Commercial sprawl threatens historic district

The dashed lines on this map show the boundaries of the Middlebury Center Historic District. The map accompanied the nomination form for the National Register of Historic Places for the Middlebury Center Historic District. (Michael Dooling scan)

By MICHAEL C. DOOLING

Middlebury has a reputation of being a charming New England town with a traditional Green, vintage buildings and houses, and as having a nationally recognized historic district. In 1985, the National Park Service placed 56 Middlebury structures on the National Register of Historic Places, recognizing them collectively as historically important and worthy of preservation. These structures comprise the Middlebury Center Historic District.

Many residents are unaware of the size of the district. Even our town’s website fails to accurately describe it: “This is the historic center of town, listed as a Historic District on the National Register in 1985, an iconic New England townscape with churches, historic residences and the Westover School are all clustered around an unspoiled Green … There currently are no commercial businesses on the Green.” While all that is true for a subset of the historic buildings, the Historic District extends far beyond the Green.

The inventory compiled in 1984 by the National Park Service included structures stretching from Shepardson School west to what is now the Vyne restaurant building, Library Road, all the Westover School buildings, and the entire length of North Street.

The historic designation included one business – a woodworking shop built by Arthur Judd and the home of Joseph and Vera Ambrozaitis – now the site of the much larger Vyne building owned by 1365 LLC, whose principal is Dean Yimoyines. Renovations to this building significantly altered the character of the Judd/Ambrozaitis property and serve as an example of the commercial sprawl threatening Middlebury’s Historic District. Yimoyines’ 1365 LLC has also acquired the historic Bronson-Keggi house next to Vyne with potential conversion into a bed and breakfast.

The Judd Ambrozaitis building is shown in a 1984 photo. (Michael Dooling)

In 2015, Middlebury published an updated “Plan of Conservation and Development” identifying goals to help maintain the town’s character, and to protect its historic assets from encroachment. The first goal reads, “Maintain the semi-rural, small town character of Middlebury.” Another reads in part: “Promote the economic growth in a way to preserve the character of the Town…This will require the most efficient use of properties designated for commercial and industrial development to avoid the creation of commercial sprawl throughout the town.”

The current appearance of the Judd Ambrozaitis building, now home to Vyne Restaurant. (Michael Dooling photo)

The Plan also outlined recommendations to help protect the character of Middlebury:

• “The Town should ensure that the Green, and the historic areas around it, including the Westover School, Town Hall and the residential properties be preserved to maintain the historic character of this important area of Middlebury. This should include the designation as a Historic District.” (This area had been designated a National Historic District but has not been identified as a local historic district.)
• “Any growth or expansion of the Route 188-Route 64 commercial district should not detract from the character of this area.” (This area includes West Street to Route 64 and along part of Route 64.)
• “All development within these areas (West Street to Route 64) should not have a negative impact upon the historic area of the Middlebury Green, or the adjacent areas.”
• “Commercial development within this area (West Street to Route 64) should take advantage (of) and enhance the historic character, similar to Middlebury Consignment.” (This refers to the original consignment shop located in the Judd/Ambrozaitis property.)
• “Much of the additional commercial development should be small scale in character…”

Middlebury has a handful of other National Register historic houses, the most well-known being the Josiah Bronson house built in 1738. Count de Rochambeau is believed to have stopped there when his troops camped in the Breakneck Hill area. Another house, the Nathaniel Richardson house (c. 1800-1820) on Kelly Road, was demolished several years ago.

A listing on the National Register allows qualified owners to benefit from tax credits and grants for historic preservation. This listing doesn’t necessarily limit an owner’s ability to modify a structure but is meant to identify historic assets worthy of preservation. Ultimately, it is up to the local community to safeguard the historic integrity of these structures by creating a local historic district and through zoning regulations and their enforcement.

For more information about Middlebury’s historic properties see npgallery.nps.gov/nrhp. For more information about local historic districts see: www.cga.ct.gov/PS97/rpt/olr/htm/97-R-0076.htm

Michael Dooling is the former news librarian at the Republican-American and former archivist and historian at the Mattatuck Museum. He has lived in Middlebury for 40 years.

Note: This article appeared in print in the August 2023 issue of the Middlebury Bee-Intelligencer.