Building Name (Common)

Comstock, Ferre & Co.

Address

263 Main
Wethersfield

Building Typology

New England  

Historic Significance

Significance: Comstock, Ferre claims to be the oldest continuously operating seed company in the nation. In addition to its main building, fronting on Wethersfield's Main Street, the property includes a large barn, the oldest section of which was probably built sometime between the 1840s and the 1880s. The property is located in the Wethersfield National Register district and the Wethersfield local historic district.

Threat: Developer Thomas Coccomo wants to demolish the barn for a new residential-commercial development. As currently planned, the elevations and massing of the new building would be very similar to those of the barn. Wethersfield's historic district commission (HDC) approved the project in June 12, and the planning and zoning commission has indicated that it will defer to the HDC. Some neighbors have appealed to Superior Court; a hearing is scheduled for September 11.

Broader issues: Opponents of the project feel that the HDC bent over backward to accommodate Coccomo while hassling homeowners who appear before it over miniscule details. If this contention is supported, there is a danger that the public could lose confidence in HDC's reliability and fairness.

What's needed: Careful consideration of the feasibility of reusing the main barn as part of the project. Coccomo has expressed willingness to do this, so Todd Levine and Melissa Antonelli of the Trust made measured drawings of the barn, and Trustee William Crosskey is preparing schematic designs to show how it could be reused in the new development.

Field Notes

Property was once owned by Silas Deane.