Greens Farms School

Green Farms School
Location: Jct. of Morningside Dr. S. and Boston Post Rd., Westport, Connecticut
Area: 9 acres (3.6 ha)
Built: 1925
Architect: Cutler,Charles
Architectural style: Tudor Revival
Governing body: Local
MPS: Westport MPS
NRHP Reference#: 91000391[1]
Added to NRHP: April 19, 1991

The Greens Farms School in Westport, Connecticut was built in 1925 and received an addition in 1950. It was designed by architect Charles Cutler in a Tudor Revival style, and is a fine example of such style. It is the only Tudor Revival school building in Westport. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991.[1][2]

Its interior includes a Works Project Administration art project from c. 1935.[2]

It is located on the Boston Post Road. Due to declining enrollment the school closed in June 1983.[3] [4] After which it was leased by the Westport Arts Center. [2]

In 1996 with increasing enrollment school officials in Westport began looking at options including reopening the Greens Farms School and brought in a consultant in the process.[5] The Westport Arts Center representatives recommended that they stay in the building as the educational needs of Westport’s student could be better realized in a new building. Westport school officials responded that a new building would cost the town $4.5 million more than using the building.[6] In the end the decision was made that reclaiming the building was the "cheaper" course of action.[7] The Westport Arts Center left the building and moved to a location next to the Saugatuck River.[7]

In 1997, faced with rising pupil enrollments, the town reclaimed the school for use as an elementary school again.[8] The school had to be renovated and expanded, which cost the town $16 million.[9] The school is now known as Greens Farm Elementary School.

References

  1. ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2009-03-13. http://nrhp.focus.nps.gov/natreg/docs/All_Data.html. 
  2. ^ a b c Jan Cunningham (20 August 1990). "National Register of Historic Places Registration: Greens Farms School". National Park Service. http://pdfhost.focus.nps.gov/docs/NRHP/Text/91000391.pdf.  and Accompanying nine photos, exterior and interior, from 1990 (see photo captions page 6 of text document)
  3. ^ Mitgang, Lee (15 May 1984). "Vacant Schools Mean Hard Choices for Many Communuties". Associated Press. 
  4. ^ Robinson, Ruth (11 March 1984). "A School of Artists". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/1984/03/11/nyregion/photo-of-michael-stephan-a-school-of-artists.html. Retrieved 30 November 2011. 
  5. ^ McCarthy, Peggy (13 October 1996). "A Boomlet of Babies Shows Up for School". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/1996/10/13/nyregion/a-boomlet-of-babies-shows-up-for-school.html. Retrieved 30 November 2011. 
  6. ^ Lomuscio, James (20 October 20 1996). "In Westport, the Arts v. Education". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/1996/10/20/nyregion/in-westport-the-arts-v-education.html. Retrieved 30 November 2011. 
  7. ^ a b Daley, Sherri (05 May 2002). "Westport Artists Get a Place of Their Own". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2002/05/05/nyregion/westport-artists-get-a-place-of-their-own.html. Retrieved 30 November 2011. 
  8. ^ "Westport, Connecticut" by Woody Klein, published by Greenwood Press in 2000, page 333
  9. ^ "Westport, Connecticut" by Woody Klein, published by Greenwood Press in 2000, page 345

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