The Past and The Future

In the early 1800’s, Lee’s Manufacturing commissioned this handsome brick, stone, and heavy timber mill building where they produced tinsel ribbon, cord fringe, twine and candle wicks all while being powered by the water flow of Lee’s Pond.

Various businesses occupied the space beginning in the 1930’s including New England Engraving Company, Phelps Manufacturing, Architectural Plastics, and the Westport Bank & Trust offices.

Nat Greenberg, a hardware store owner, & Leo Nevas, an attorney and philanthropist, purchased the property together by the1950’s. Later, much of the building was used as artists’ studios by members of Westport’s flourishing arts community, including Brooklyn born sculptor Stanly Blyfeld who mentored approximately 20 artists and students here over a span of 25 years. 

The adaptive reuse of this building makes The Mill one of the most important new developments in Fairfield County. This incredible restoration of the façade facing Richmondville Avenue and the installation of historic replica windows to replace the wood infill panels which had been added over the years renews the structure and honors it’s history, bringing it back to its pre-twentieth century character. 

An outdoor amenity space with lush gardens of indigenous plants and flowering perennials, and an inviting pool and dining area surrounded by Granite stone native to Connecticut is being created for the residents. Additional amenities, conceived as abstractions of the earlier factory aesthetic, are planned to be compatible with the original building, while remaining distinct from the original structure. The vision is to create a great place to live that celebrates rich history and establishes a direct connection to the past.