A Plan for West Parish

From raising stones to raising money, Greens Farms Association president Art Schoeller told Westport's Historic District Commission Tuesday night that the community wants to be involved in the preservation plan for the West Parish Meeting House Historic Property.

The property, recently designated as a State Archaeological Preserve, is now the subject of such a plan to be created by Landscape Elements LLC of Pawcatuck, which is being paid for through a $6,900 matching grant from the Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation. The town of Westport has matched the awarded amount.

Landscape Elements presented its goals and approach for the project Tuesday, indicating the conceptual site design would respect and reflect the history of the area, provide a protection plan for the archaeological resources, develop general concepts for interpretive signage and include a long-term maintenance plan.

Elena Pascarella of Landscape Elements said she would first conduct historic research focusing on the colonial era and Revolutionary War. Next, she plans to conduct a site analysis and create a conceptual design for the site that the HDC said it would have to raise money for before it could be implemented. 

Many have been urging preservation plans for the site for decades on land that some call a living museum.

The 5.9-acre site is historically significant in Westport, serving as an important location for American Indians and later the site of a colonial church and the West Parish Meeting House, which served as the original seat of Westport's town government. The meeting house/church and its surrounding structures were burned to the ground by advancing British soldiers during the Revolutionary War. 

In the application for state designation as an archaeological preserve, the site is described as "a pivotol gateway location in the town of Westport and in the community's earliest history. The property was some of the first land to be settled by the Bankside Farmers, brought under pasture and cultivation, and ultimately chosen as consecrated ground for the growing congregation in 1738."

Interested in the portion of its history where it might have been used for agricultural purposes, members of Westport's Green Village Initiative who attended the meeting Tuesday, suggested using the open space as an area to farm and grow organic vegetables to then sell to Westport residents.

Members of the HDC and the public cautioned doing anything that might harm the historical artifacts buried underground.

Lillian Krause, who's been pushing for the site's protection since 1972, said it's not been determined yet where exactly on the site the church, accompanying school and American Indian habitation existed.

"To think about disturbing the ground now would create a problem because this is a pristine historical site and it has not been in any way disturbed over the years," Krause said. 

HDC vice-chair Betsy Wacker said the area is sensitive and should not be disturbed more than necessary.

"Anything we come up with has to, in my opinion, err on the side of giving great leeway to where the site (of the school, church) might be and that would impact how we use the space," she said. "Archaeology is often not something you can see so you need to respect its inherent value."

The hired consultants will be working on this project for the next three months, and when a preservation plan is complete it will be brought before the public for review, according to HDC members.