in a stunning blow to the plan to develop the Bennet College parcel,
Judge Charles D Wood has ruled the Village Planning Board was
absolutely and flagrantly wrong in approving the Blumenthal scenario,
having failed to hold adequately public hearings, ignoring laws requiring routine notification of county agencies, and generally disregarding overwhelming public opposition to the wildly uncharacteristic development proposed for the Bennett site.

The go-ahead to develop here has been Officially Rescinded,
with prejudice.Other factors are the plan's oblivious stance towards
protected streams { have been yelling about this for years, on the
siteplan drawings, the streams that practically encase the unique
Bennett parcel were SIMPLY OMITTED, as if they didn't exist.] I'm
sure it's been changed on the Drawings, but that is the entire point
in terms of environmental impact, it simply has not ben Planned For,
in a considered, responsible way to the satisfaction of most of the
people of Millbrook.

A result of intensive and concentrated legal efforts, primarily by
Halcyon's immediate neighbor Oakleigh Thorne, the declaration
voiding the shamefully premature Planning Board approval of this
condo enclave noted that Millbrook would be required to LOWER
it's wastewater output by 84,000 gallons per day to even make it
physically possible and compliant with Law.
THe system is already capacity challenged because the minor expansion of village linkups that have occured under well zoned growth., as it is. This stuff is complex,
but not as hard as, oh, say.. rocket surgery. Someone already knew these numbers before this was approved. So there was Intent to
variously Ignore the Code, or Relax the Code, or Grant a Variance
to the Code, The first of that trio is illegal and constitutes grounds
to Dismiss this entire fiasco on the face of it. The second two require
public input, and approval, neither of which were even REMOTELY
sufficient.

I have to say because of so much crap i have spouted variously
on the topic, that i think the developer had about as considered a vision for the property AS POSSIBLE for an upscale Connecticut-like
development as envisioned; and that there actually WAS some
plan to be RESPONSIBLE to historical considerations[although
Da Judge's ruling also included willful ignorance of historical
signifigance as a huge factor as well'

More than a decade has been devoted to this, and a true king's
ransom has already been spent by the developer to plan this
development. But the fact is, it is the wrong development, in the wrong place, that could have been done easier in Mabbetsville, or Verbank,
or even freakin Lithgow, and have been set back and remote enough
to be palatable.People don't want it here ,they never have. I don't think
they understood Millbrook, not really.There is a farm based,
agrarian, rural thing here, man... it is deeply rooted, almost innate.
It doesn't get chipped away like it does, even at seemingly hardier places. It is not just the equestrian locality, or the prominence of
cattle breeding at Millbrook, or even it's boldface Hamptons -like
cache that makes that resistance so formidable. It is simply a
centuries-old
love for the Landscape. Which i think Millbrook's natives probably
understimate more than anyone, but we all secretly cherish, as
being somewhere and someplace that anyone can see as being
so beautiful, and very special.


The bottom line is: This site ain't really developable [is that a word?]
Not yet anyway. Until they get rid of that damn Victorian hulk that
seems to be like a magnet to people who like crazy old stuff.
If Millbrook has lived with it like this all these years, then by damn,
that must be what Millbrook wants!!! Right? I like it, but I don't live around it, so...But...

I think even the people who scream to demolish secretly like that it
hasn't been done. None of 'em want to pay for it, do they? The developer was going to. Remember that.

I think alot of people want demolition, that also DON"T WAnt this
development. The linking of the two became a false choice.
Demo, by someone, is inevitable. A massive uncharacteristic
change to the village's entrance IS NOT.

It's Election time in Millbrook and everywhere else, too, it would seem.
Ho Ho Ho...Mark my words-you watch the rejectionof this development
become the reason why Millbrook, Village of, must now bond/beg/borrow/bail Millions of dollars to Tear Down Halcyon Hall!!!!
The village's governing body, if you want to call it that, certainly didn't
go through the trouble of getting elected to simply preside over the
slow rot of this place, that all the people who look at Opacity seem to
really enjoy, like me! Thanks again Motts!!]

It will be a nauseatingly sanctimonious, admonishing Punishment
of the Voters, whatever scattershot direction they could even cast
their vote for in Millbrook anyway: "Well, you didn't want the plan the
board approved....Now someone's gotta pay. Because we must comply with the Law, naturally" "You've scared off all the developers,
for anyrhing, forever!!"

In other words, it's gonna be like-"You F&#&*-up our deal!!! We been
plannin this %&^&^ for years, and now you've gone and decided you
don't want your little village to end up ^&*(-ed up like everywhere else!
So now YOUR gonna pay the $$$!!!

There is going to be a final Cash-In, for parties who have vested interests.Obviously they were hoping and planning for a whole lot
more than the demo of A National Register worthy building. But with the economy as it is, hey, code compliance = expensive, and
for things to get done people get paid, right? Cornerstone of free
enterprise, gentlemen.

There are
people, more than would admit, that actually like to
see this place continue to turn into even more unimaginibly ghostlier
version of itself, for reasons far crazier than yours,or mine.

Any reason to watch this place rot and collape indefinetly, to me,
is totally cool.

