Paul van der Stricht Papers

Collection

Identifier: A.2004.023

Scope and Contents

The materials in this collection are primarily comprised of documents and correspondence amassed over his time as a founding member of the Historic District Commission and his creation of the Greenwich Land Trust as an offshoot of the Audubon Society. The papers are separated by property, or by institution if they are broader Historic District Commission internal documents, or documents related to specific mandates or arguments. They are focused entirely between the 1970s and 1990s, during his most active time serving these organizations. There is also a selection of printed material related to preservation, archaeology, and conservation.

Dates

Creation: 1974-1999

Conditions Governing Access

There are no conditions governing access to this material.

Biographical / Historical

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Paul van der Stricht and his wife Nora lived in Greenwich for over half a century, and Paul was active in the historic preservation and conservation movements. A former trustee of the Greenwich Historical Society, Paul played a pivotal role in setting up the Strickland Road Historic District, and he served as the first chairman of the Town’s Historic District Commission for over ten years. He was a founding member of the Connecticut Association of Historic District Commissions and encouraged the formation of Connecticut Preservation Action. He created the legal framework for historic preservation in town, including the historic overlay and delay of demolition ordinances, and he successfully led the fight to save architecturally and historically significant buildings in town from demolition. Equally devoted to land conservation, he founded and served as the first president of the Greenwich Land Trust. The Historical Society presented Paul van der Stricht with its first Historic Preservation Merit Award for Preservation Leadership in 1997. (Reproduced from the Greenwich Historical Society Annual Report, 2011-12)