State Rep. Chris Perone-D sent around a press release Thursday night announcing that the Norwalk Land Trust was getting $500,000 in grant money to be used to purchase the Hart Castle Property in Norwalk, through the state’s “Open Space and Watershed Acquisition” program. Later than evening after I ran into State Senator Bob Duff-D at the League of Woman Voters FOI panel, and he mentioned that there was going to be a thermometer rising press conference on Friday. Thus, off I went to investigate.

“The Hart Castle is one of the most historically important structures in the city of Norwalk,” Rep. Perone said. “This grant will ensure the castle’s protection and survival.”

The Hart Castle is located between two other already protected properties: the Hart Peninsula and Langdon Preserve. In addition to protecting the coastal wetland ecosystem and serving as a wildlife habitat, nature lovers also use the area for recreational activities. The area attracts boaters, wildlife watchers and fishing enthusiasts.

The $500,000 grant will also lead to the castle’s renovation into a nature classroom as well as the preservation of an observation deck.

“Being able to turn the Hart Castle into a nature classroom further ensures that citizens will get the most out of their visit to the area,” said Rep. Perone. “Not only will visitors be able to observe nature firsthand, but now they will be able to learn and discuss what they see on site.”

Rowaytoners have been curious about the property for a number of years, according to another press release I picked up on Friday. Originally New York business mogul Edward Francis Hart and his family built had built a large house in the manor style as a summer residence. Locally it was known as Hart Caselt of Castle enice. The trolley that carried people to the Roton Point Amusement passed right by it. But, the manor was destroyed by a fire, and only the old stone barn survived.

The current owner, Charles Shoendorf, has granted the Norwalk Land Trust an option to buy the property for $4.5 million, somewhat below prevailing market prices. Rowayton residents have rallied to raise money through a variety of grassroots tag sales, lemonade stands and fund raisers over a multi year campaign, as Cherri Burton said, “there’s such a range of gifts and the age of donors, its a grand mix.” The Sixth Taxing District, allocated $125k, and is considering another allocation in the next fiscal year.

Chris Perone said that this open space grant will be able to let future generations of chikdren learn about nature in it native space, because the nature center will be an educational facility that complements the Maritime Aquarium’s role as a learning museum. The Maritime Aquarium has floating classrooms on the Long Island Sound and beams experiments to classrooms across the state. This nature will enale children to learn about the local ecology and the impact of humans on nature. The local community has been concerned that the vital tidal marshes have been disappearing at the rate of one percent a year. The marsh surrounding the property is home to many species of herons, like the Louisiana blue, the great blue and the green heron. Other critters like the ribbed mussel, the blue mussel, the coffee bean snail, and soft shell clams fill the ecological niches enabling osprey, sea eagles and fisher hawks to thrive.

Bob Duff held the styrofoam check, on Friday but he was happy to shower praise of Marny Smith, who had worked for many months on working through the grant funding system to get the grant. Duff said that the state DEP director, Gina McCrthy had even toured the site. The find raising efforts are not over, the next phase is to activate block captains in the area to organize more fund raising efforts.