The fact that it staves off some ill-advised condo scenario, for a place
where you can still see the stars at night in our floodlit neon world,
is simply delicious frosted-sugar icing on my cake.
Everyone enjoy a slice. I am proud of my hometown, at least the
people who went to bat, for whatever reasons, for what was Clearly
Right, and against what was So Obviously Wrong. And I am
almost proud of the legal system, but ashamed that things would have to be blown out of proportion to that extent, and at such obscene
expense to all interests involved pro or con.

In a climate where great wealth is often derided as being self-driven,
or not mindful of the common good, sometimes it is the
pregogertive of people with the means to do so, to do what is right for
everyone, even if out of self interest. In the case of Oakleigh Thorne,
there is an uncomparable legacy of doing what is right for Millbrook,
case closed. I think it is totally awesome.

In the meantime, the chain link fence is almost pathetically invisible,
proving my urbanesque, gritty street-like overlay prediction
totally wrong! I think all but the smallest breed of papparazi -inducing,
Paris Hilton purse dog breeds would be able to jump this thing!!!

I know that Taco Bell chihuaha could vault over this sumnabitch...

wanderer- so great you got around to halcyon! i am a confirmed
architecture obsessive, and have looked at so many great buildings
in America, but there is just sometthing about seeing this one up
close, that is just somehow very thrilling, i guess...

J Margolis, thank you so much for your post, it says so much,
so succinctly, yet so very poetically. I find it very moving.

it IS time to lay Halcyon Hall to sleep, to the realm of all our collective
dreams of her. Or maybe it is Halcyon Hall herself who dreams, and
we are merely bit actors in her dramatic teleplay.

I selfishly hope though, she sticks around a little longer.....

thank you flora, i had seen that article, one of the more informative
and accurate pieces in recent memory. Glad that they got their info from
direct , informed sources.Covered a bit of history, and put the record straight about what alot of people DID try to do back when it was still
doable. Millbrook would have been enhanced once again by
what Halcyon Hall brings [brought?] to the village, instead of this
massively regrettable pain- in -the -ass- for everyone. But, it was not
to be. That's how it goes...

i think it is very important that people understand that there were
people, institutions, and interests that really did try very, very hard
to do what people advocate for here, when they see mott's amazing
photos of Halcyon. And that there was a window of opportunity,
and it sadly passed. It is an object lesson, for, and from, all perspectives

the village and the college always had a frosty relationship, as it
often is in these scenarios.
Timothy Leary probably didn't make that any easier , but did
make Millbrook a remarkably more culturally open and tolerant place.But when i was a little kid, i remeberer
the distinct identity of Millbrook as a college town, and the commerce
it brought to the village. Which dissappeard overnight in 77.


But before then, I remember the Old Millbrook, from my grandparent's
generation, from the old photographs, abandoned railroad lines,
the old slate stones in the tribute gardens,stories from older people
like Louise Tompkins, who told me so much about how amazing
and wonderful Millbrook's history was, and how important it all is.
Her regret was how little of it was photographed, that words
would not do these great things justice, some too wonderful and grand 'to be believed'...
the abundance of grand fairytale estates passed down through familys[.many of which i saw disappear like Halcyon surely will]
and the lingering past that surrounded one, that was very traditional,
and as close to a Norman Rockwell town that I can think of. And it
looked the part. Out of central casting.
Ms Bennett's progressive girls school was such a HUGE part of that
vignette, as was crazy HJ Davison's nutty hotel in the first place.

the antique boom became the post bennett focus for the village,
which pushed the [century old] weekender real estate phenomenon
into hyper celebrity overdrive, and now the business of Millbrook is
..... Millbrook itself.

so fencing is going up,but is Halcyon coming down? i doubt it will
very soon. but nothing makes somewhere nice look like #$%^
quicker than a bunch of chain link fence,right. ? Millbrook's real
estate cabals are horrified and drinking feverishly

as far as what replaces it all, i'll just throw it out there that the scenic
beauty of Millbrook and environs is what has made it attractive
from day one [described in the 1890's as resembling the Isle of Wight
and parts of Devonshire in the UK]

accordingly, they put something cool here to look at

whatever replaces it... try not to #$%^ it up, ok?

wanderer,hope you enjoy your visit, Millbrook is always beautiful in the fall. as you know. i'd venture you'll still be able to get some photos
of SOMETHING interesting here.
ok, cheers all

the village has begun to put up a fence around the bennett college property. it will just take longer than they expected, but will probably be done before the stated Oct 1 demo date.

i would still bet any amount of money that nothing is going to happen here oct 1

irene did not affect the situation here all that much, really.

the independent is pretty behind the curve on the bennet
scenario. But I do not think they are a tool of the village government,
the way that the Millbrook Round Table was a mouthpiece for them

i like that the independent exists though, so i don't want to slam them

it WOULD be really great if they could actually deliver my
subscription, though. I only recieve about 1 out of 6 issues,
usually six weeks late

so, to me, their distribution OFFICIALLY SUCKS.

