A sea captain's 1840 home on Riverside Avenue is one step closer to becoming a protected landmark in Greenwich.

Jacqueline Wetenhall, executive director of the nonprofit Historic Properties of Greenwich (HPG), appeared before the Board of Selectmen the week of July 7 to ask that the Historic District Commission be appointed as a study committee for the Captain Charles Hendrie House at 299 Riverside Ave. If the designation moves forward, any future changes to the Greek Revival structure would require a certificate of appropriateness from the HDC before work could proceed.

"It's a beautiful house, and we'd love your blessing in getting the Historic District Commission to take a look at the study," Wetenhall told the selectmen.

The Board of Selectmen is expected to vote on the study committee appointment on Thursday, July 23.

Captain Charles Hendrie died in 1873 at age 83. He was a sea captain who helped develop the Riverside section of Greenwich, and his family was considered one of the largest landowners in Mianus Neck. The home at 299 Riverside Ave. is the oldest remaining Hendrie family house, according to HPG's application materials filed with the town. Hendrie Avenue, about a half-mile away, bears the family name.

The property once spanned 80 acres before the 1848 construction of the New York and New Haven Company's railroad track split it in two. It now sits on 0.67 acres. Documents submitted to the selectmen note the house "may be the oldest surviving home in the Town of Greenwich that, at one time, bordered the railroad."

First Selectman Fred Camillo called the property "obviously a well-known site in Riverside for all of us" and said he "didn't realize it was that old."

A local historic property designation does not freeze a home in amber. Andrew Melillo, secretary of the Historic District Commission, explained during a separate designation hearing in December 2025: "One of the big myths is that historic preservation means you can't develop, modernize or enhance; you absolutely can, you just have to get the HDC to like it."

The designation would require the owner to seek HDC approval before altering contributing structures or features. The process ultimately requires a vote by the Representative Town Meeting and is recorded in the town's Land Records.

Greenwich had 47 properties carrying local historic designation as of October 2024, according to the Greenwich Sentinel. HPG's first Riverside project was the circa 1760 Samuel Ferris House at 1 Cary Road, which received its designation in September 2023.

The Hendrie House was recognized by the Greenwich Historical Society's "Signs of the Times" landmark program in 1990, but that program does not carry legal protection. The local historic property designation Wetenhall is seeking would be the strongest form of local protection available under Connecticut statute.

The Board of Selectmen is expected to vote on the study committee appointment on Thursday, July 23, at Town Hall.