir Farm named ‘National Historic Park’

Weir Farm in Ridgefield and Wilton is officially Connecticut’s first “national historic park.”

Already a national historic site, the Weir Farm National Historical Park Redesignation Act, signed into law Jan. 6 by President Donald Trump, turns the 75-acre collection of trails and galleries into a national historic park.

When the Senate bill was passed, U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, DConn., said the redesignation better reflects how the property is used by visitors.

“The National Historical Park designation recognizes Weir Farm as more than just home of J. Alden Weir,” Blumenthal said in a statement. “The new designation recognizes the multiple historical homes, art studios and farm buildings that continue to be a destination that inspires generations of artists.”

The effort was spearheaded by U.S. Rep. Jim Himes, D-4, who said that “walking through Weir Farm in any season is a quintessentially Connecticut experience.”

“It’s a beautiful, extensive site that gives visitors perspective into an important period in American art, as well as a muchneeded space to reconnect with our natural world,” he said.

The property was designated Connecticut’s first national historic site in 1990. The property includes more than 15 buildings across 75 acres, art collections, orchards and trails.

“We believe that the passage of the bill for this new name truly represents the wide range of cultural, historical and recreational resources that the park offers to the public,” Liz Castagna, vice president of the Friends of Weir Farm, said in a statement.

For more information on the history of Weir Farm and how to visit, go to www.nps.gov/wefa.