Anyway..there is still no fence around Halcyon Hall.
There are lawyers at work on both sides of this everyday, though.
At least someone is getting paid to do Something, eh?

hi folks, as of tonight there is no fence around halcyon hall

i don't think irene did much more than nature and gravity have all along

top floor dormers are beginning to cave in on most wings and gables,
though
it won't be long anyway you look at it

there has been talk of somehow trying to maybe preserve some of
the foundation's stonework, after all

out of a preservation standpoint, but also because it makes for less actual demo, lol!....sorta makes sense.

wanderer and friends, you are so right, this is all like an an
incurable affliction, whatever angle you want to come at this from.

liking history, tradition, being an architecture freak, artists,
photographers, tech types, documentarian obssessives,
interest in abandoned places, sarcastic blogging, pointing out
the folly of governmental mentality in the shadow of Art, particularly the
unparralelled granduer of the absolute marriage of finance and art
represented by places that are historically spotlighted here on Opacity,
well... jeez there is is just alot to like about what you do here
motts

the enthusiasm of people's reaction, and the venue you maintain to
allow and encourage that is totally amazing, i am guessing you might get alot of heat about some aspects of your enterprise?

the ratcheted level of politic in most of my own posts at least, may
make things seem to be of a particular ideological slant for
this Halcyon forum at large, but i think it is great if people of differing views
post too, i think anyone who takes the time to notice any change at all in their immediate physical and cultural environment, for better or worse, is a good thing. No matter what one's views, and i think
skepticism is in short supply in general, so i always like to listen to people i disagree with. I wish there were more here, in theory at least,
not because i like to argue [I do] but because i wish someone out there has any suggestion about what to actually DO about somewhere
like Halcyon Hall....i've laid out my best scenario involving huge amounts of glow in the dark paint......

the idea that somewhere as amazing as this could exist so readily
out of nowhere, and be the engine that literally created Millbrook,
from a true folly of an idea.....that thisart was a routine feature oF
America 130 years ago, and to now see that TRYING TO FIND A WAY TO
GET RID OF IT, WILL NOW BANKRUPT SOMEONE, OR MILLBROOK ITSELF...

??? for once even a motormouth like me is speechless.
what happened to the nation that used to build intercontinental railroads, the hoover dam.?.......we used to BUILD shit in this country
dammit! what the hell happened??!! Now we CAN'T EVEN TEAR SHIT
DOWN
without everyone getting a screwing, except a few who profit.
this a lamentable feature of how things have flattened out
not just economically, but culturally as well.

i sat at the bar tonight and listened to a construction deal go down,
clearly a shady scumbag deal on the part of the individual in a
position to red or greenlight the proposal, and yet absolutely the cost of doing business for the honest, and hardworking contractors who
have to go through this corrupt ballrub BS that seems to have become
standard procedure here and everywhere else.

I like a little bit of corruption. You need some, to keep everything else honest. I get it. But it has become the OVERIDING FEATURE
of so called progress. Think about if today's graft applied to the
1891-93 construction of Halcyon" They'd still be building it!!!!!!!

the way i see it ..... we may never defeat these swine, but we surely don't have to JOIN them.....

we may differ politically, but you can't tell anyone who really wants to, that they may not enjoy the late summer stars on a balmy evening amidst the grassy splendor of a particularly enchanting little victorian corner of south millbrook....that has been going on here since before
1892 , and has never been contingent on anybody's goddamned
permission, anymore than the certainty that birds will fly and sing, young people will fall in love, and the sun will rise at dawn every morning.

put up all the fences you want to, people should and will continue to
do and go wherevertehell they want, here and everywhere else
in this goddamned country, as well they should. I am so sick of the RULE CRAZY
mentality that has been unquestionably embraced to the point of it
becoming the NATIONAL RELIGION!

I know there needs to be Laws, and Rules. Most reasonable people
try to follow most of them, and take thier chances on the rest.
JUST PLEASE STOP expecting people to WORSHIP your
F@#%ing Rules, OK?

ok, a cyberound for the house, on me!

The Millbrook Village board accepted the bid by American Fencing Co
for $11,000 to fence off Halcyon Hall.[Whatever happened to Buying Local?!]
It is to be erected in the first week of September.
Halcyon's owner is Louis Heithaus, but is represented as an entity
known as Bennet Acquisitions LLC, which has ignored court orders
of code compliance.The village retains the right to hold BA LLC in
contempt of court, but has not done so, as that action would still have
no immediate effect on the site's safety. There are obviously other reasons they have not done so, all indicative of the decades long
inertia of the village.

The village will later seek a court order for reimbursement. From
the same entity who has ignored all of their other court orders.

It's a waste of money! A move by the board to assert some measure,
Any measure, to appear as if they are in a position to show some kind of leadership, which they are clearly not.

The fence will not deter tresspassers, only encourage them

Slated to go up in 7 to days in early September, it is slated to
"stand through Bennet's scheduled demolition in October".

