Where Are the Best Old Houses? Tariffville

Tariffville has been selected as a best old-house neighborhood for 2011 by This Old House magazine.  

It is the only town in Connecticut to receive this designation from the magazine.

After soliciting the input of more than 14,000 historical societies, neighborhood groups, and preservation nonprofits across the country, This Old House selected 64 neighborhoods in United States, Canada and Puerto Rico using criteria including: architectural diversity, the craftsmanship of the homes, and the preservation momentum in the area as well as neighborhood amenities including walk ability, safety and community.

“We are very proud to receive this prestigious distinction,” said First Selectman Mary Glassman. “To be selected as the sole representative from Connecticut is a tremendous honor and is a testament to the historic charm and vibrant sense of community present in Tariffville and the rest of Simsbury.”  

Glassman recognized Chet Matczak, president of the Tariffville Village Association and the entire community for their efforts in raising Tariffville’s profile.

The town is in the process of planning a celebration at the to coincide with the article’s publication. The “Best Old-House Neighborhoods” article will appear in the April issue, on newsstands March 11, and is currently available online at www.thisoldhouse.com.

This is the fourth year in a row the magazine editors have tracked down North America's most timeless neighborhoods — “places where lovingly crafted old houses have extraordinary pasts and unarguably promising futures.”

In partnership with Portland, Oregon-based PreservationDirectory.com, which distributed the nomination forms, the magazine’s biggest-ever list of off-the-beaten-path places that are worth eyeing for a great old home was assembled.

To see the complete list of 64 neighborhoods click here.

A dozen were chosen along the northern Atlantic coast.

"I am so proud of my hometown,” said Deputy First Selectman John K. Hampton. “Tariffville is the 'little village that could.' This recognition is so exciting and could not have been attained without the efforts of the residents and the members of the Tariffville Village Association. They care so deeply for their community and it shows.

"This place has sort of been forgotten over the years," said Matczak, Tariffville Village Association president. "That's one of the things that make it such a nice place to live."

The neighborhood is made up of 320 families. Simbsury was included on the National Trust for Historic Preservation's "Dozen Distinctive Destinations" list in 2010 and Money magazine recently named it one of the Best Places to Live in America, the magazine states.

According to the magazine the houses are Greek Revivals and Gothic Revivals that date back to the 19th century, and the late 1800s and early 1900s produced an array of Folk Victorians.