HDC Advances Oral-History Project and Weighs National Listing for the Stone Church
On November 6, 2025, the Unionville Historic District & Properties Commission held an unofficial meeting (no quorum) to keep work progressing on its new oral-history program and to acknowledge new recognition for the 1926 Stone Church on School Street, originally built by the Methodist congregation and now owned by the Town of Avon.
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Attendance and status. Chair Lisa opened by noting that the commission lacked a quorum; members present included Kelly, Barbara Marsh, Garrett, Ian, Ann Vibert (also known as Ann), and Matt, who participated remotely at times. The group proceeded with discussion only; minutes and approvals were deferred to a future business meeting.
Commission membership. Kelly was recognized as a full member of the Unionville Historic District & Properties Commission.
Oral-history program — scope, training, and timeline.
- Focus: Human-built features — buildings, businesses, canals, waterways, rail facilities, and related place histories. The first interviews will be treated as pilot runs to test the prompts, consent flow, and recording logistics.
- Training: Several commissioners (Lisa, Kelly, Barbara Marsh) reported completing training; Matt and Ann were identified as still needing the module. Materials and an outline live on the commission’s SharePoint; Jerusha provided form templates.
- Consent & donation: Two forms will be used — (1) recording consent, and (2) donation/permission to place interviews in the Farmington Library archives for research access (with interviewee review of edited transcripts). Commissioners emphasized written consent over on-screen prompts when possible. For local-history holdings, see the library’s Farmington Room resources.
- Gear & logistics: A shared Blue “Snowflake” USB mic will be stored at Town Hall (Garrett coordinating). Laptops may be borrowed; commissioners can pair up during recordings to manage tech and questioning.
- Pilot timeline: Aiming for one interview per commissioner by February 2026. Commissioners will refine the question bank after the first round.
Who’s first on the mic.
- Ann Vibert — proposed as an early interviewee for her deep knowledge of Unionville history and the district. (Ann serves on the Unionville Museum board.)
- Tom Larson (age 88) — identified for extensive memory of neighborhood geography, ownership histories, and ties to the old railroad switching point where Wood-n-Tap now stands; additional family history includes work on the dairy farm by today’s Farmington Game Club (sewage-plant flats).
- Commissioners also discussed interviews with long-time residents connected to the 1955 Flood and Unionville’s mill and railroad eras — in coordination with the Unionville Museum oral-history work led by Patty LeBouthillier, the museum’s board president.
Coordination with the Unionville Museum.
Members agreed to avoid duplication with the museum’s ongoing interviews (flood, school, topic-based exhibits) and to explore collaboration with museum leadership. The museum’s board lists Patricia (Patty) LeBouthillier as president; Jerusha Neely also serves on the board.
Stone Church, School Street (1926) — plaque secured; national listing explored.
Town staff reported a State Register of Historic Places plaque has been received for the former Methodist “Stone Church” at School Street, with the congregation now at Memorial United Methodist Church, 867 West Avon Road (Avon) planning a centennial celebration in late 2026. A year-plaque addition will be brought as a COA. The building’s fabric — notably its rounded river stone and Arts and Crafts influence — was discussed, as was the possibility of a nomination to the National Register of Historic Places.
National Register context (Unionville landmarks).
For precedent, the original Tunxis Hose Firehouse (located at the intersection of Lovely Street and Farmington Avenue) has been listed on the National Register since 1983; commissioners cited this status while weighing next steps for the Stone Church.
Next steps.
- Finalize membership logins for the training site and circulate the pre-interview packet (intake, consent, donation forms; logistics checklist; draft questions).
- File the COA for the year-plaque at the Stone Church and scope the National Register nomination process (ownership is municipal).
- Begin pilot interviews by February and revise the question bank to sharpen the focus on human-built features and their community impact.
A neighborhood housekeeping note. Commissioners also exchanged updates on properties along Main Street (including the former Dr. O’Connell residence, located near Ion Bank) and recent clean-ups, with reminders that oral histories should capture not only the architecture but also the people who maintained and adapted these places. 🗺️
About the Author
Jack Beckett drinks coffee like it’s a preservation tool (it is), files at odd hours, and still labels MiniDiscs from the Flood of ’05—wrong flood, right instinct. When a mic meets a mill ledger, he’s happy. ☕️
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This article, “Unionville HDC Advances Oral-History Project; Stone Church Receives State Plaque, National Listing Eyed,” by Jack Beckett is licensed under CC BY-ND 4.0.
“Unionville HDC Advances Oral-History Project; Stone Church Receives State Plaque, National Listing Eyed”
by Jack Beckett, The Farmington Mercury (CC BY-ND 4.0)