This fence will be nothing but symbolic of the village's
ABSOLUTE POWERLESSNESS here. Who's going to demo come October1st? I will ask again- WHO IS GOING TO DEMO HERE
COME OCT !st? You can't get the owner to comply with miniscule
procedural regulations. So is Millbrook going to proceed with demo,
and sue to recoup the cost? Sort of a cute "watch us get serious''
manuever over a ten grand fence, it's going to be a little bit harder
to ask villagers to swallow whole the SEVERAL MILLION IT IS GOING TO COST TO DO THIS, THAT IS< IF THEY ARE GOING TO COMPLY
WITH ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS.

So to tell people the fence will only be up for two months is a lie.
Unless the board has their OWN PLANS FOR DEMO.
Which to not tell their constituents about would be a lie by omission.


It is an election year in Millbrook.

Halcyon Hall looked very cinematic in the foggy summer twilight last night.
Like a Victorain haunted house.

the Millbrook Village Board of Trustees met two nights ago to
decide on a bid for the fencing off of the perimeter of Halcyon Hall.
The choice is between American Fencing from Cambell Hall,
and A-1 Fencing of Wappingers.

I say go with A-1 Fencing! I Have done business for them in the
past, and they are always professional. Besides, BUY LOCAL folks!
heh heh he....
The cost of the fence will be charged as a lien on the real estate
underneath the 1892 Halcyon Hall.

Too bad that the demolition can't be paid for that way!!!
Annual taxes on the Bennett property wouldn't begin to offset the
millions required for complete teardown

and what of that ordered teardown, anyway?. With Oct 1st only 45
days away, it is unclear if any permit to do so has been filed by
anyone.
If I lived anywhere near here, i would be extremely concerned
about the massive contamination of the site, and whether, and how
much compliance there will be with remedial regulations.

Actually, ramming a chain link fence around the property is likely
the only power the Board has! At this point it is a PR move.
Let weekenders and locals alike enjoy thousands of yards of
urbanesque chain-link fence put up at the village's entrance just in time for the final dog days of summer! ho ho ho....
You think Halcyon looks like hell now? Just wait ...

There will THEN be an outcry for the owner and/or developer to
spend somebody's fortune to remedy the {now} uglified site, compelling the
board to... .hire more lawyers? to do what? confiscate the
property? which the village will have to pay for demo of, to be in compliance
with their own law.? Or they will sell it to someone who will?

Who?

Who on earth would submit to such a screwing? Who wants to waste Ten Million Dollars, without any guarantee of ANYTHING in the way of
preferred development rights, waived regulations, easements, etc?
Unless of course that kind of deal is in fact being made, in a, shall we say, UnPublic way?

So it is either more lawsuits [don't think they won't keep piling on
with those, this thing is a feeding frenzy right out of National Geographic] or....look for some kind of screwed up back room
sweetheart deal to happen. More than likely it will be alot of both.

I say come Oct 1st you won't see diddly squat as far as demo goes.
But what do I know?
When i was a kid, a chain link fence just made me want to access and explore even more, you know?

PS -Motts Rules!

the first of october always seems a good time to hoist a cold one,
and I'll drink to just about anything, ....still i got a feeling that
not a damn thing is going to happen here come Oct 1st.
the village cannot seem to follow through on any thing they have said
when it comes to the Bennet Complex.They are still in a bind about
perimeters for a "safety fence", ostensibly for teardown, but implied
to be in the interest of public safety, in other words, to deter the
wanton tresspassing the site is wildly infamous for.

suggested 100 ft perimeters are impossible in the back of the complex, adjacent to the existing condominium complex. To all
you tresspassers, this area is one of the more architecturally interesting,
at least on the exterior. Take some photos!! This part of Halcyon has been only rarely
seen online.Probably because it is where you are likeliest to be
rousted by law enforcement. But, hey I'd love to see photos,
i haven't been to that part of Halcyon in years, and I'm feeling downright Nostalgic just about now, summer nights, and all.....

the fencing issue is being raised to imply not only the legal implications of
a safety/security fence, but the hackle that will enevitably be raised by the actual demolition, and rightly so. Halcyon Village abuts the
original building at the service areas of the back of Halcyon, and the
impending or inevitable demo/collapse/disposition of this discarded wonder will be a major concern, to say the least

i'd prefer a convergence of ALL of my scenarios: encase the Victorian
hulk in Glow In The Dark paint, until Halloween, , then do a time elapsed film of it being struck by lighting and /or exploded as part of some extremely stupid big budget movie. I might be wrong, but i think it could make everyone feel better about everything! but then again,
i am an optimist, believe it or not

obviously what alot of people want is just the lightning strike, right?

to me that is a wildly irresponsible position to put the people
who'd respond to such a calamity into, but, hey, we all live under
the gun, right?

wanderer, stax, motts, and all, i always look forward to your
commentary and insight here on opacity. cheers!

