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Sprague =E2=80=94 =20
Town receives historic preservation grant for =
grist mill=20
renovation
The town of Sprague was recently awarded a =
$24,800=20
matching grant from the Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation , =
thanks to=20
the Sprague Historical Society, along with the strong support of state =
Sen.=20
Edith Prague and state Rep. Christopher Coutu, who wrote letters of=20
recommendation to the preservation commission.
![3D"The](3D"http://zeus.remindernews.com/repository/JEWC/2009/05/01/7/Img/Pc00=)
Click the thumbnails above to see the full size=20
pictures.
The grant will allow the town to develop a =
comprehensive=20
set of architectural and engineering plans outlining the complete =
renovation of=20
the Sprague Public Library, located in the historic grist mill at 76 =
Main St. in=20
Baltic.
=E2=80=9CI was delighted to write the letter =
of recommendation=20
for the grant. It is very important to preserve these historic buildings =
for our=20
children to enjoy,=E2=80=9D Prague said.
The mill is the oldest public building in =
Sprague and is=20
listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Sprague Company =
built=20
the mill in 1856 and 1857. It was used for many purposes over the course =
of a=20
century before being abandoned . In 1966, the town purchased the =
property from=20
the Sayles family and began heavy renovations. Thanks to a community =
effort, the=20
library opened in 1970.
Grant writer Penny Newberry is very excited =
about the=20
funding. =E2=80=9CPlans and specs cost a lot of money, and we needed to =
have the=20
architectural documents ready for work. This way, when the grants come =
through,=20
everybody knows exactly what needs to be done,=E2=80=9D Newberry said. =
Barbaranne Warner, of the Sprague Public =
Library, was=20
very happy about the grant, as well. =E2=80=9CThe administration has =
been working real=20
hard to make improvements to the town. Any improvements to the library =
are=20
wonderful for this community ,=E2=80=9D Warner said.
The town also applied to the Connecticut =
Department of=20
Economic and Community Development Small Cities program for funds to =
make=20
ADA/accessibility upgrades in the three-story , 10,000-square-foot =
building.=20
This would allow the library to expand its programs and permit better =
public use=20
of the second floor.
The third floor of the building still houses =
the gears=20
and mechanisms from when it was used as a grist mill. The Sprague =
Historical=20
Society would like to open the third floor as an industrial heritage =
museum,=20
where they may archive and display more than 10,000 historic pieces of =
Sprague=20
memorabilia.
For more information, contact Penny Newberry,=20
Grants/Contracts Manager, Town of Sprague, 1 Main St., P.O. Box 677, =
Baltic, CT=20
06330, or call (860) 822-300 ext. 206.
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