Restoration of Greenwich Audubon Center’s Historic “Mead House” Is a Milestone Towards Audubon Campus Restoration in Greenwich and Across Audubon

GREENWICH, CT—The Greenwich Audubon Middle’s historic Mead Home has been restored, a milestone achievement in a better effort to revive the total campus. Supporters celebrated in August with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and tour.

The historic construction, considered constructed  in 1746 by Zebediah Mead, served as a house for the Mead household—a “founding household” of Greenwich—for a few years earlier than being gifted to the Nationwide Audubon Society in 1942 as half of a bigger parcel of land. In 1943, the Nationwide Audubon Society opened the Greenwich Audubon Middle as its first Audubon middle within the nation, making this land and the properties on it important to fulfilling the group’s mission of defending birds and the locations they want. 

Till 2016, the Mead Home was used as housing for the middle’s employees. Now, due to this milestone restoration venture, it is able to serve that objective as soon as extra.

“What first introduced me to the Greenwich Audubon Middle was the land, however assembly and talking with individuals within the Greenwich group made it clear that the Middle’s buildings additionally maintain particular that means,” stated Rochelle Thomas, director of the Greenwich Audubon Middle.

The buildings additionally appeared to carry the important thing to important employees wants. “We knew we wanted a spot to deal with employees,” Thomas continued. “The restored Mead Home permits us to proceed to recruit and retain individuals who will take care of these particular lands and the buildings, whereas deepening their connection to the Middle and Audubon’s mission.”

“Audubon did a unbelievable job bringing collectively a bunch of individuals with all types of expertise to steer the restoration. […] Whereas historic houses are certainly irreplaceable treasures, preservation is actually profitable solely when these outstanding buildings stay practical and may proceed for use as dwelling areas,” stated Anne H Younger, Govt Director of Historic Properties of Greenwich.

Members of Historic Properties of Greenwich volunteered their time to scrub the constructing, an early step in direction of the total restoration. In 2024, a beneficiant bequest from Reinhold Vogel made it attainable to start work on the home.

As a part of the restoration, the inside of the home was gutted and renovated. Its historic exterior, clearly seen from the adjoining John Road, was maintained in line with its historic look. 

“The Zebediah Mead Home, identical to different houses from Greenwich’s eighteenth century, is one among a handful we now have left from the colonial days. There aren’t many of those historic homes left on the town, so it’s as much as these of us who can, to staff up and ensure they’re taken care of,” continued Younger. “By doing so, we assist maintain Greenwich’s historical past alive for everybody who comes after us.”

Upon getting into the home, many attendees expressed how impressed they had been by the transformation—and the scent of recent wooden flooring.

“In Greenwich, we take pleasure in conservation and preservation, and on this restoration venture, Audubon managed to mix each,” stated Fred Camillo, First Selectman of the City of Greenwich. “Because of Murphy Builders, preservation volunteers, and monetary contributors who made this stunning restoration of the 1746 Mead Home a actuality and a spot that future generations will get pleasure from.”

“The Mead home is a vital a part of Greenwich and Audubon’s historical past and its preservation is a victory for our group,” stated Eunice Burnett, very long time Greenwich resident and advisory board member of Audubon Connecticut and New York. “I’ve been a part of this group as a trustee for over sixteen years and I’ve seen Audubon in its many alternative iterations. I’ve by no means felt extra optimistic concerning the group than I do now.”

“We’re thrilled that we may associate with Audubon on this crucial venture—a noteworthy milestone in Audubon’s Greenwich and Nationwide historical past, in addition to a step alongside the best way to defending one other essential landmark in our personal native Greenwich historical past!” stated Elise Inexperienced, President of Historic Properties of Greenwich.

This unbelievable restoration is an early milestone in a long-term venture to additional restore the Greenwich Audubon Middle campus and the various historic buildings it incorporates.
“The Greenwich Middle is essential to Audubon’s historical past, and the Mead home is essential to Greenwich’s historical past,” stated Mike Burger, Audubon’s Vice President for the Connecticut and New York area.  “Restoring the Mead home was an apparent win-win for conservation: conservation of historical past for the group in a method that helps conservation of birds and the locations they want—Audubon’s mission. We’re grateful for the help from the group to make this occur.”

“Our facilities and sanctuaries are many individuals’s first introduction to Audubon’s conservation work—and their first alternative to become involved in it,” stated Samantha Putt Del Pino, Audubon’s Vice President of Conservation Motion for the Japanese Flyways. “Making certain these campuses are well-resourced and capable of help guests, group members, and employees is crucial. The restoration of the Mead Home is a serious step in direction of this goal. We stay up for persevering with this work on the Greenwich Audubon Middle and throughout the group.”

Transferring ahead, the Mead Home will turn out to be a lot wanted employees housing, permitting the Greenwich Audubon Middle to proceed its important mission of defending birds and the locations they want in Greenwich and throughout the hemisphere.

“The restoration of the Mead Home shouldn’t be the end line—it’s a starting,” stated Rochelle Thomas. “This is step one in a bigger imaginative and prescient for the restoration of all the Greenwich Audubon Middle campus. We stay up for persevering with this journey and for what the long run holds for our middle and group.”