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The house, which escaped the burning of Fairfield by British forces in 1779 during the American Revolution, provides a glimpse into the life of a family of the “middling sort” during the mid-18th century. Called "the new house" in a 1750 deed, this austere saltbox-style house was built for David Ogden at the time of his marriage to Jane Sturges. For the next 125 years it was home for the Ogden family in the then farming and coastal shipping town of Fairfield. In past summers, Ogden House and Gardens was open to the public for Sunday visits. Tour guides told stories of life at a different time while guests walked through its rooms, viewing period furnishings that were chosen based on family documents and inventory records. Outside, visitors would find a kitchen garden maintained by the Fairfield Garden Club, featuring herbs typical of the time, and a bridge across Brown’s Brook that leads to a shaded nature trail. This summer, however, Ogden House was closed for extensive renovations that included rebuilding the house’s chimney to its original 18th century stone configuration, replacing the roof with hand-split cedar shingles, and repairing structural timbers throughout. Several of the rooms were also re-painted in their original historic colors. Later in the summer, the house’s aging heating system will be replaced. Ogden House’s historic renovations were done to the exacting standard specific in the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation of Historic Properties and followed months of careful research conducted by Fairfield Museum staff and supervising architect David Scott Parker. The work was performed by Domus Constructors of Greens Farms, CT. On August 3rd, Ogden House and Gardens will once again proudly re-open its doors to Sunday visitors, and to celebrate, refreshments that use garden herbs such as spearmint and lavender will be served. Open from 1pm – 4pm on Sundays through August 24, this local treasure will once again host those that value our historic past, functioning as an educational facility, a place for interactive children’s programming and special events that teach students of all ages about Colonial life and regional history. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this cultural resource in our backyard is not to be missed. In making your final plans for summer, don’t forget to add a trip to Ogden House and Gardens to your list. The restoration of Ogden House chimney and roof was financed in part by the State of Connecticut utilizing Community Investment Act funds administered by the Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism. Matching funds were also generously provided by The Worthington Family Foundation and individual donors, Lucy Roberts and Charlotte Evans. © Copyright by StamfordPlus.com. Some articles and pictures posted on our website, as indicated by their bylines, were submitted as press releases and do not necessarily reflect the position and opinion of StamfordPlus.com, Stamford Plus magazine, Canaiden LLC or any of its associated entities. Articles may have been edited for brevity and grammar. Related Articles: Fairfield Museum receives two grants supporting educational programming & delivery - Jul 22, 2008 - 2:34 AM A Jennings family reunion fit for the history books - Jul 14, 2008 - 6:03 AM Fairfield Museum leads cemetery clean-up effort - Apr 30, 2008 - 8:14 PM Joanne Woodward, Paul Newman, Eartha Kitt and Charles Grodin Present Valentine Poems at Westport Country Playhouse - Feb 8, 2007 - 2:14 AM CURRENT HEADLINES: Top of Page
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