Florence Griswold Museum

The Florence Griswold House is an historic art museum in Old Lyme, Conn., which is known as the home of American Impressionism. After her mother, father, and sister’s untimely deaths, Florence Ann Griswold (December 25, 1850 - December 6, 1937) inherited her family's debts, and had to rent out the family mansion as a boarding house to pay them off. In 1899, artist Henry Ward Ragner began renting a room and quickly invited his contemporaries to rent, including Childe Hassam and Willard Metcalf. The popularity of the Griswold house escalated and a slew of famous artists and noteworthy persons stayed at the house in what came to be known as the Old Lyme Art Colony. On April 19, 1993, the house was added to the National Register of Historic Places. It is currently run by the Florence Griswold Museum, where children’s camps, reading clubs, yoga, art exhibits, and much more can be enjoyed. Kronenberger & Sons finished restoration to this 19th century home in 2006. We performed both an exterior and interior restoration to the home, carefully working amongst the paintings, antique furniture and artwork on door panels and fireplace surrounds. A sophisticated geothermal heating and cooling system was installed to protect the art and furniture collection. The new building that houses the outdoor heat exchanges was attached to the Griswold home and built to look original. The interior restoration included installing new electrical, plumbing, and fire protection systems. Structural shoring and supports, carpentry, plastering, and painting were also completed. Besides drilling for the geothermal system, exterior restoration included removal and restoration of porches, stairways, windows, masonry, paint, and the roof. The building is #93001604 on the National Register of Historic Places.