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Marilyn Gould is a real Renaissance woman. Something of a fixture in the Wilton community, she knows everyone and everyone knows her. Ive lived here for 35 years, she says. Marilyn, who is originally from the Midwest, and her husband lived on Long Island for six years before moving to Connecticut. My children were starting school and there was no community where we lived. Nor could she get involved in politics, her passion since junior high school. Additionally, the property taxes were high.
What first attracted Marilyn to Wilton was its historic background and the fact that it wasnt overly posh. After politics, history is her great love. In 1979 she became the commissioner of the Planning and Zoning Commission, a position she held for 10 years. Planning and Zoning is carefully controlled by the Connecticut General Statute. Its very specific. There are standards for site coverage, height of buildings, and setbacks. Aesthetics is not part of the equation by state law, she explains.
Historic designations are a different matter. A National Historic District is mostly an honorific title, but the local historic districts, say Marilyn, are regulated by state statutes, which means any building seen from the street is subject to state regulations.
But Marilyn also knows a lot about historic designations because she was director of the Wilton Historical Society for 27 years, and a key player in setting up the new, expanded museum. That love of history led her to yet another career. Today, Marilyn is director of MCG Antiques Promotions, which organizes antique shows in Wilton. The last show, held in early December at Wilton High School, attracted 91 exhibitors from as far away as Michigan and St. Louis. All the well known important dealers come to my shows, says Marilyn, adding that most of the buyers come from New York. We do not have a strong local audience. Most buyers are collectors who go to all the antique shows looking for that special missing item. If anyone can find it, it would be Marilyn.
Do you collect antiques or art? I'd love to hear from you. Email me at fpearson@mainstreetconnect.us.
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