The Florence Griswold House Restoration Project
The restoration project completely changes how the visitor experiences the House and its surroundings. Thanks to years of researching oral histories, letters, photographs, paintings -- anything that might give a clue as to how Miss Florence, the artists and other visitors, and the domestic staff lived and interacted -- museum staff have tried to bring the personal stories of those associated with the House to life. We hope visitors take away a sense of Miss Florence’s gracious hospitality and the laughter and camaraderie of the artists. We are excited to offer the stories of lives well lived in a place well loved.
About the Florence Griswold House Restoration Project
The Griswold House was closed from May 2005 through June 2006.
Splendidly Disheveled
Florence Griswold was the ultimate optimist. As she welcomed her artist boarders into the faded beauty that was her family home she would explain, "This is going to be a splendid season...I'll have enough money to restore everything to its former order." That was no shallow promise or tactful excuse, Miss Florence truly expected her finances would turn and she would be able to offer more comfortable accommodations to her guests. Not that they ever complained! Accolades like "a born hostess" and "a gracious and generous spirit" usually followed her name. For three decades artists visited the quiet town of Old Lyme to immerse themselves in the wealth of subject matter and be indulged by the motherly attention of Miss Florence.
A Dream Come True Times Two
In 1910, at the height of the Colony period, the artists, aided by local residents and tradesmen, helped make Miss Florence's dream come true. While she was away for part of the summer, they re-shingled the roof, mended chimneys, dug a new well, and completely redecorated the grand hallway and parlor from top to bottom. When she came home, after many tears, she was reported to have said, "...I never knew I had such wonderful friends...It's a dream of a lifetime come true."*
Unfortunately, before her death in 1937 the house had again fallen into disrepair. As the years passed, the House became a museum, with rooms functioning differently than their original use. It has been the Museum's "dream" to restore the House to the period of its glory - when it was a boardinghouse for some of America's best known artists. The scope of this project includes stabilization of the exterior features of the house and upgrades to its climate controls, electrical, lighting, and fire protection systems. The new environmental systems employ “green” geothermal technology that draws energy for cooling and heating from a series of deep wells on the property. The House will reopen in Summer 2006 with a new public presentation showcasing its role as the boardinghouse of the Lyme Art Colony, circa 1910.
Given Miss Florence's unwavering optimisim and unselfish nature, why shouldn't her "dream of a lifetime" come true twice?
*For a light-hearted, firsthand account of the artists' extreme makeover on Miss Florence's house and other stories of Lyme Art Colony life, see Miss Florence and the Artists of Old Lyme, written by artist Arthur Heming.
Detective Work
Paintings and photographs like these help historians determine furniture layout, rugs, and wall coverings at the time of the Colony.
 Woodhull Adams, Miss Florence’s Parlor, 1912, Oil on Canvas, Florence Griswold Museum; Gift of Dr. Matthew Griswold, Sr.
View of the parlor, with green wallpaper, center area rug, and reupholstered Rococo Revival Sofa.
 William Verplank Birney, The Front Hall, 1908, Oil on Canvas, Florence Griswold Museum; Purchased with Funds from the Charles E. Culpeper Foundation.
View of the hallway out the front door. Walls have a tan paper and the floors have a wall-to-wall carpet. Prior to the 1910 renovations.
 Florence Griswold in hallway, c. 1905
Florence is standing in front of one of the painted door panels in her home. This panel was joint effort between Henry Ward Ranger and Henry Rankin Poore. Ranger’s bedroom was through that doorway.
 Hallway of the Florence Griswold House, c. 1910-15, Florence Griswold Museum
Shows the hallway leading out the side porch. A long, narrow rug runs the length of the hall. Couches and chests of drawers crowd the space. Paintings are hung for sale on the walls. The hallway, in addition to being the main throughway of the house, also served as an impromptu antique shop, where everything was for sale.
 Detail, William Chadwick, Melodies, c. 1905, Oil on Panel, Florence Griswold Museum
View of the Artist Bedroom with a woman, possibly Florence Griswold, seated at a piano.
 Parlor of the Florence Griswold House, c. 1910-15, Florence Griswold Museum
Shows a corner niche in the front parlor with three Allen Butler Talcott works above the piano. The William Henry Howe door is visible and R. Tait McKenzie’s “The Sprinter” is on the bookshelf against the left wall. Shows patterned wallpaper.
This project is made possible by the generous support of the following agencies
Federal
Institute of Museum and Library Services, Museums for America Program, National Endowment for the Arts, National Endowment for the Humanities, and Save America’s Treasures (administered by the National Park Service)
State
The State of Connecticut, Department of Economic and Community Development, the Connecticut Humanities Council, Connecticut Historical Commission, Historic Restoration Fund, and the Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism
Foundations
The 1772 Foundation, Chester W. Kitchings Foundation, The Chilton Foundation, The Getty Grant Program, The Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection and Insurance Company, Homeland Foundation, The Henry Luce Foundation, Middlesex Mutual Assurance Company, National Film Preservation Foundation, Elmina B. Sewall Foundation, The Starr Foundation, Tourism Cares, and Xerox Foundation
In addition, the Museum would like to thank the many individuals whose support makes the restoration of this National Historic Landmark possible.
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