Finishing the Farmstead

The Yellow House is the final major historic building requiring renovation at Ambler Farm. 

The Yellow House, also known as the Platt-Raymond House, was built in 1800 by Josiah Raymond. Its occupants have included Lewis Ambler and his wife Mary Catherine Miller Ambler, daughter of Samuel Miller, Gilbert & Bennett president. The house has been uninhabitable since 2020 and currently meets the Town’s own definition of blight. 

The Yellow House is one of four major historic structures on the farm and the only one without funding for its renovation. The Red Barn and Carriage Barn renovations were completed in 2007 and 2009, respectively. Funding for the final phase of the Raymond-Ambler House was approved by voters in 2025, with work to begin this year.  

The renovation of the Yellow House will ultimately cost taxpayers $0.

Rental income paid to the Town by Friends of Ambler Farm (FOAF) will offset the cost of the bond, eventually paying for it in full. 

What is the price of the renovation?

The Board of Selectmen has approved and the Board of Finance has endorsed a $1,367,749 bonding referendum for the renovation. The cost is not due to extravagant features or design, but rather is the direct result of the Town not addressing issues during the 27 years it has owned the property. 

What does the renovation address?

Substantial deficiencies that need to be addressed include, but are not limited to, lead remediation to the interior, exterior and soil, original electrical (c. 1920s-1940s), insufficient stabilization between the basement and first floor, rotting exterior, a concaving roof and, discovered recently, leaking radiators that are causing new interior water damage. It also still has a dirt basement. 

How will the Yellow House be used?

Once it has been renovated, its current planned use is as a residence for a FOAF staff member. Prior to 2020 a FOAF staff member lived in the Yellow House for 13 years. 

Why support THIS bonding referendum?

The cost to taxpayers will ultimately be $0. Rent paid to the Town by FOAF for the use of the Yellow House will eventually offset the full amount of the bond.

Current renovation costs are the direct result of decades of deferred maintenance; As the building’s condition worsens, costs increase with each delay.  

The renovation of the Yellow House will finish the farmstead, completing the preservation of this historic working farm’s buildings. 

What can you do to help?

Please Vote!

• At the Annual Town Meeting: Tuesday, May 5 at 7:00pm

• During Adjourned Voting: Saturday, May 9 from 8:00am – 6:00pm

Both events happen at the Clune Center at Wilton High School.

Attend the Annual Town Meeting and make a public comment in support of the bond.
Share this information with Wilton friends, family and neighbors and ask them to vote.
Write a letter of support to the Editor of Good Morning Wilton: goodmorningwilton.com/letters-to-the-editor/

If you have any questions about the Yellow House or Ambler Farm, please contact Executive Director, Ashley Kineon at ashley@amblerfarm.org.

Photos above: Northwest Porch Corner and Interior of the Yellow House.

Friends of Ambler Farm, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, was formed in 2005 to act on behalf of the Town to create and implement educational programs for the farm, and to run its day-to-day operations. Friends of Ambler Farm is a non-profit partner that provides direct value to Wilton residents through educational programs, historic preservation, and community events—services that the Town would otherwise need to provide and fund on its own. Any revenue from our programming supports the day-to-day operations of Ambler Farm, reinvesting directly back into the community.