STRATFORD – The newly named Sterling Community Center, the town’s historic architectural and community gem, unveiled its $5 million remake last week to elected officials and board members.
Sterling House at 2283 Main St., the 138-year-old home to the community center the past 90 years, underwent significant renovations that included the restoration of a slate roof, brick repair, heating and ventilation upgrades, restoration of water damaged interior structures and accessibility improvements. The renovations were primarily funded by $1.5 million in federal money procured by U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro and $2 million that came from the state’s Department of Community and Economic Development.
“This really, really, really makes me happy today,” Mayor Laura Hoydick told those gathered at the Oct. 30 ribbon-cutting. “Rosa (DeLauro) thank you for the grant money. There is so many things that you have been doing here at Sterling House, since I have been coming here that we couldn’t do because we didn’t have support. But when we get a champion like Rosa DeLauro, we have to say thank you a zillion times. So, thank you.”
DeLauro, who represents Stratford and most of New Haven County, recalled her affinity to the many programs that Sterling has offered.
“I was here on Aug. 5, 2021,” the congresswoman said. “And I got out of the car, and there were 300 kids screaming and hollering. It was beyond anything. I even went down the slide. (on the playscape).”
She was proud to have secured the $1.5 million in Community Development Block Grant funding for the Sterling renovations.
“Let me acknowledge all of the members of Sterling House who are dedicated to serving what is the urgent needs of our community by providing high quality affordable childcare, basic services for what is needed, including our seniors as well as combatting child food insecurity,” she said. “You know no bounds in everything that you do.”
She went on to describe how the community center is a lot more than after-school daycare.
“It’s a summer day camp. It’s athletics. It’s a food pantry and everything else that happens here,” DeLauro said.
Amanda Meeson, the community center’s executive director, told the 100 or so people gathered on the front lawn of the House about how her team not only made the renovations possible but how they persevered through the nine months of construction.
“We made a pact that we would keep our program and services fully operational the entire time,” Meeson said. “And that is no small feat. (We had our operations interrupted for a full nine months.) Our food pantry team had to continue our daily service for our kids programs and our senior service – 180 deliveries to 90 seniors every month regardless of where we serving from the lobby and on sunny days from the parking lot.”
In addition to funding from the U.S. Housing and Urban Development and the state DECD, project financing for the new Sterling House came from The Milford Bank through a lending program for nonprofits. This project was also made possible through a partnership with Stratford’s Town Hall, with guidance from VIA Visionary Interiors Architecture and general contracting by Turner Construction Company.
According to the Sterling Community Center website, in the 19th century, The Sterlings, one of Stratford’s oldest and wealthiest families, built their family homestead, a grand Victorian mansion, on Main Street. The land was owned by Capt. John Sterling, a successful seafarer who plied the profitable trade routes from New York to China, and his wife Catherine Tomlinson Plant. Their son, John W. Sterling, a highly successful lawyer in New York City and co-founder of Shearman & Sterling, built the mansion in 1886 and lived here with his sisters, Catherine and Cordelia.
In 1918, John Sterling died, leaving Yale a large legacy gift of $30 million. To his sister Cordelia, the founder of Sterling Community Center, he left the mansion and a sizable legacy. Upon her death in 1931, Cordelia donated the gift in her will, of the Sterling mansion, and its park-like grounds to the people of Stratford.
DeLauro evoked the mission of the Sterling Community Center from its beginning.
“The guiding principle was ‘welcome all’ by Cordelia Sterling,” she said.