Millbrook officials have declared that Halcyon Hall is now in
"a state of emergency", whatever that means. The village board
passed a resolution declaring that the owners/ and or developers
of the [still very much alive] condo proposal must pay to secure fencing
around the property, or the village would do so, and charge the owner the cost on their next tax bill.
The developers have said "Nah...." The owner will probably
just pay that fee as the ongoing cost of doing business as usual.
It's what i would do, too.
The village talked tough about fencing it all off within 48 hours,
and declaring that there are 2 [two] police officers who patrol the
grounds 24 hours a day.
I can assure you that is Malarkey, of the Millbrook variety. Those
edicts were issued over a month ago, and the property has no fence
around it, allowing yours truly to visit on a dramatic early morning,
without any inteference or sighting of these intrepid guardians;
would they be on the public payroll? if so, you should get your money back folks. Or maybe they were just on a donut run. In any event, no one
has ever stopped anyone from going here, if they really want to find a way.. Which I would recommend against, not just for legal reasons,
but the fact that it is extremely hazardous to do so. The place really is
very very unsafe.

The village board appealed to the attending press [does that really exist anymore?] to publicize the danger of tresspassing here.
They claim to be trying to counter the signifigant online sourcing
of Halcyon as an underground exploration locale {- Opacity freakin
RULES!!! lol....] and want to emphasize how risky it is now to tresspass here.

I agree with them.

With demo officially slated for October 1st, 2011, neither the owner
nor developer have filed legal permits to commence demolition of
Halcyon Hall.

Fine by me. I love magnificent ruins.

yes wanderer my friend, i bet it will still be standing for your
october journey, or perhaps you will be around for it's scheduled teardown? we should meet up for a drink!

the ''collapse" so far is fairly small, i would not go so far as to call it contained

I personally just do not believe in prophecy, religious, political,
social, occultistic. whatever...And I am Guilty of engaging in exactly that when it comes
to the ongoing demise/status of this Landmark. But who can say?
I don't think anyone knows what is going to happen, unless they are
going to make it happen, and they are probably smart enough
not to give their opinion, like i do, recklessly, and to my detriment.

I honestly believe they are simply waiting for a lightning strike,
of the legitimate variety. Or the other kind.?
COMMENTING ON ALL OF THIS, is now costing me .
it has impacted me negatively, in ways that i am coming to grips
with now professionally, to post on Opacity, But I think anyone who might have their ass in a twist about anything I may bloviate about
here, already knows exactly Who Pat Ratchet is in the first place, and
whoever might have their ass in a bunch about whatever i pop off about, probably already knows what i would tell them to their face
anyway, and in many cases, already have. In a Gentlemanly way,
Of Course. Until i get ramparted up against people who are not
gentlemanly, in spirit or style. Then it is just irresistable to
post onto Mott's badass, nakedly honest forum, and say what we all know is true anyway.So I really don't care. Anyone who tries to
marginalize my enterpriise and sometimes take credit for what is not their own research, is already being disregarded, because I no longer
need what they could have provided;and didn't, others, on the fence. I appreciate
their raw data, and envision some eventual collaboration.
It may not necessarily be who or what people might think I refer to
in these terms
But make no mistake that my project is the abso-fucking-lute
thoroughly definitive account of the topic at hand, in ways that you cannot imagine, and frankly in ways i myself could not have imagined.
I got a little bit of a way with words, and this story writes itself, baby,
so you add up the age, and do the math. But that is even before the holy grail of the topic, just opened up , like a rain of gold from the heavens themselves, a treasure delivered. Get as academic as you want,
you can't get this stuff there

the smart move for some of you would be to get on board, maybe in a way that would elevate your own position{s}, rather
than try to compete, and miss the train.
Many authorities , frankly, more esteemed than youreslves, already have, enthusiastically. It would be mutually
beneficial, for you.....or, whatever,,,it happens without you. Which I would prefer
not to prefer. If that makes sense. I'd prefer to serve the topic,
and complete the historical record. A bit of this post goes out
to who knows exactly what i'm talking about. To anyone else it probably sounds arcane, self important, and fairly stupid. Which in many ways it really is...whatever...it has worked before, why change now?
I appreciate your indulgence Motts, more than i can sarcastically
acknowledge, but it has been too effective for me to resist.
My admittedly smartass delivery should not be misinterpreted.
I just seem to identify with Opacity as place where ...

You have gotten away with something. And take risks to do so.
Far more than posting about it. But to get away with anything,
means nothing , in light of what has been taken from all of us,
which is our physical and social heritage. You have managed
to come through that with a body of work that manages to create
a new heritage, that is beyond commemoration. Your photos
are compelling on all of these levels, from documentary to
acaemic. But there real appeal and continual attraction, is their
own contained artistic sense of contemplation, unencumbered by
the considerable hardship and endeavour required
to make them real in the first place

I would posit that i still would not change my half decade of ranting,
besides maybe cleaning up my language, thank you wanderer for reminding me ...we may never beat these swine, but we don't have
to join them but often, only the right word, is the right word?

the real hero here is Motts, I am overdue in my continual thanks/apology, for what you do, and for letting me get away with
Freakin murder on your site [see, I'm getting better, trying not to swear..]

I've tried to follow alot of your links, from what i can gather here and there, you have an asshole like pat ratchet on just about all of your
signifigant photographed properties!

Please do not stop what you do, to me it is a Fr##$%^&ing;
artistic revolution.

OK!

hey wanderer, i have a subscription, but they never send me my paper

i have a feeling though, that they don't have anything worth reading about
on the topic, as they don't have any answers to any of this, any more
than the Village, or the owners, or you or I for that matter.

