Fairfield's Burr Mansion Under Town Management Starting May 1

FAIRFIELD, CT — The Fairfield Museum is transferring management of Burr Mansion back to the town of Fairfield now that a restoration and preservation effort is complete, museum officials said.

For more than 25 years, the Fairfield Museum has overseen events at Burr Mansion as part of a partnership with the town designed to preserve the building. During those years, it secured more than $1 million in grant funding to restore the property, officials said.

Read more: Fairfield Receives State Grant For Historic Burr Mansion

Now, the museum wants to focus on preserving other historic Fairfield properties — so beginning May 1, the Fairfield Parks and Recreation Department will manage Burr Mansion. Burr Manager Allison Burress will stay on during the transition, officials said.

The property has "long been a cultural and social center of Fairfield," officials said, and it's full of history: It was originally built in 1732, and leading up to the Revolutionary War, it hosted George Washington, John Hancock, Samuel Adams, John Adams and Aaron Burr.

Though the original mansion burnt down during the Revolutionary War burning of Fairfield, Thaddeus and Eunice Burr rebuilt it in 1790.

Now, Fairfield residents celebrate weddings, birthdays and anniversaries at the property; and the town hosts its Christmas Tree Festival, Santa's House, and Enchanted Castle there each holiday season.

"The Fairfield Museum has been proud to lead the preservation and stewardship of Burr Mansion for more than 25 years," said Michael Jehle, Fairfield Museum's Executive Director. "Fairfield Parks and Recreation does an excellent job managing the Town's other event facilities, and they have the skills and resources to lead the future public use of that facility."