On June 13, the Westport Historic District Commission voted to deny a waiver of the 180-day waiting period for the 83-year-old house at 8 Tar Rock Road. My wife and I attended the meeting by Zoom because we live next door, at 10 Tar Rock.
The commission initially signaled its unanimous readiness to approve the waiver but we managed to persuade them otherwise, mostly by focusing on the historic status of our private street, which is largely forgotten by today’s Westporters.
A rock that sits atop our road, the highest point between Compo Beach and town, was doused in tar and set afire in April 1777 to warn the townsfolk that the British had landed.
We also stressed that No. 8, because of its setting, is the focal point of the road and its elegant lines and brick-and-clapboard facade make it the de facto icon of our little neighborhood. The new owner plans to build a “spec” house there. This is deeply offensive to us.
We realize that at the end of the 180-day waiting period the house could go down, but also feel the imperative to at least try to stop the destruction of one more thing that makes Westport special.
My wife and I were joined at the meeting by one other neighbor, and a commissioner noted that two objections amounted to an “outpouring” by Westport standards. More of our neighbors who share our concerns would have attended had schedules permitted. One of them is currently restoring a cool little mid-century modern at 12 Tar Rock, saving it from otherwise likely demolition.
Count me among the many who grouse about Westport’s wrecking-ball culture but at least it is good to know that it is possible to mount a defense, even if the odds of success are long. We remain hopeful that No. 8, and the historic spirit of Tar Rock, can be saved.
Tim Manners
10 Tar Rock Road
Westport
Thank you, Mr. Manners, and those in your Tar Rock community for caring about Westport’s history, for educating those who may not know about that history, and for showing up to do what you can to preserve it. Thanks also to the Westport Journal for covering this story.
I certainly feel your pain, Tim. Some years ago, our tiny, historic, private road saw the writing on the wall. In order to fend off the barbarians, it opted to designate itself a Local Historic District. Of course, that’s no help to you now. I can only hope that you and your neighbors end up with something which isn’t too much of an assault on the setting. Forgive my ignorance, but who presently owns the land beneath Tar Rock?
Thanks, Morley. The Tar Rock sits on privately owned property at #9.
Thanks very much for your response, Tim. Fascinating stuff. Can you just imagine the fear that must have been in the hearts of the brave colonists that day as legions of heavily armed troops from the most powerful country on the planet suddenly arrived out of nowhere? The procession of British Regulars would have stretched for nearly nearly two miles. Your street is the steward of a really important historic site and your letter is a reminder if just how fragile these types of (non-renewable) resources are. Thank you for your advocacy. I wish you and your neighbors the best of luck with #8.
Much appreciated, Morely. Separately, we are working on arranging some form of designation for the rock, which deserves to be better remembered than it is.
I like your thinking. I’m not 100% positive, but I believe it is technically possible to historically designate JUST the Tar Rock – and perhaps a small bit of its setting. The folks at HDC should be able to offer additional information on that issue. This might possibly be a worthwhile avenue for you and your neighbors to discuss/explore. Obviously, #9 would have to be down with it. But if we’re talking about JUST designating that which is historic, it seems like it might help safeguard the Tar Rock without causing any complications for the residence at #9.
As the owners of the property we acknowledge the fact that we have purchased 8 Tar Rock Road with the full intent of building an appropriately designed home on the property. We’ve even designed the house around a rock, different to the rock that is referenced as, “[the] rock that sits atop our road, the highest point between Compo Beach and town”. We plan on keeping this rock that exists in the front yard of our property in an effort to maintain the “historical spirit” of the property. To clarify, the rock that is referenced by Tim Manners, the owner of 10 Tar Rock Road, is not the rock that is on our property.
We the owners of the property are 3 long-time Westport residents who know and appreciate the history of Westport as we have lived here for a combination of over 110 years. With that, we do not agree with the connotation of being a part of “Westport’s wrecking ball culture”.
It is disappointing that misinformation is being put out to the public in an attempt to further delay and/or stop the project.
After the decision was made to deny waiving the 180 day waiting period where, “[the] commission initially signaled its unanimous readiness to approve the waiver”, we have assessed the possibility of renovating the house. After much discussion with professional and creative minds alike, it’s does not appear to be a feasible path for us.
With that, we are open to dialogue with the neighborhood to discuss further.
Lexy Barlow
8 Tar Rock Road
Westport
Happy to talk.
Put your teeth back in, killer. It looks like the Tar Rock neighbors will likely be working this out amicably.