It was burned in a British raid in 1779, rebuilt in 1780, and badly ignored in recent years by the previous administration at the New Haven Museum and Historical Society. Over the July 4th weekend the historic Pardee-Morris House is showing not only its patriotic colors but a bright new coat of white paint and other signs of yet another comeback.
Following last month’s call-to-arms by Morris Cove neighbors and their management team that fundamental maintenance of the historic house was being ignored, the New Haven Museum, which owns the property, has responded with a crew of contractors. They have been working daily on the house for the past several weeks.
Walter Miller, the museum’s board chair, took over daily operations two months ago after Bill Hosley, the executive director, left under a cloud of allegations of mismanagement. They included possible diversion of $20,000 of annual Pardee endowment income that should have gone to painting the historic structure, cutting the grass, and more. (There was never a suggestion of criminality or personal misconduct.)
“The place has been painted, the windows fixed,” Miller reported in a telephone interview Friday. “Water and electricity have been re-established, the hedges cut, and significant work has been done in the basement area.”
The house, which used to be not only a historic destination, but a place where neighbors proudly held social events, has not been open to the public since 2000.
Miller said the museum wanted to respond to neighbors’ requests to open the house and to have programs as soon as possible. Further repairs, including enhancing the security system and installing adequate toilet facilities needed to come first.
Nevertheless, the museum had suggested a July 4th event on the grounds, though not inside the house. “But the neighbors,” he reported, “told us they didn’t want the event because of traffic congestion. We have to respect the neighbors.”
Their reviews thus far to the museum’s responsiveness, according to East Shore Management Team chair Tina Doyle, have been positive.
“It’s 100 percent better there,” reported Doyle after an inspection of the house and basement earlier in the week. “The pipes had burst, but they’re fixed now, and the crews are doing a very good job.”
She said that even the most outspoken critics of the museum’s management of the house have calmed down. She attributed the turnaround by the museum to press coverage, to an ongoing investigation of the museum’s finances by Attorney General Blumenthal, and to grassroots people who voiced concerns.
“Arlene [DePino, Morris Cove’s alderwoman] and I have been working on this for more than a year, and we’re very happy it’s come to fruition. That’s what a management team is all about,” Doyle said.
The civil investigation is ongoing; Doyle attributed the fire lit under the museum to DePino’s follow up. Certainly the museum’s resolve to reengage with the community appears to have already been achieved.
“The main thing for us,” said Miller, “is that we’re now getting good comments from the community.” At the June management team meeting, the comments had been anything but.
He said that when internal systems are ready, “We’ll be open to the public.”
That, according to Doyle, may be some time in September. “I think it will be a picnic lunch, with musicians on the grounds. By then it will be ready,” she said of the house, “for limited tours.”