Lockwood-Mathews Mansion to close for 2 years of renovation
NORWALK — The Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum will close for up to two years starting this winter to allow for extensive renovations to the historic building’s mechanical and electrical systems.
Patsy Brescia, the chairperson of the museum’s board of trustees, called the planned renovations “a massive project” that will include upgrades to the 150-yearold mansion’s wiring, ventilation and plumbing, as well as the installation of a new sprinkler system.
“We will have to physically move out of the building, not just staff and operations, but all of the furniture and all of our collections,” Brescia said at a Planning Commission meeting on Wednesday.
Once complete, the renovations will allow the museum to remain open year-round. The landmark building is currently open to visitors between early April and the holiday season.
“Instead of being operational on a seasonal basis, we’ll be able to be open and functional with programming for a full year. We’ll be able to have longer exhibits and a lot of other programming,” Brescia said.
The mansion, which is now owned by the city, was built in 1868 by millionaire financier LeGrand Lockwood. It is one of the earliest examples of French Empire Style architecture in the country and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1971.
Each year, more than 12,000 people visit the 62-room building for public tours, private events and fundraisers, according to the museum.
John Wasilewski, an architect with David Scott Parker Architects, which is overseeing the renovation, said the project will reshape much of the basement and make room for new offices, an assembly space, a reading room and an archive on the below-ground
level.
“This would allow for scholars and members of the public to be able to come in and actually access archival materials that are stored in the archival spaces,” he said.
The plans also call for changes to the first-floor kitchen, including creating a new side entrance and terrace to allow for catering companies to more easily access the kitchen.
Additionally, administrative and executive offices will be consolidated on the second floor. The original restrooms on the floor will be made functional again and access to wireless internet will be expanded.
Brescia said the work will be paid for with local and state funds, including a $5 million state grant and $2.5 million from the city. The museum plans to hire a construction company in the fall and aims to begin work by early 2022.
The proposed renovation was approved unanimously by the Planning Commission. It now goes to the Common Council, which must give final approval for the project.
“It’s a treasure to the city,” Fran DiMeglio, the chairperson of the commission, said of the mansion. “And we want to keep it that way.”