Disgracefull that there is no follow through for 2 years? Historical Society should provide an accounting of the trust fund monies spent in 2008. Along with getting the property in better condition, we will fight to get some accountability.

How come this area pays the highest taxes in the city and gets limited services in return. Our Alderman has asked for an accounting of funds left to maintain this property from the Historical Socitey. If they cannot maintain it maybe the people of Morris Cove should at least we care about the home and its history and using the funds left to care for the property.

The neighborhood has been extremely patient. The time to repair this treasure and eliminate the blight is now. Two years of procrastination on a bona fide request seeking accountability is unacceptable. It is legally and morally imperative that the Museum come forward to resolve this issue.

I'm concerned that this historic building is vulnerable to vandalism and possible fire. Someone has to take action to ensure the building is secure and property maintenance is done on a timely basis. Lets get the problems taken care of before the building deteriorates any further.

Why doesn't the leadership of East Shore Management Team just call the New Haven Historic Society and get the exact information from them. They must have something in writing which will document their responsibility as regards the Morris House.Once you have it in writing you can work things from there.I have always found the Historic Society to be responsive.They also have a Board of Directors who can be contacted personally if there is no formal response.Action can only be taken when there is written documentation.

Congratulations on the press and attention from the AG guys:
http://nhregister.com/articles/2009/05/20/news/new_haven/a1_--_museumpardee.txt

The NH Register article clearly explains what the problem is. Bill Hosley is to be commended for trying to turn the NH Museum from a junk warehouse back into an actual, accessible, informative museum. He also successfully convinced the Museum board NOT to sell the Pardee-Morris house as a private home, which would violate the will of William Pardee. Meanwhile, Morris Cove residents could help by 1.) joining the New Haven Museum to show their support 2.) organizing neighborhood volunteers to keep the yard tidy 3.) watch the building to guard it against vandals [windows don't break by themselves]

Please. The neighborhood is perfectly willing to "show their support". However the intention of maintenance of the property was to be proactive, NOT reactive because of an article that exposed the mismanagement/mishandling/loss of funds of the trust fund set asifde for this property. I look forward to a resolution to the restoration of this beautiful building.

The funds have not been lost, according to NH Register article. It's the records that have been deleted [and what reader hasn't accidentally deleted a PC file]. Nevertheless, I would agree that because the state funding fell through, the $22,000 per year that William Pardee's trust generates could be used to fix items that are causing further deterioration: missing clapboards & windowpanes, some landscape care & shrub trimming to deter further vandalism. [Suggestions?] As far as actual historically-appropriate restoration and lead paint abatement goes, $22,000 won't even begin to address what needs to be done.

A further thought: HistoricNewEngland.org owns/operates/maintains Roseland Cottage in Woodstock, CT. If there was a way legally to transfer Pardee-Morris and the $700,000 trust fund over to Historic New England, and if they had the resources to supplement this fund to do the work that needs to be done, perhaps that would be the answer. New Haven Museum & Historical Soc. has enough issues just trying to be a museum: they have no expertise in restoring historic properties. HistoricNewEngland.org on the other hand does.

Aren't there enough historic homes open for tours in New England? This is great, but the sustainability of a museum here is questionable. Perhaps it would be better off landmarked and sold to a private owner who would be required to maintain it, like many of the Antiquarian Society homes.

I believe the building is much to important to NH's history simply to become a private home. And, given William Pardee's will, I think the legal hurdles to simply transforming it into a [not publicly accessible] landmark would drain the museum's resources further with lawyers, etc. And my local witness of what goes on in New Haven's "historic districts" is that private owners ultimately do what they want with their private homes; the same likely would be true with a privately-owned "landmark" building. And what private owner can afford to spend $1-2 milliion just to restore this house, let alone continue to maintain it once it is restored? Lumping it together with the rest of HistoricNewEngland's properties and assets would seem to be the most realistic way of saving the building...if they'll take it! [By the way, New Haven Museum & Historical Soc. does not have a hit squad that goes after people who disagree with what's going on, so anonymity it not necessary...]

Come to the Morris Cove Management Team Meeting
This Tuesday June 9, at 7 PM at the Cove Firestation 2nd Floor.
The president of the NH Historical Society will be addressing the issue to us- I think there is a win-win solution in the works. PLEASE COME WITH ALL YOUR NEIGHBORS!!!

Looks like things are moving forward...can't attend...surgery early the next morning...good luck Fran

I also can't attend. I hope someone posts an objective summary of the meeting here.

Please read the article in the New Haven Independent about our meeting last night.
The link is:
http://www.newhavenindependent.org/archives/2009/06/no_party_yet_at.php

Anyone interested in helping please contact:
Bill MacMullenWMACHQ@aol.com
Wm. M. MacMullen,AIA, President
Fort Nathan Hale Restoration Projects Inc.

Together we can save the Morris Pardee House.

Neighbors, have you looked lately? Yesterday, Friday 6/19, I observed some half a dozen cars and trucks and several workmen on the property and stopped to inquire. I was told that workmen were addressing the following issues: removal of old radiators that had burst, in preparation for restoring water service to the kitchen and adjacent toilet; replacement of glass panes broken by neighborhood vandalism; installation of a new sump pump in the basement to protect the house from another flood; addressing of the most serious structural problem on the southeast corner where the clapboard siding has broken away from the original south-facing stone wall. (This appears to be a serious structural problem even when observed from the outside and will no doubt be extremely costly to repair.) I was also told that work would begin shortly on trimming and cleaning up the hedge that surrounds the property. The person who provided this information was speaking informally and did not wish to be identified, but indicated that within the next few weeks the New Haven Museum expected to inaugurate a Pardee-Morris House newsletter for local distribution to keep the neighborhood informed of developments and plans for the Pardee-Morris House.

I guess the old adage..."THE SQUEAKY WHEEL GETS THE GREASE " is true...Fran

Looks like the NH Museum is starting to do the right thing by this great old piece of Morris Cove history.
Thanks to all who are helping with the restoration and lets keep on it!

Friday, September 18, 2009

Statement by Walter R. Miller, Jr. President and CEO, The New Haven
Museum

In a letter dated September 16, 2009, Connecticut Attorney General
Richard
Blumenthal had advised us of his conclusion "that the Historical Society
met
its duty of care with regard to the Pardee-Morris House during these
difficult economic times...to maintain the House and meet the purposes
intended by William Pardee."

"We also conclude," the Attorney General continued, "that the Historical
Society has acted in good faith in recent months to fulfill its
fiduciary
responsibilities with regard to the Pardee-Morris House by correcting
the
neglect that occurred in prior years and reaching out to restore good
relation with the Morris Cove community."

We are ordered to reimburse the Pardee-Morris House fund for not fully
expending the funds during the two-year period as we waited for the
approval
of the bonding bill, but, in order to avoid undue hardship to us, we are
allowed to restore these funds over a four-year period.

The New Haven Museum agrees that the preservation of this historic house
in
New Haven's Morris Cove section requires continuing expenditures over
the
coming years as well as careful record-keeping.

We are gratified that this brings to a satisfactory conclusion the
Attorney
General's investigation.