Preserving Wilton's Historic Buildings

Since its founding, the Historical Society’s mission has been the preservation of historic buildings. With modest resources, it has managed to preserve and restore 17 diverse 18th and 19th century structures. It started with Lambert House (right), Wilton’s oldest extant dwelling, at the intersection of Route 7 and Route 33. Purchased in 1965, it served briefly as the first headquarters of the Society and the Heritage Museum. In 1970 it was decided to move those functions to the old Fitch Homestead farther north across from the Town Hall. At the same time, the State offered to move Kent School and the Lambert Cottage to the site instead of bulldozing them for Super 7. Lambert Corners became a haven for forgotten buildings.

Adaptive Use

Adaptive Use, the concept of using old buildings in new ways, allows commercial use to provide income for restoration and ongoing maintenance. First utilized at Lambert Corners, it has been incorporated into Wilton’s Zoning Code. It has successfully preserved many buildings along Danbury Road, avoided zone changes and more commercial strip development. Wilton was in the forefront of the Adaptive Use movement in the 1970’s; it has been a prime mechanism to avoid further destruction of the town’s character. It is good business, smart land use, and an effective preservation tool.

Lambert Corners

Lambert Corners (150 Danbury Road) serves as a bucolic gateway to Wilton, with buildings scattered around the 3.5 acre site. All the buildings have been professionally restored to code standards and are self-supporting. They contain retail stores, offices and apartments. The Wilton Historical Society pays both property and income taxes on its adaptive use properties.

• Lambert House, a stately house built in 1726, expanded in the early 19th century; it is Wilton’s Town Seal
• Lambert Cottage, a small saltbox, ca. 1800
• Kent School House, a Greek Revival one-room school, ca. 1843
• Wilton’s first Railroad Station, 1852
• Hurlbutt Street General Store – Post Office, ca. 1889
• Cannon General Store, “Doc” Cannon’s first store in Cannondale, ca.1790
• Davenport Barn, a gambrel-roofed mid 19th century red barn and an exquisite Greek Revival privy and a corn crib

Cannon Corners

Cannon Corners (corner of Danbury Road and Olmstead Hill Road) This complex serves as an historic gateway from the North and is in the heart of the Cannondale National Historic District. The Society, with the help of the Connecticut Department of Transportation, has transformed once run-down garages, a barn and a blacksmith shop into an antiques shop, a woodworker’s studio, an office and a lovely apartment. Once the road construction is completed in that area these red buildings will serve as a reminder of Wilton’s historic character, softening the impact of traffic.

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