December 15, 2004

Fort Homestead, Poughkeepsie, NY

A 250-year old Dutch house in Poughkeepsie was almost quietly demolished this past spring by Ginsburg Development Corp. Although it has been saved for the time being, a friends groups is trying to acquire the house so that its future can be ensured against development of  residential community on the old IBM golf course. The Homestead was scheduled for demolition in May 2004 until the Town of Poughkeepsie issued a "Stop Work Order." In July the Town designated the Homestead  a Town Historical Landmark. However, demolition is a possibility down the road, at least until ownership of the Homestead is obtained by a dedicated group such as the Fort Homestead Association. Ginsburg, the current owners, have been asked to place the house on the New York State and National Registers of Historic Places, but they have declined, saying that it could be a detriment to some future buyer for a future use. 

Photograph by Judy A. Wolf , courtesy of Virginia A. Buechele/Fort Homestead Association

More Fort Homestead:
Save the Abraham Fort Homestead - Virginia Buechele's website

December 1, 2004

Kimlin Cider Mill, Poughkeepsie, NY

The 1853 Kimlin Cider Mill, listed on the New York State and National Register of Historic Places, is planned for demolition as Cider Mill Friends of Open Space and Historic Preservation, Inc. claim that a developer has reneged on an agreement signed in 2001 to sell to it 2 lots, including the Cider Mill, and various other items. The developer shamelessly calls itself Cider Mill Development, LLC, the new subdivision is called "Cider Mill Estates," and the main entry road is "Kimlin Court." Cider Mill Friends have a restraining order to protect the mill from demolition while they are in court with the developer. In November 2002, Cider Mill Friends won a grant of $162,500 from the New York State Environmental Protection Fund for the acquisition of Kimlin Cider Mill and surrounding land as a buffer. The building is one of the oldest cider mills in America, and was listed on the National Register in 2003.

Photograph courtesy of Al Nowak/Cider Mill Friends of Open Space and Historic Preservation, Inc.

November 25, 2004
Updates:
* Demolition began this week in Kingston, NY, on the parcel including the historic trolley barn (see below.) Also, demolition has been occurring on Building Number 2 at the Anaconda Wire and Cable Company, one of the more attractive buildings on that property.

October 12, 2004

Trolley Barn, Kingston, NY DEMOLISHED ~NOVEMBER 2004~

The destruction of historic Kingston buildings continues under the watch of Mayor James Sottile. Following in the heels of plans for the redevelopment of the Hutton Brickyard and Forst Meat Packing Plant is the the planned demolition of a trolley barn located at Broadway and East Chester Street. The Econ-O-Wash Dry Cleaning Center and a gas station will also will be cleaned of any contaminants by Stearns and Wheler Redevelopment, and all parcels will then be sold to Walgreens. Demolition of all existing buildings will begin in November of this year. A new drug store is expected to be open by 2006. The trolley barn is an attractive and interesting old brick building that would probably lend itself to use for a drug store the size of Walgreens. Retention of local and historic architecture can benefit communities, even if the new use is different than what the building was originally intended for. Conversely, allowing  national entities to install generic architecture erodes the established sense of place. Unfortunately retention of "local color" will not happen in this case, although a trolley barn in Yonkers, NY, has been under renovation for some time and appears to be nearing completion.

More Kingston Trolley Barn:
Daily Freeman - October 10, 2004 
Preservation Online - December 7, 2004

September 21, 2004

Boyce Thompson Institute, Yonkers, NY

In 1999, the City of Yonkers purchased this handsome brick building across the street from William Boyce Thompson's Alder Manor, with plans for an alternative school. Now, plans have been approved by the Yonkers Industrial Development Agency to sell the former Boyce Thompson Institute to a developer who will raze the building, and replace it with something more complementary to the typically bland office complex which sits adjacent. According to The Journal News, the sale price of the BTI is 6 million dollars, and the building will be replaced by "100,000 square feet of campus-style commercial and office space on the six-acre site, possibly including a pharmacy, a bank, a health club, a physical-therapy center, doctors' offices, an imaging center and other medical-related businesses."

Source article: "Bed, Bath & Beyond developer to tackle Boyce Thompson site."  By Michael Gannon, The Journal News, September 21, 2004.

More Boyce Thompson Institute:
Hudson Valley Ruins

Also in the News:
* The Hotel Rhinecliff (Rhinecliff/Rhinebeck) has been demolished. Apparently it was razed to the ground and a copy is being built in its place, either completely from scratch or possibly using a very, very small portion of the building's structural core. 

*ARCO has determined that two buildings on its Anaconda Wire and Cable property in Hastings-on-Hudson are structurally unsound and must be demolished. The buildings in question are "Building 2" (also known as the Administration Building) and Building 15.  Building 15 is the largest remaining factory building on the site and runs parallel to the waterfront. A village meeting was held September 21 to discuss the proposed demolition.

July 2, 2004

Forst Meat Packing, Kingston, NY DEMOLISHED ~SEPTEMBER 2005~

Since 1999 there have been plans to redevelop the site of the Forst Meat Packing plant on the Rondout Creek in Kingston. The old brick building would be demolished to make way for the Noah Hotel. Now, Kingston Mayor James Sottile wants the building razed even before development plans are reviewed, according to an article in today's Daily Freeman. Kingston's future looked bright under former mayor T. R. Gallo, who restored City Hall, but recently the city has been moving forward with redevelopment without regard to historic structures. Recently the city's landmarks committee designated the Millens Steel building a landmark. Permanent landmark status was later rejected by the Common Council of Kingston. Although the building was saved, additions not in character with the building's history have detracted from its fabric, according to preservationists.

More Forst Meat Packing Plant:
Daily Freeman - July 2, 2004

Hudson Valley Ruins

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