2023 Spring Speaker Series | Fairfield County: The Modern Context

Modernism always proclaimed itself to be more than a set of aesthetics–it was an entirely new way of building to meet the new needs and employ the new scientific advances of a new age. Christopher Wigren of Preservation Connecticut will explore some of the trends that shaped development and building in Fairfield County after World War II, from the Cold War and highway construction to new educational theories and the emergence of the office park.

Christopher Wigren is Deputy Director of Preservation Connecticut, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving and promoting historic places that contribute to the heritage and vitality of the state’s communities. His responsibilities include editing PCT’s newsletter, Preservation Connecticut News, and managing its preservation easements and awards programs. He is the author of Connecticut Architecture: Stories of 100 Places, of articles on architectural topics in the Hartford Courant and Connecticut Explored, and of the National Register nominations for the Merritt Parkway and other Connecticut sites. Most recently, he coordinated a project with the Connecticut State Historic Preservation Office to document the heritage and works of the Olmsted landscape architecture firm in Connecticut.

About the 2023 Spring Speaker Series: Modernism in Fairfield County

Join the Fairfield Museum and History Center for the 2023 Spring Speaker Series, exploring the architectural and design history of Fairfield County in the twentieth century. Learn about the mid-century modern movement directly from architects, scholars, and historic preservation professionals.

Additional Lectures in the Series:

March 30 | Mid-century Modern Architecture in New Canaan and the Dawn of Post-Modernism | William D. Earls, AIA

May 4 | Re-Imagining Religious Architecture: Fairfield County’s Modern Houses of Worship | Wes Haynes

Registration is required. $15 per talk | $35 for the series, $30 for Members