Acquire BHG and transform it into a community resource
Blau House & Gardens needs to find solutions quickly before it's too late.
There is an urgent need to save the property now:
Please watch a slide presentation here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yq81E3UMD1E
Due to the recent passing of Eileen Blau, there is a new urgency to save the property for posterity before it is sold by the family estate. There is a 1-million-dollar mortgage on the property with a current estimated value of $1.5 million. 3 million dollars is needed to acquire two adjacent properties in the Coleytown section of Westport:
• $1.5 million for the Blau House and Gardens at #8 Bayberry Ridge Road
• $1 million for adjacent property at #5 Fairview Drive, for parking and support facilities
• $500,000 to start an endowment for operations and maintenance, for 5 years.
The minimum needed is $1.5 million, for the #8 Bayberry Ridge property and gardens.
We have received two small grants over the last two years from the Connecticut Humanities for pilot programming, non-profit development, and operational expenses. The Blau House has been deemed eligible for nomination to the state historic register by the Connecticut State Historic Preservation office. We hope to receive a grant recently submitted to hire a nomination writer. We will know more about this soon. We have no staff.
Please see recent post: https://06880danwoog.com/2023/03/20/roundup-staples-hoops-blau-gardens-special-olympics (scroll down to our story)
We invite you to help us save this rare garden and architectural gem for public use and posterity.
Thank you,
Emily Blau and Robert Cohen
Stewards and Directors of Blau House & Gardens
- Raised
- $0
- Goal
- $250,000