Greens Farms School

The Greens Farms School is a historic school building at Morningside Drive South and Boston Post Road in Westport, Connecticut. It was built in 1925 and received an addition in 1950. It was designed by architect Charles Cutler in a Tudor Revival style, and is a fine example of such style. It is the only Tudor Revival school building in Westport. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991.[1][2]

Green Farms School
LocationJct. of Morningside Dr. S. and Boston Post Rd., Westport, Connecticut
Coordinates41°08′15″N 73°19′30″W
Area9 acres (3.6 ha)
Built1925
ArchitectCutler, Charles E.
Architectural styleTudor Revival
MPSWestport MPS
NRHP reference No.91000391[1]
Added to NRHPApril 19, 1991

Its interior includes a Works Project Administration art project from c. 1935.[2]

It is located on the Boston Post Road. Due to declining enrollment the school closed in June 1983,[3][4] after which it was leased by the Westport Arts Center.[2]

In 1996 with increasing enrollment school officials in Westport began looking at options including reopening the Greens Farms School and brought in a consultant in the process.[5] The Westport Arts Center representatives recommended that they stay in the building as the educational needs of Westport's student could be better realized in a new building. Westport school officials responded that a new building would cost the town $4.5 million more than using the building.[6] In the end the decision was made that reclaiming the building was the "cheaper" course of action.[7] The Westport Arts Center left the building and moved to a location next to the Saugatuck River.[7]

In 1997, faced with rising pupil enrollments, the town reclaimed the school for use as an elementary school again.[8] The school had to be renovated and expanded, which cost the town $16 million.[9]

The school is now known as Greens Farms Elementary School.

See also

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. Jan Cunningham (20 August 1990). "National Register of Historic Places Registration: Greens Farms School". National Park Service. and Accompanying nine photos, exterior and interior, from 1990 (see photo captions page 6 of text document)
  3. Mitgang, Lee (15 May 1984). "Vacant Schools Mean Hard Choices for Many Communuties". Associated Press.
  4. Robinson, Ruth (11 March 1984). "A School of Artists". New York Times. Retrieved 30 November 2011.
  5. McCarthy, Peggy (13 October 1996). "A Boomlet of Babies Shows Up for School". New York Times. Retrieved 30 November 2011.
  6. Lomuscio, James (20 October 1996). "In Westport, the Arts v. Education". New York Times. Retrieved 30 November 2011.
  7. Daley, Sherri (5 May 2002). "Westport Artists Get a Place of Their Own". New York Times. Retrieved 30 November 2011.
  8. "Westport, Connecticut" by Woody Klein, published by Greenwood Press in 2000, page 333
  9. "Westport, Connecticut" by Woody Klein, published by Greenwood Press in 2000, page 345


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