P.T. Barnum at the center of development debate in his hometown of Bethel
Town leaders are scrambling to save what may have been Barnum's one-room schoolhouse. It's set to be demolished soon to make way for new apartments.
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P.T. Barnum is famous for the “Greatest Show on Earth,” the Ringling Brothers Circus.
Now, his hometown of Bethel is scrambling to save a piece of the entertainment legend’s childhood – a structure that may be his first schoolhouse.
It's the latest chapter in a development debate playing out across Connecticut.
BARNUM’S SCHOOLHOUSE?
Drive by and you might miss it. The structure is a small addition behind a 208-year-old home on Greenwood Avenue.
But Bethel town historian Patrick Wild believes it was once a one-room schoolhouse where Barnum took his first lessons as a boy.
“The schoolhouse was moved to the back of the 1818 structure,” Wild said.
The home is set for demolition to make way for new apartments. But Wild is partnering with Bridgeport’s Barnum Museum to try and relocate the building.
“A lot of things come down to money, and it would cost money to have this building moved and placed on a new foundation so it could then be preserved and hopefully restored,” Wild said. “Whoever sees this story may be willing to contribute to that cause. That would be wonderful.”
BIGGER DEVELOPMENT DEBATE
If you think this is a story just about P.T. Barnum or one small town, think again. These kinds of development fights are being waged all over Connecticut.
"You're really talking about taking history away," said Alice Hutchinson, Bethel’s former first selectman and Planning and Zoning Commission vice chair.
When developers come in, Hutchinson said the state’s controversial affordable housing law makes it too expensive to challenge them.
The law, known as “8-30g,” requires communities have at least 10% affordable housing. If they don’t meet that quota, developers can sue to bypass local zoning restrictions.
“We’re a modest town. We can’t afford to go to expensive court, hire expensive lawyers, to fight this,” Hutchinson said.
The nearly 40-year-old law has become a major issue in the race for governor, as Connecticut struggles to address a severe housing shortage.
Last year, Gov. Ned Lamont signed a sweeping housing package that loosened parking requirements for smaller complexes and allows many commercial buildings to be converted to residential without a public hearing, among other changes.
But Hutchinson, a fellow Democrat, thinks 8-30g needs an overhaul too – especially what counts as “affordable” housing.
“We have houses that are at, or below, the existing market value,” Hutchinson said. “If you determine affordability by market, then you can make sure that people are getting places that they can truly afford to live. And we would have met the 10% a long time ago.”
Wild said there must be a way to build more homes – and protect pieces of history.
“Everybody wants affordable housing,” he said. “However, we don’t want to see historic buildings like these sacrificed.”
Lamont vetoed a much tougher bill that imposed “Fair Share” housing quotas on each community amid fierce backlash from suburban leaders.
WHAT’S NEXT?
Bethel First Selectman Dan Carter is working with Preservation Connecticut to verify the building’s authenticity and try to raise money for its relocation, perhaps next to the historic 1867 Plumtrees Schoolhouse.
But the clock is ticking.
The property owner, who declined an interview request, said the town is welcome to keep the structure. But he expects to file for a demolition permit next month.
