741 Colonel Ledyard Highway  
Ledyard, Connecticut 06339  
TOWN OF LEDYARD  
Historic District Commission  
Meeting Minutes  
Chairman Ty Lamb  
Regular Meeting  
Monday, November 18, 2024  
7:00 PM  
Town Hall Annex -Hybrid Format  
I.  
CALL TO ORDER  
The Regular Meeting was called to order by Chairman Lamb at 7:00 p.m.  
II.  
ROLL CALL  
Commissioner William Barnes  
Commissioner Douglas Kelley  
Chairman Ty Lamb  
Present  
Commissioner Kelly Lamb  
Commissioner Ammie Chittim  
Alternate Member Vincent Godino  
Excused  
Alternate Member Kenneth Geer  
Alternate Member Karen Parkinson  
Non-voting  
Also in attendance was Tom Baudro, who spent 16 years on the Planning Commission  
III.  
IV.  
APPOINTMENT OF ALTERNATES  
Not needed.  
RESIDENTS & PROPERTY OWNERS COMMENTS  
Mr. Baudro presented pictures from the Sawmill to the Commission. Chairman Lamb will  
inventory and then officially present to Commission.  
V.  
1.  
REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF MINUTES  
Motion to APPROVE the Special Meeting Minutes from October 28, 2024, as written.  
APPROVED AND SO DECLARED  
William Barnes  
RESULT:  
MOVER:  
Ty Lamb  
SECONDER:  
5
1
Barnes Kelley Lamb Lamb Chittim  
Godino  
AYE  
EXCUSED  
VI.  
TOWN COUNCIL LIAISON REPORT  
Town Council Liaison - Councilor Tim Ryan.  
1.  
No report. Tim Ryan, Town Council was not present.  
VII. CHAIRMAN REPORT  
General Report.  
1.  
Chairman Lamb expressed appreciation to all the work done at Nathan Lester House, thanking  
Mr. Kelley's efforts.  
Transfer of leftover money from ARPA to the Sawmill.  
Emergency Situations (up to $1,000 can be authorized for immediate results by Mr. Kelly and  
Mr. Barnes, up to $5000 with Chairman Lamb's authorization). Within the day the full amount  
must be authorized.  
DISCUSSED  
RESULT:  
Financial Report.  
2.  
Chairman Lamb is developing a workbook to keep track of all POS and balances. He asked each  
Committee to discuss this either as a group or individual. The fiscal year ends on the last day of  
June.  
DISCUSSED  
VIII. CORRESPONDENCE  
RESULT:  
Correspondence.  
1.  
IX.  
1.  
COMMITTEE REPORTS  
Sawmill Committee - Mr. Barnes.  
The RFP responses are due on November 21, 2024. To date there is one commitment. Other interests are  
not as direct. The cost is approximately 30k with the assumption that costs are more than the past  
calculated amount.  
DISCUSSED  
RESULT:  
Nathan Lester House - Mr. Kelley.  
2.  
Now that the museum is closed for the season, efforts at the Lester House have moved to  
maintenance and planning for the future. Planning includes our long-term partners, the Ledyard  
Historic Society, the Ledyard Garden Club, Ledyard Public Works, and Avalonia Land  
Conservancy.  
In the absence of resident caretakers, the house is visited at least once daily, with a walk-through  
of the house, checking on the barns, and assessments of the grounds. Preparations for winter are  
underway. The continuing drought has been a concern, and the lawns closest to the house and  
the Great Oak Garden have been watered for the past month. Hopefully the expected rain this  
Wednesday night and Thursday will reduce the risk of fire.  
Public Works have handled clearing of invasive plants along the stone wall of the exit drive.  
This, along with our own incremental clearing of the boundaries of the Great Field, and in the  
North Field and Orchard Field, will help mitigate our fire risk as well as give a more presentable  
appearance to the property. Regular trail walkers have been very helpful in reporting the state of  
the miles of trails on the property and giving suggestions.  
Assessment of trees on the property which are potentially dangerous has been done. A large  
portion of an oak tree come down in a windstorm, and the remaining portion is a danger to the  
parking area. One further oak at the bottom of the parking exit should be removed. At least two  
and perhaps three other trees are dangers to the entrance drive. The continuing ash blight has  
killed 10 more trees along the exit drive which are close enough to the drive to warrant removal.  