They can decree October, like some kind of Rapture prediction
all they want, right? Who's going to pay?
Are there behind the scenes deals being made?
The Village cannot pay.They have attempted to cover their ass by
condemning and ordering demo. Fair enough. When a higher
authority than the Village municipality is compelled to act based
on an immediate danger, maybe then you might see movement?
Who knows? How do you compel the owner to spend millions
to do this, without a guarantee of revival of the development
proposed? More lawsuits? It seems like the dozens of lawsuits
through the decades continue, and people just Pay for THAT...
pay the fines, whatever....Just the Cost of Doing Business

And then do whatever the hell is in their own best interests.
Which is what makes sense. That is what people do.

Maybe they are hoping for a bolt of lightning, decreed by Zues,
directly from Mount fuckin Olympus, who the hell knows?

I really prefer to let it Rot. I am totally serious. I think it looks cool.
I saw it in the early dawn mist this past weekend. It looked cinematic as hell. Just a scenic view.
I like ruins. But then I don't have to live next to it. But I also don't have any realistic ideas.

I have plenty of really fun stupid ideas.
How about fill and encase the thing in concrete, like Chernobyl.?
But make the exterior look like a sand castle.It would be like a
Millbrook version of Mt Rushmore.

Or use helicopters to douse the whole thing in phosphouresecent
glow in the dark paint. It will the scariest looking house ever.
Think big, like Spielberg or Ridley Scott There is a ton of cash to be
made out of this hulk, yet!! Where the hell are America's top film
location scouts.

I have many stooopid ideas, but they are all better to spend money on
than giving it to a bunch of freakin hump lawyers. Like, let it rot, or
shell out the cash to tear it down already! The whole legal aspect to this situation is a joke, the owner could easily claim selective enforcement after the village's failure to enforce code, for..DECADES.

so i don't think anyone involved at all is in any position at all to tell anyone else they Have to Do Anything really. Which explains the stalemate that exists. The lawyers have a field day, nothing gets done,
and everyone pats themselves on the back that they've complied with
"'the law"

They can try to adhere to the letter of the law [they can't] or even the spirit of the law [they won't] but in the meantime..

it's up to Gravity, baby!!....[or should that be down to gravity?]

well wanderer,sad as it is to see Halcyon go, I feel gratified to be able to
celebrate the larger architectural legacy it represents.
My book on James Ware has made major strides. I have the
assistance, input, and blessing of Ware's family, who are graciously providing me invaluable material and data, to supplement the tremendous amount that i have compiled for almost a quarter century.

I am about half through my manuscript, which i think tells a very compelling story, about innovation, progress, luxury, and social justice.
It is also very much a story about family.

I am in negotiations with multiple publishers, at least two of whom
have confirmed that they will find a home for this project, even if not with them.I have recieved the assistance of so many enthusiastic
researchers, historians, and institutions, it has been energizing
and a thrill to see it finally realized. It is deeply gratifying and very
humbling to be able to shed an appreciative light on what is
an almost hidden artistic legacy.

I have photographs of Ware and his charming family that are amazing.
Very photogenic, straight out of central casting...
This book is going to be magnificent, a quintessentially American, and even more quintessentially New York story.

Within the next year I hope to see it go into production.
It would be nice if it were before the Hall falls.

the right side one of the two smaller center gables has imploded,
you can see right into the building now.

one of the pair of center gables of Halcyon's facade collapsed
this month.

after 119 years, Halcyon Hall is beginning to fall down.

hey wanderer! asking the village will be futile, even if they respond,
it would just be more fuckin LIES, right? oops i'm swearing already

SORRY... but, uh... the Millbrook Independent tries to cover the scene,
but they can't seem to even deliver my subscription to me, so....

well wanderer, technically the village itself is planning on finally,
after 34 years, enforcing it's building code regarding unsafe buildings,
which Halcyon is indisputably. The owner has agreed to demolish
the original hotel/ school portion, and if I'm not mistaken, the other
derelict structures, including the science building, as well as the two
frat / faculty type houses. The theater on the hill is supposedly on
reserve as a possiblly "historic' resource, because there is no funding
to inspect it, despite plaintiffs in one of several lawsuits offering to
pay for an independent inspector.

Tearing down this building is a Tremendous job, and very expensive.
I cannot imagine the owner doing so without some expectation that
the development proposed for the property move forward.

the only website i know that keeps up to date on this is...Mott's Opacity!

Like you Wanderer, I no longer live in Millbrook, just visit. But if I lived
here or near,
Rather than lament history at this point, or hope for some sort of renewal, i think locals who care should be concerned with making sure that the demo and remediation of this property is done in
full compliance with the Law, and Safety Standards, most of which are
a freakin joke to begin with, but the only safeguard whatsoever
against Complete Disregard that there seems to be .

so this place is coming down, lawsuits will be resolved, the scope
and scale of the original project will be scaled way back, most if
not all plans for preservation of stonework, resiting of intact elements,
sympathetic recreation of historic roofline etc.- all that schtick
supposedly planned for for this development, will probably be
shitcanned first, hell, if i owned it i'd do it out of spite.
All the opponents
of this development simply made the whole thing more expensive.
But probably mitigated the too large scope of the original plan.

