🔒New Haven’s Townshend Estate gets a new lease on life

When Chuck Mascola was a boy, he’d often pass the Townshend Estate as he rode his bike through the streets of his neighborhood, New Haven’s East Shore.

The 26-acre property is graced by a mansion built in 1804, that later had Victorian flourishes added. It was a fixture in the neighborhood and had been occupied by eight generations of the Townshend family.

When the property came up for sale, Mascola, his wife Marcella and a third partner, Salvatore Marottoli of Branford, jumped at the chance to own a piece of New Haven history. Marottoli is an experienced event operator, having owned the Woodwinds event venue in Branford.

“I was born across the street from the house and I still live and work in the area,” said Mascola, who owns a marketing firm. “I was utterly shocked when it was for sale. There was a potential for it to be developed badly, so we decided to step forward.”

The three partners purchased the property for a total of $2.6 million in October 2021 under the name East Shore Partners LLC. In addition to renovating the mansion, they plan to build 50 to 55 homes.

Although the mansion is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, there was no protection from it being torn down, said Marcella Mascola, who is spearheading the renovation of the house.

The group plans to turn the first floor of the mansion into a wedding venue for small, sophisticated events. They are hoping to be open for business by late summer.

“It will be beautiful and comfortable,” Marcella Mascola said. “Brides and their families can come and get ready for the wedding indoors while looking at 250-year-old trees out the window. They can experience what it was like to live on an estate.”

For weddings, the team plans to have cocktails inside the house, and an outdoor tent for wedding parties and guests for receptions. The venue is geared to wedding and corporate events of a maximum of 150 people.

The group has so far spent $1 million on renovating and decorating the property, Marcella Mascola said. The idea is to keep the 200-year-old home as original as possible, and honor the bones of the house by making decorating choices like historic candlestick lighting.

“This venue will fill a niche for people who want to have a special event without going to the four corners of Connecticut,” Chuck Mascola said. “It’s a country setting a mile from I-95.”

The property contains a number of antique outbuildings – think barns, a corn crib, a caretaker’s cottage – that will be renovated and developed over time. There are also grapevines that the group wants to expand and maybe one day hold wine tastings with their own label.

Chuck Mascola envisions the property as a gentleman’s farm, sans animals, with a garden that might serve both the event space and the neighborhood that will develop once the homes are built. He can also see it as a place for schoolchildren to come to experience a historical farm.

The developers have applied to the city for an amendment to the zoning ordinance to make a Special Heritage Mixed Use Zoning District for the property to allow for the income-producing event space.

At a hearing on the request Feb. 1, the City Plan Commission voted unanimously to recommend approval. However, the Board of Alders still needs to approve the amendment. Another hearing on the matter is scheduled for Feb. 15, in person, at City Hall.

As for the homes, the idea at this point is to build a neighborhood of residences toward the rear of the property to be called “The Estate.” The single-family homes will appeal to people looking to downsize, but still stay in New Haven. The group is looking at partners to build the homes.

“We could have built many more homes by law, but chose not to,” Marcella Mascola said.

Hervey Townshend, a descendent of the family that built the home, lived in the mansion for many years beginning in 1952 and now lives in Guilford.

When the family first came over from England, the family name was “Townshend” with an “H.” Over the years, the family dropped the “H” and the street where the estate is located is called “Townsend.” Then, some members of the family took the “H” back.

“I fully support the new owners in all their efforts to preserve the estate. They are honoring and respecting its 220 year history by preserving its character where possible but also doing much needed updating to the house and grounds. We have to recognize the estate needs to create an income stream in order to pay for the ongoing preservation costs,” Townshend said.

Chuck Mascola added, “Our objective is to honor the land, which is pretty spectacular.”

The Mascolas have met with several hundred neighbors who gave positive feedback about the development of both the housing piece and the event space.

As for traffic, Townsend Avenue is already a busy street frequented by people heading to Tweed New Haven Airport and Lighthouse Point Park. The Mascolas believe traffic coming from the property will not be an issue.

Chuck Mascola has never been more proud of his neighborhood and looks forward to the end result of The Estate. He believes it’s a win for the neighborhood, a win for city tax revenue, and a good solution for the property.

“New Haven is at its best right now,” Chuck Mascola said. “It was named the number 50 best city in the world to visit in 2023 (by The New York Times), which adds to the excitement. At 65, I didn’t think I was going to do another run.”