Poplar Road home designed by late Ridgefielder gains historic status

Following Scott’s death in February 2020, his son, Mark Scott, the executor of the estate, requested the property be designated as a local historic property; this would ensure the house would never be torn down or adversely altered by future owners.

The Board of Selectmen unanimously approved the request at its meeting last week.

“We’ve had no memorial service for my father because of COVID, so this is important,” Mark Scott said at the meeting. “It means a lot to me and my brothers.”

Ridgefield’s Historic District Commission oversees four local historic properties that lie outside its geographical bounds: 57 Rockwell Road; 37 Catoonah St., 75 Olmstead Road; and now 90 Poplar Road. The designated properties are subject to the same protections as those within the town’s historic district.

The Poplar Road home, a mid-century contemporary, was considered “avant garde” for its time, Mark Scott said.

“It’s architecturally different but significant,” added Dan O’Brien, the commission’s chairman. “The other three homes are typical historic properties that date back to the 17 and 1800s — this one was built in 1966.”

Construction began in 1965 and was completed in 1966. Mark Scott - who was around 5 at the time - remembers watching his father soak the structure’s cedar clapboard siding with Woodlife in a polyethylene trough. He said the man charged with building the chimney was named Tinker.

Set among a rocky topography, the house’s vertical siding and wood-shingled roof blends into the native surroundings. Scott drew this inspiration from Frank Llyod Wright, a notable architect of the time. He was also influenced by architect Philip Johnson, who built his first-ever commercial building in Ridgefield.

In true modernist fashion Scott’s design placed form over function, resulting in more than 10 additions over the years. A related report noted that while modifications may sometimes diminish the integrity of a design, Scott took care in conceptualizing his home’s evolution.

This skill was reflected in the lifelike renderings he produced. What made Scott “a really good architect,” Mark Scott said, was the fact that he was also “an extremely good artist.” Others would hire Scott to develop large-scale renderings, which he’d work on for weeks at a time.

“But within seconds the entire group gets it,” Mark Scott said. “That was worth an awful lot, to convey the vision for something in a picture. In the later part of his career he did more of that because it was a harder skill to find. Computer renderings didn’t put him out of business.”

Scott enjoyed a successful career as a self-employed architect, working on residential and commercial projects alike. He is responsible for the widow’s walk atop Town Hall and reconstructed the old train station next to Ridgefield Supply.

Coincidentally, he was also instrumental in relocating the Scott House from Catoonah Street to its present location on Sunset Lane. It currently serves as headquarters for the Ridgefield Historical Society.

In addition to being a historical preservationist, according to O’Brien, Scott was an avid baseball fan. He started as a manager in Ridgefield Little League when Mark Scott was nine and remained involved through his ’70s.

At the meeting, resident Bill Wyman said Scott was the best baseball coach a kid could ever have. First Selectman Rudy Marconi called him a true teacher of the sport.

“He was an umpire, a scorekeeper and won town championships as a manager at least a few times,” Mark Scott said. “He gave a lot to the town.”