Damn history freaks don't want demolition.

But most people Against the development WANT Halcyon torn down.

It is an important distinction, maybe too subtle, But demolition is Inevitable, irregardless
of any current order, or whatever. On the other hand, a huge, uncharacteristic housing development at the entrance to Millbrook,
is NOT inevitable. In six months time there will probably be groundbreaking going on for SOMETHING here where Halcyon once stood.

what becomes a legend most? how do you replace a landmark?

here once stood_______

what will be there now?

this building was the economic engine that built Millbrook from
before 1892 through the 1970's, and that 'development' went
forward ALWAYS with a regard for the nature, well -being,
rural character, and sense of stewardship that was ALREADY THERE
in the village.

you got a hard act to follow, fellas......

sorry for swearing so much... a bad habit

stax V8, you are SOO right about the difference in the level of skill,
between even the Best of Today's Skilled Craftsmen, and the
BadAss ARTISTS who built places like Halcyon Hall!

Not to denigrate the many amazing craftsmen I have worked with, alongside, or for; but the guys who worked practically everday for almost three years, mostly employees of Mead & Taft, from Cornwall NY [and many of whom previously or subsequently moved to Millbrook]
were on another level entirely, not just from today's artisans, these guys blew away most of their talented peers of the cream of the crop of 1893!

My fascination with architecture in general abounds from the
ambition of execution, from an incredible idea, to an even more profound fact of material realization.Someone has to actually
commit- "OK We know guys..... that can DO this"'.......


Irregardless of the genius of a James Ware, or the wild mad
patronage of a Henry J Davison Jr, or the industry of a Mead & Taft,the fact that people could execute
this stuff at such an exceedingly high level, on demand, at a Market Rate,....and SO fast.... much of it on site. Today it would be an
extraordiinary, remarkable thing to even attempt., let alone pull off. In the Gilded Age it
was ROUTINE.And my point has nothing to do with the obscene amount of capital expenditure that made it possible - the amazing thing is how GOOD these guys
were. THe Interior details have been reduced to memories going on almost 2 decades now. But jesus... this place was spectacular.
A stellar production, in every way, only a glimpse of which has survived, even from my own earliest memories.

but JW is right in his own way, I guess... it is certainly a health hazard,
I would not enter without the best respirator mask possible, you'd be
MAD, CRAZY to do so without. Let alone the collapse hazard, etc etc.
And the Millbrook cops will definetly bust your ass, no doubt. Or they'll try, if they are bored. Could be a decision based on doughnuts, but it won't matter if they roust your ass ,right? And they will. So I would totally advise against tresspassing, at least in this paragraph dedicated
to trying to identify with the JW point of view.

ok, enough of that. whew.....ouch that hurts.....

where many people differ is whether it should have been torn down years ago, and what constitues an eyesore.

in my artistic opinion, the place looks pretty darn cool covered in winter snow. ....in the summer...ahhh, not so hot... like a cicada shell!
but i think cicada shells are cool, see? the inevitability of nature, and all that. maybe it takes a viewpoint beyond the here and now.
modern kulture seems so transitory, here today, gone later today...
we don't like to see anything age, yet everything today is about raiding the past. All Hollywood movies are remakes of TV, Broadway has been
reduced to raiding comic books and emo rock for a ticket lure.
Halcyon Hall will be replaced by {shitty] fake Tudor style condos,
Raiding the pAst is called postmodern. I call it fucking Stooopid!

but, really, at least in terms of scenery, [fuck real estate, i could give a rat's ass!] who has it hurt all these years to have a magnificent ruin
as a living reminder of what was once a unique and splendid place?
i can guaran-freakin-tee you it was / is / and will be preferable to
what is coming down the pike! Streetlights! Sidewalks! Etc Etc Et Fuckin Cetera! let's make everywhere look like everywhere else!!!!!

sometimes the life of a work of art, just like the people who create it,
includes it's inevitable decline, perhaps beyond the point that is comfortable for its' audience. Does that say more about art or its'
[sometimes reluctant] public?

The Walkway Over The Hudson was deemed by many self appointed experts to be "unsalvageable". Even after that phallacy was disproven, they attacked the economics of [at least] the tourist boost expected.
They have had to shut the hell up about that since it has been a like the effect of a fucking bomb of commerce and revenue for businesses everywhere in the vicinity of the brigde many called
an "eyesore". I am in no way suggesting any hope for Halcyon to that effect. it is over for Halcyon.And i fully expect the mention to raise the hackles of people who are still OPPONENTS of the walkway [ya know, get over it, it's like saying I'm An Opponent Of Bear MOuntain PArk, Dammit!" What the hell is the matter with you?!? It's There, It's Cool, It's Fun, It cost less than to Demo It,which would have been A good expenditure to you? What the hell is the matter with people who kneejerkingly oppose any government spending at all , except, you know, multiple ruinous wars,bailouts
for Wall street crooks, and monopolies that are "too big to fail"?

