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The Weston Historical Society recently received a pair of grants from the Daniel E. Offutt Charitable Trust totaling $600,000. The grant money is earmarked to kickoff a restoration of the Coley Homestead farmhouse, carriage and barn at 104 Weston Road.
According to the Historical Society, their “1841 farmhouse, the David Dimon Coley house, is an architecturally significant historic structure that holds an important role in Weston. A classical
Greek-revival house, the Coley House is unique in comparison to other Greek-revival homes due to its five-bay gable front.” They noted that it is the only example of a Greek-revival five-bay gable front facade in the region.
“The realization of our vision thanks to the generosity of the Daniel E. Offutt III, Charitable Trust will bring more people, from Weston and beyond, to the Coley Homestead for a unique experience of Weston, Connecticut’s history,” Pam Kersey, president of the Weston Historical Society said. “This exciting new initiative will enable us to provide the community with a historic campus that includes the recently built museum and archive, in addition to the Coley farmhouse, barn, and its outbuildings.”
The Coley House was once a popular destination for tours, but those have been put on hold as the restoration begins.
“We are anxious to preserve this house,” Kersey added. “Which is a cornerstone of the Coley Homestead that also includes an English-style barn, also unique to the area, a carriage barn, workers’ bunkhouse and a new museum/archives building.”
The restoration is possible due to the Daniel E. Offutt Charitable Trust, which is named for the man who lived on Kettle Creek Road in Weston for more than three decades in a house he built himself.
The Historical Society said that “Mr. Offutt has been described as ‘metal sculptor, woodworker, farmer, fixer of anything, collector of everything and a good friend.’ His interests were many, and one resulted in his moving a Connecticut tobacco barn to his property. To the delight of the community, he displayed his whimsical sculptures on his front lawn.”
““We are indebted to the Daniel E. Offutt, III Charitable Trust,” Kersey said. “The restoration and subsequent reopening of these historically and architecturally significant buildings will uphold the legacy of Daniel E. Offutt III’s love for Weston.”
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