A Piece of Stamford History, Preserved

Visitors to the Stamford Town Clerk's Office are in for more historical treats with the unveiling of some recently rediscovered and preserved artwork and deeds now hanging in the gallery there. 

Town Clerk Donna Loglisci recently had a Franklin King watercolor painting of Cove Mills' Stamford Manufacturing Company restored and preserved after it was discovered hanging in an office in the Parks Department where no one would ever see it.  

"It was moved to the Parks Department in the 70s and just sat there. No one could appreciate it there," she said. "Using [approximately $5,000] from the Preservation Fund, we were able to restore the original painting and frame. It's an amazing painting."

The painting, detailed in the book The History of the Cove, depicts ships leaving the harbor and heading out to the Long Island Sound, and the Cove Mills plant at its "peak," according to to author Jeanne Majdalany. The following is an excerpt from the book:

"In the 1890's when the picture of Cove Mills was painted (it hangs just inside the front door of the Mansion), the company had reached its peak. It's hard to imagine that the present parking lot and peaceful western end of the Island were once so covered with such a vast array of buildings. The smoke and resulting soot must have been considerable. There were three chimneys, one 126 feet high; there were machine shops, repair shops, vast boiler rooms, storehouses, an ice house, a coal yard with elevators, lines of wharves, a large brick office building, and to tie it all together a narrow-gauge rail track wound throughout for easy transportation."

"I think it's important for people to be able to see things like this," Loglisci said. "That's what I hope to make this office. A place for people to be able to look back on the history of Stamford."

In addition to the painting, which was getting spotlighting installed around it on Monday, Stamford attorney David Lasnick recently discovered, framed and gifted to the city a number of old real estate deeds, which added to the office's historical artifacts collection. 

Photos of all the recent additions are included above.