69°
The Thomas Lyon House, still standing after 315 years, needs to be restored and possibly moved if it is to ever be used again, according to the Greenwich Preservation Trust. The cost would be high, and the trust is looking for town support to receive grants to pay the expenses.
"The house has not only become important to our community, but other communities across the country," said Jo Conboy, chair of the trust. She said that direct descendents of the Lyon family have visited the house recently, bringing back artifacts and items from the Lyon family.
The Lyon House, at 1 Byram Road off West Putnam Avenue, is the oldest unaltered colonial home in Greenwich, though it was moved in the late 1920s. The family of Thomas Lyon, one of the earliest settlers of Fairfield County, was its initial occupants. The house is now on the National Register of Historic Places.
"We are in a position to move forward," said Eric Brower, vice chair of the trust. "We've made a couple of grant applications, but whether it's through the state or private trust, they're looking for an indication that the town is really behind this."
The trust wants to explore uses for the Byram Road site, such as a museum or educational center. However, the house would have to be moved away from the West Putnam Avenue roadway and farther up the hill. Moving the house, clearing land for parking and fixing damages would be costly.
At its meeting last week, the Board of Selectmen affirmed its support of the project. First Selectman Peter Tesei will continue to show support at the Lyon House at 10 a.m. Friday to dedicate Lyon's Day. A gathering of Lyon descendants from around the country, including as far as Alaska, will be held at the Byram Schubert Library at 5:30 p.m. Friday.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Greenwich and receive free news updates.
