May 3, 2008

Storms Tavern, Valley Cottage, NY

UPDATE: The rock quarry company Tilcon has been renovating an 18th-century home uphill from its operations in central Rockland County. In 2006, a company spokesperson stated that the house was "uninhabitable" and "infeasible to refurbish," leading to concern hat the house would be demolished.  Due to community opposition to demolition, Tilcon decided to keep and renovate the building and the company will rent it out to employees for housing. Storms Tavern is believed to have been built in 1765. (Thanks to Eric in Rockland for the update.)

Link to this entry: http://www.hudsonvalleyruins.org/alert/2008.html#storms
Original Entry: March 4, 2006

April 24, 2008

The Lancaster, Hastings-on-Hudson, NY

The village of Hastings-on-Hudson recently buried the remains of the steamboat Lancaster during the creation of  a new riverfront park. A small remnant of the boat is still visible at low tide. Built in 1892, the Lancaster was brought to New York in 1924 and abandoned about 1928. It later became a shad fishing camp known as "Capt. Popp's fish house," which ceased operation in the 1960s.Although celebrated on the village's "Museum in the Streets" signs, the actual boat was apparently forgotten about, or simply deemed not worthy of inclusion in the new park.
Link to this entry: http://www.hudsonvalleyruins.org/alert/2008.html#lancaster

More Lancaster:
Hudson Valley Ruins - Rob Yasinsac

WARBURTON AVENUE BLOCK UPDATE:
At its April  22 meeting, the Yonkers City Council voted in favor of designating the Manor House Square a historic landmark district. The Greyston Foundation will work to preserve the previously-threatened Warburton Avenue block into its plans for the site.
Original Entry: February 1, 2008

April 17, 2008

Kedem Winery, Milton, NY

Next week, the Town of Marlborough will begin demolition of the Kedem Winery storage building in Milton, on the Hudson River in Ulster County. The Town acquired the property as a donation in 1999; Marlborough will use funds from a New York State Department of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation grant to pay for demolition of the winery building and redevelopment of the land as a public park. Demolition should be completed in June.

Source Article:
"Building to make way for park." By Greg Marano, The Poughkeepsie Journal. April 17, 2008.
Link to this entry: http://www.hudsonvalleyruins.org/alert/2008.html#kedem


February 2, 2008

Fort Slocum, Davids Island, New Rochelle, NY

The New Rochelle City Council voted unanimously on December 4, 2007, in favor of demolishing all remaining structures on David's Island. The 78-acre island one-half mile off the shore of mainland New Rochelle was developed as a Civil War hospital and became known as Fort Slocum in the 1870s, serving eventually as a recruitment center, training school, Air Force Base and a Nike Missile Control Base. Fort Slocum closed in 1965. Since then, redevelopment plans including housing and a nuclear power plant, have all come and gone. The United States Army Corps of Engineers has demolished many buildings in the past few years, and it seemed as if a small number of structures were going to be preserved. The recent City Council vote came as the city did not want to bear any responsibility for preservation and maintenance of the structures.

Source Article:
"All buildings on Davids Island to go." By Ken Valenti, The Journal News. February 2, 2008
Link to this entry: http://www.hudsonvalleyruins.org/alert/2008.html#davids


February 1, 2008

Masonic Lodge Yonkers, NY St. Joseph's Medical Center plans to raze the Masonic Temple at 130 South Broadway for an expansion. The Temple sits across the street from the main hospital building. Architects Carl Vollmer and Charles Beersman designed the building, which was constructed by the Rising Star Lodge in 1917. One of Beersman's best known works is the Wrigley Building in Chicago, IL. Source Article: "Salvage sale at Yonkers Masonic temple offers architectural treasures." By Ernie Garcia, The Journal News. January 25, 2008 Link to this entry: http://www.hudsonvalleyruins.org/alert/2008.html#masonic

February 1, 2008

Warburton Avenue Block, Yonkers, NY

An intact block of 19th-century buildings in Yonkers is threatened by a proposal for a high-rise apartment building. The buildings are lcoated directly across from Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site, and the Greyston Foundation wants to raze the north half of the block to build a 16-story, 108-unit condominium tower. Ironically, Greyston has preserved two other buildings in downtown Yonkers but does not want to take that approach for this block. 

Source Article:
"Yonkers historic district may derail Greyston's condo high-rise." By Ernie Garica, The Journal News. December 17, 2007.
Link to this entry: http://www.hudsonvalleyruins.org/alert/2008.html#warblock


January 25, 2008

Centennial Hose Company No.4 Firehouse, Peekskill, NY

The New York State Department of Transportation plans to demolish the Centennial Hose firehouse at the corner of Central Avenue and Water Street by June 1. The DOT owns the building and wants the building demolished in order to plant pylons for a new Route 9 bridge, to replace the overpass seen in the photograph here. The City of Peekskill has earmarked one million dollars for the preservation of the firehouse, and a group of preservationists would like to move the building across the street, adjacent to the restored New York Central Railroad freight station, popularly known as the "Lincoln Depot" (Abraham Lincoln gave a speech in front of an earlier station on that spot). The Centennial Hose firehouse was built in 1890 (the fire company was formed in 1876) and abandoned in 1977. 

Source Article:
"Time running out for historic Peekskill firehouse." The Journal News, January 16, 2007, by Robert Marchant.
Link to this entry: http://www.hudsonvalleyruins.org/alert/2008.html#centennial

This page first posted to the internet on February 24, 2004.