You can help save the Charles Ives House

UPDATED September 10 

Charles Ives, the composer from Danbury, has had his birth place homestead preserved. But the home where he wrote the bulk of his music is in danger of being lost to the ages. According to the History of Redding (http://www.historyofredding.com/HRives.htm), Charles Ives and his wife came to West Redding One Hundred years ago, August of 1912.


Charles, the son of George Ives, a band leader of the Civil War, was a successful insurance company executive (Ives and Company) and part time composer. He was little known for music during his lifetime coming to prominence toward the end of his life. On the One hundredth anniversary of his birth, Leonard Bernstein and Michael Tilson Thomas conducted the American Symphony Orchestra at the Danbury Fairgrounds in a July fourth tribute of Ives' music. In 1997 the Unites States Postal Service issued a commemorative stamp as part of their Legends of American Music series. (http://articles.latimes.com/keyword/charles-ives)



Charles Ives lived in New York, and bought the West Redding home as summer retreat. It functioned in that capacity for the Ives family until recently. But times change and the house and grounds are for sale. The Charles Ives Society is hopeful that the house can be purchased and preserved for future music lovers to appreciate. "Imagine the Ives home being used for making meaningful and everlasting moments of art and music... This wouldn't be just a small concert venue but also a communication tool and education venue for aspiring artists or people just curious about the arts. It will be an up close and personal space for both live arts and in the online streaming world."



You can help. There are a number of projects underway to raise the needed funds. An IndieGoGo project (a private initiative by Nikola Ragusa, and is unrelated to the Charles Ives Society) (http://www.indiegogo.com/savethecharlesiveshouse) has started and promotion from WQXR (http://www.wqxr.org/#!/blogs/wqxr-blog/2012/sep/02/charles-ives-fans-seek-buy-his-endangered-house/), The Wall Street Journal On-Line (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390444358404577605391814856730.html) and an Official Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/SaveTheCharlesIvesHouse) are ongoing. It would be appreciated if you can assist. A donation of only $10 is helpful. But if you can't do that would you please help spread the word? Let's not loose this Danbury famous son's composition space to time.