Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum to Reopen After Two-Year Closure

NORWALK, Conn., May 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Following the completion of the Master Mechanical Plan by David Scott Parker Architects, the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum will reopen its building to the public on June 4, 2025, at 12 p.m. Preceding the public opening, there will be a ribbon-cutting ceremony and tour on May 27, 2025, at 10 a.m. for the press, dignitaries, and invited guests. To RSVP, please email [email protected] or call 203-838-9799.

The Mansion will feature restored spaces and artifacts that will re-envision the visitor experience, while bringing an iconic, 19^th-century National Historic Landmark into the 21^st century with new systems and technology.

This project was led by Patsy Brescia, LMMM Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees and Building Committee Chair, and was supported and championed by Senator Bob Duff, Mayor Harry Rilling, the City of Norwalk and its Common Council, the Norwalk Historical Commission, and the State of Connecticut's Department of Economic and Community Development.

Ms. Brescia said, "The Board and I are truly grateful for the extraordinary support we received from the City of Norwalk and the State of Connecticut for this major mechanical upgrade that will enhance and protect this cherished heritage destination now open to visitors year-round."

An exciting discovery happened at the tail end of the lengthy construction project, as Ms. Brescia was diligently going through a punch list with the construction company Consigli. Hidden under a bookshelf, in what is believed to have been the Mansion's Servants' dining hall during the 19^th century, she found a rare cast-iron Beebe stove, dated 1867, by the renowned New York firm of Janes, Fowler, Kirtland Co. a company also known to have built the Capitol's iron dome in Washington D.C.

"Now that this historic building has been re-envisioned," said Chairman of the Board Douglas E. Hempstead, "we will see an expansion of its community use, while the safety of the building as well as our visitors will be secured."

The Museum will also feature breathtaking front doors restored to their original Lockwood era appearance by Urban Aesthetics, allowing the Mansion's historic entrance to reclaim its earliest splendor, with generous support from Trustee Miklos Koleszar, his wife Dr. Michele Koleszar, and the state's Historic Preservation Office. A statue by renowned 19^th-century artist Randolph Rogers depicting two of the Lockwood's children and its Herter Brothers base also received noticeable makeovers along with the historic lighting fixtures in the entrance of the Mansion.  

The 2025 season will feature several new exhibitions, concerts, community events, and educational tours of the newly enhanced museum. Executive Director Susan Gilgore said, "I am honored and excited to be part of a year-long celebration for the reopening of this extraordinary building and very grateful to the City and State as well as our members, volunteers, donors, and colleagues who helped us through the building's two-year closure."

For more information, please visit www.lockwoodmathewsmansion.com.

Contact:
Susan Gilgore, Executive Director
203-838-9799, ext. 112 or
[email protected]

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SOURCE Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum