The Bradley Wheeler House, located in Westport Center, is now home to the Westport Museum for History and Culture. Built in 1795, the house was initially built in the second period colonial style but was redesigned in the Italianate style in 1867. Today, it is one of the oldest surviving houses in Westport Center and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Connecticut Register of Historic Places, and a Local Historic Landmark. To preserve this significant piece of history, a thorough property assessment was conducted to document its historic features and identify necessary repairs and replacements. Sensible design interventions were implemented to restore the house’s original character on the exterior.

On the other hand, the interiors were improved by removing the 1990s ad-hoc interventions and the spaces were reimagined to better align with the museum’s mission and needs. This redesign aims to empower research and learning by revamping archives and museum collections storage areas and systems to meet modern standards. The exhibit spaces, visitor circulation, and administrative areas were also updated to increase flexibility and efficiency in day-to-day operations. The new spaces are energy-efficient and cost-effective to operate, and they can also be reconfigured to bring additional revenue for the museum as they can be rented out for private events.