Stonington — Visitors on Saturday took a look at the restoration of Forge Farm, from new windows to a cedar-shingle roof designed to return the property to its early American architecture roots.

"There have been a lot of really good eyes and minds and hands on this project," said Patrick L. Pinnell, the architect for the restoration, as he gave a presentation at the community open house.

The project, to which Connecticut Landmarks committed $160,000, preserved and, as necessary, restored historical elements of the house and site, while introducing appropriate conveniences to make it livable today, said Sheryl Hack, the organization's executive director.

With the restoration largely complete, new tenants plan to move in next week to make Forge Farm on Al Harvey Road their new home.

William Whipple built the core of the house in 1750 that Amos Gallup later added to, according to Connecticut Landmarks. Virginia and Charles Berry, who bought Forge Farm in 1942, deeded the property to the organization in the 1980s.

Last year, residents had complained that the organization had neglected the property, even though it had a more than $1.5 million endowment, and alleged repairs were made that didn't reflect the historical nature of the property, The Day reported. That, along with a series of columns by The Day's David Collins, led the state's attorney general's office to investigate the organization's finances. The attorney general's office concluded in January that the organization hadn't misappropriated funds for Forge Farm in Stonington and the Palmer-Warner House in East Haddam.

Connecticut Landmarks on Saturday sought to move forward from the past criticism and focus on the future of the site, as it showed the public its work to update the house with modern amenities while respecting the early modern architecture and returning the property to what it was intended to be.

Pinnell, who is also the stewardship and collections committee chair on the Connecticut Landmarks board, said the project had an advisory committee from the Stonington Historical Society since September of last year and Stonington First Selectman Rob Simmons also has been very helpful. Dean Roy and Mike Einsiedel Jr. served as the contractors on the project.

Pinnell pointed out the "9-over-6 pane" windows that window and door manufacturer Pella developed with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, to replace the single-pane vinyl windows and more closely approximate the earlier appearance of the house. One 1790 window remains in the attic.

He said that the project kept the original wood flooring as much as possible, but added a sealant.

He also called attention to the exterior restoration that included a new cedar roof to replace an asphalt one.

The project also featured repairs to the barn and corn crib, interior preservation work, custom-made cabinets and a new septic tank, among other improvements, according to Connecticut Landmarks.

Pinnell said the project introduced contemporary technology but in a reversible way, to be in keeping with the Secretary of the Interior's standards for historic preservation.

Residential, agricultural use

The house will be a private residence, and the pastures and large barn are leased to JW Beef, Hack said. “It’s a very high priority for us to maintain the property in agriculture use, as well as residential use,” she said.

Connecticut Landmarks said it will continue to maintain the property and an appointed trustee will check in regularly with the property.

Hack said Connecticut Landmarks appreciates the community's involvement and support in thinking through and planning the renovations. 

Connecticut Landmarks has made a provision in the tenant’s lease for the organization, in partnership with the Stonington Historical Society, to be able to offer an annual educational program at the property, during which the tenants would open the first floor to the public.

"It is very important to us to continue the community’s involvement with the site and continue to foster the community’s interest in the property," Hack said.

Pinnell said there are future plans for archaeological work and metal detecting to try to locate the original farm forge.

Among the people stopping by on Saturday were the new tenants, Philip Castrovinci and Dana Al-Meer. The married couple located to the area six months ago as Castrovinci, who is in the Navy, is stationed here. They said they have always appreciated historic homes and are always looking for unique places to live.

"We’re very excited," Castrovinci said.

They said they are interested in history and have a huge library of books, with about half related to history, and plan to choose accent pieces for the interior that are in keeping with the farmhouse atmosphere and pick furniture with natural materials.

The couple praised the work done on the house, including the restoration of the floors.

"It looks amazing," Al-Meer said.

"In a small way, we are adding to the history of this house," Castrovinci added. 

k.drelich@theday.com