The Tomes-Higgins House
A perfect, elegant space for a bridal or baby shower, a space for the bridal party to get dressed, a dinner, cocktails, or any gathering where you want conversation and friendship. There is a full catering kitchen included.
This magnificent building is located in the heart of Greenwich, on the Christ Church campus, next to the main building, with sprawling lawns front and back. This location is easy access on Route 1, close to exits 3 or 4 on I-95. The lower level is available for rentals. The layout has a grand entryway and three adjacent rooms plus the kitchen. There is a covered back terrace, with steps down to the lawn. The front entrance has steps, and there is handicap access on the side entry.
TOMES-HIGGINS HOUSE
A grand 1861 French Second Empire mansion designed by renowned architect Calvert Vaux, the Tomes- Higgins House is part of the Putnam Hill Historic District and is on the National Register of Historic Places. The house was purchased for use as a rectory by the church in 1963 and used by three rectors and their families. The street level, with a full catering kitchen, is now used for gatherings, meetings, and community events. The Upper Level is residential without access.
Set on five and a half acres of lush greenery, the Tomes-Higgins house is an ideal location for receptions and parties. It is thought to be the only remaining house in Connecticut designed by the famed architect Calvert Vaux.
The first floor is available for rent and includes a foyer, front parlor, dining room, piano room, sunroom, back porch and catering kitchen.
ARCHITECTURE
The style of the French Second Empire (Napoleon III—1852-1870) dominates the design of the house, which features include mansard roof.
The house features classical pediments, many with sculpture groups, balustrades and windows flanked by columns or pilasters and an asymmetrical arrangement of design elements. The overarching style is often called “picturesque eclecticism” because it combines architectural details of many different styles.
HISTORICAL OVERVIEW
Francis Tomes: The Tomes-Higgins house was commissioned by Francis Tomes, as his residence. Tomes was an Englishman who came to America and imported hardware, with his offices near Wall Street. His family attended Christ Church Greenwich, and in 1861 Tomes hired Calvert Vaux, an English architect, to build his family home.
Calvert Vaux: Calvert Vaux was a noted architect at the time whose commissions included Central Park (with Frederick Law Olmsted), Prospect Park, Brooklyn American Museum of Natural History, the original Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the campus of the University of California, Berkeley.
Andrew Foster Higgins: Higgins bought the house in 1877, following the unfortunate economic decline of Mr. Tomes. Andrew Foster Higgins was the principal in Johnson-Higgins Marine Insurance, which grew to be a multinational insurance company. Higgins also resuscitated the Knickerbocker Trust Company, after it caused the Panic of 1907. Higgins was a Vestryman and Warden at Christ Church Greenwich, and donated a beautiful Tiffany window in the church as memorial to his daughter and grandson.