Also, in a continuing conversation with the Garden Club, it was agreed that the very large larch  
in the Great Oak Garden has continued to fail and should be removed before it endangers the ell  
of the house or the shrub garden. This loss is unfortunate, as it is a specimen tree planted by the  
Graves family. The hope is that some of this work will be handled by various existing partners  
rather than fall on the Commission's budget.  
The restoration contractor has had a delay in resuming work on the East side of the house, and  
now expects to resume work on December 9. All windows and rebuilt window trim were  
completed off site and held in the main barn awaiting installation.  
The long-term capital improvement plan is well underway and as well as making needed repairs  
to the House. This will include proposals to add (amongst others):  
- A separate caretaker’s cottage (likely sited in the Orchard Field, and using the existing drive  
next to the barns - extended through the break in the stone wall in back).  
-A timber-framed picnic/events pavilion in the Great Field.  
- A comfort station (restrooms) along the drive past the barns.  
- A garden shed for the use of the Ledyard Garden Club behind the house inside the north field.  
- An outdoor kitchen built for hearth cooking demonstrations.  
- A community garden (possibly in the North Field).  
- A restored orchard of heritage fruit varieties (Orchard Field).  
A presentation of all these and other possible improvements will be put together to help support  
these proposals. The goal is to go far beyond maintenance and presentation of the existing  
museum house and barns and create a community-supported but self-sustaining historical venue  
with multiple attractions, all presented as an 18th/early 19th century farm with traditionally  
crafted or rescued/reclaimed buildings.  
The NLH is presently underutilized, need to build on this. Try to make it more interesting like  
the Sawmill is. Possibly make it more of a destination, making it more commercially viable.  
Idea to create a team. Ms. Parkinson said the team should be “friends of the Nathan Lester  
House”, marketing the concept of being a “friend” of the Nathan Lester House. The idea is to get  
a core group of at least five dedicated “friends” using social media, Community forum, etc.  
Need overall plans plus long term and short term. The Ledyard Garden Club has also mentioned  
Ms. Parkinson's concept.  
Research/Preservation - Ms. Chittim.  
3.  
Chairman Lamb and Ms. Parkinson went to the Land use committee meeting recently. An A2  
survey is needed for the 4.4-acre ruins. Land Use does not want to assign an authority until after  
the survey. The survey could cost 5-6k. Ms. Parkinson has talked to the State Office of  
Archology regarding grants. She is still trying to gather more information on the specific grant  
that would be appropriate. The present grant Mr. Parkinson is working on would be a match  
funding grant.  
Tri town trail, mailing from Last Green Valley, and heritage corner. The beginning of the trail is  
in Preston, who is also part of the Last Green Valley. Ms. Parkinson is asking if there are other  
groups such as the Cultural Coalition, or CT Humanities or other areas to look for grants.  
Ms. Parkinson asked if the Commission wants to begin discussing celebrating America 250?  
Chairman Lamb agreed that brainstorming should be begin on the future celebration. Mr. Kelley  
added that the Bicentennial is the reason the Commission has the Sawmill and the Lester House.  
Search should begin for Fort Hill collection such as projectiles etc. at the Nathan Lester House.  
An Art Archeologist went into the attic of the NLH and found items that they had been looking  
for. Suggestion for the Society to take inventory all these items. There are some things that Mr.  
Cohen said he had read about and had never seen before. Significant items in a box in the attic.  
Ms. Chittim asked that she be present when an Archaeologist is on site.  
DISCUSSED  
RESULT:  
Center School - Mr. Geer.  
No new news.  
4.  
5.  
Social Media - Ms. Lamb.  
The Commissions Facebook followers count is now 162.  
Followers love the "around town historic pictures", which are posted on occasion. In the past  
week there were two posts of newspaper clippings, one of the grand opening of the Ledyard post  
office and the other one four years later.  
Mr. Geer has a box of old one room schoolhouse pictures and Chairman Lamb just was just  
returned a box of historical pictures he had recently lent out. Ms. Lamb will go through both  
boxes once she has access.  
X.  
1.  
OLD BUSINESS  
Any Other Old Business to come before the Commission.  
None.  
XI.  
1.  
NEW BUSINESS  
Any Other New Business to come before the Commission.  
None.  
XII. ADJOURNMENT  
Motion to ADJOURN the Regular Meeting at 8:00 p.m.  
APPROVED AND SO DECLARED  
Ty Lamb  
RESULT:  
MOVER:  
William Barnes  
SECONDER:  
5
1
Barnes Kelley Lamb Lamb Chittim  
Godino  
AYE  
EXCUSED  
DISCLAIMER: Although we try to be timely and accurate these are not official records of the  
Town.