Lockwood-Matthews Mansion’s conservatory ‘in danger of collapse,’ repair design fast tracked

NORWALK, Conn. — The Lockwood-Matthews Mansion’s conservatory is currently “in danger of collapse” due to recently uncovered rot in five support beams, according to David Westmoreland, who sits on the Norwalk Historical Commission.

Westmoreland wrote in a letter last Wednesday to the city council’s land use and building management committee that temporary supports have been installed.

Norwalk’s Building Management Department requested last Thursday that the city skip the typically required open call for bids to design the conservatory’s repairs, instead immediately opting for the mansion’s “long-time” architects: David Scott Parker and Associates.

With the mansion’s status as a historic place, the repairs require “an architect with deep familiarity and expertise in the building’s design, history, and preservation requirements,” the department wrote in its justification. 

“Engaging a new architectural firm would necessitate a substantial investment of time and resources for onboarding, research, and design familiarization,” the department continued. “This would likely result in increased costs and delays, which are particularly concerning given the structural risks.”

The land use committee agreed during its Wednesday night meeting, authorizing David Scott Parker and Associates to work on the project’s design. The Building Management Department put a $55,000 price tag on the work.

Council Member Jan Degenshein said that he believed that the cost was fair for the scope of the work and that the project should “move ahead as quickly as possible.” Any further damage caused by delays would just raise the price of repairs, Degenshein noted.

“The mansion is an asset to the community, and we should do what we can to prepare it as such,” the council member said. “The architect seems to be familiar with (the mansion) and has already passed muster with its qualifications, so I have no objection to it.”

The structural issues followed an $18 million restoration project for the Lockwood-Matthews Mansion, which wrapped up last May. The project overhauled its heating and electrical systems and added a bathroom and an elevator, ensuring the site could remain open year-round.

“At least now, we’re heading into the summer months,” Doug Hempstead, chairman of the museum’s board of trustees, told the committee. “We’re not worried about a snow load or other things that can go wrong in there … The more we can get done ahead of time, the better.”