My point is: Christ, people seem in a real rush to tear these goddamned places down, long before it is the dire necessity
they seem hellbent on enforcing! Relax! Enjoy the freaking scenery, will ya? It'll be gone soon enough, don't worry, you'll all get your way.

i feel the same way wanderer....the only website i know of that keeps
up on the situation is right here, at mott's opacity!

Millbrook Village attorneys and the pricipals of the proposed development have publicly agreed that Halcyon Hall WIILL be demolished by October of 2011, at the latest.

In light of at least three current lawsuits objecting to the approval
of this development, it has been estimated that the appeals of those suits may freeze the project for several years.

This, alas, is no reprieve for Halcyon. It's impending demolition
is ostensibly to be carried out by the developer, an indication of their confidence that they will prevail in court, or just pay a monetary fine
or concession for the procedural irregularities leading to the
approval of this project. Just added into The cost of doing business, as it were....

So that's about as official as it gets....

demolition permits have not yet been obtained.
But Halcyon Hall is coming down this time, I believe.

the proposal to develop the bennett college campus bludgeons
forward, minus Blumenthal. It is uncertain who are the new partners, if any. The previously involved Blumenthal has complained that over
one million dollars have been spent thus far on the approval process,
also citing having to defend against "propagandists" on record as being actively against this development....ho ho ho....the old
"it's the medium, not the message" reverse- McLuhan-esque
strategy......

yeah, well if it was only bloggers lamenting lost americana that stalled this wildly troubled development scenario, i would willingly
cry uncle, or Demo, or tapout, or whatever...

but it's heavier hitters than that, The Village of Millbrook, the developers of this proposal, and the owners of Bennett College are the focus of a lawsuit by Oakleigh
Thorne, namesake of neighboring Thornedale. His suit thoroughly
refutes the decisions, findings, and approval by the village board
in greenlighting this project in it's presented, and frankly, incomplete state. They ignored streams, neighboring historic properties,
easments for access to existing condominiums, not to mention
ignorance and non-registration with the DEC as an involved agency,let alone actual Compliance with those Laws.

The Tice lawsuit against the same, continues, with calls now for
the demolition of not just Halcyon, but the Theatre complex north
of the Exmoore mansion. Claims of lowered property value are being claimed for this small elegant mansion, amid multiple derelict ruins.
It is hard to argue against.

The theatre complex was part of the original Hotel's stable / farm complex. It's siting on the crest of a hill made it's [late 50's? early 60's?] conversion to a small theater a natural fit. It's layout was remarkably like the public recreation pavillions of Newport, and
NJ, that were called casinos, before the gambling function overtook that term. In the late 19th century it referred to all manner of large,
pavillion like buildings, but particularly structures that acommodated
a fair number of people, encouraged a promenade type flow of movement and interaction, and, unlike today, encouraged the
enjoyment of the outdoors, featuring porches, verandas, balconies
etc.

I could go on, but why? what a mess, it's depressing, right?

The Theater complex is claimed to be possibly hazardous / contaminated, etc nb lah blah blah blah

The gvt agencies won't pay to inspect and confirm the property
is unsalvageable as a [heh heh ] Historic Property {!}
[they play that History card real funny when they want,, huh? Usually, only
when it means they don't have to Do Something!!! lol.....
when someone says tear it down, it will be by gvt decree

I predict a call for the teardown of the Science Building in 2011
for the exact same reasons, and if only for the domino theory
for this property.

But as we have seen over and over,anyone can decree any law to order someone to spend a zillion dollars to kill a headache, it simply
does NOT mean that that will be DONE. By ANYBODY.

I can tell you I killed JFK. It doesn't mean it;s True, any more than
claiming Santa Clause is real,the moon is made of sharp Swiss cheese,and the image of Jesus regularly appears mysteriously burned into the taco shells of a small mexican restaurant in Val Verde,
California.

Or, as Judge Judy says - " What your saying doesn't make sense;
If it doesn't make sense, it isn't TRUE!"....

this whole Thing has completely "Jumped The Shark", as they say,
in the Boardrooms of Hollywood Studios that make movies that no one wants to see

so Halcyon survives, yet. A dozen decades.

ok! happy new year all,
& Motts, you Rock!!!

halcyon hall always looks cool in the snow....

as it enters its' 119th year, halcyon hall continues to defy the odds

it continues to fascinate and amaze more people everyday, locally,
and "online" as it were

i have seen it recently described as "the most beutiful abandoned
building in America" {!} maybe? i would not Disagree...

wanderer, my friend, I believe what your referring to is the
physical plant of the college? it is square and concrete, it's roof was a small parking deck. It contained the upgraded [from the 1920's]
utilities for the school. There used to be a giant smokestack that was torn down in the late 1980's.It was probably the ugliest addition to the campus ever, that landscaping never quite mitigated.
nice that you were able to see it again while it all still stands. That is a pleasant time to visit Millbrook.

Not so sure I'd be around when they begin to demo, or that I'd want to be really. I'd bet that Johnny Kading will be there to photo or film that
process, something he has always done when Millbrook tears
down its' history.

The only interesting thing about that would be the ability to see
Halcyon cut in section, however briefly, as they demo. That is, to see
the interiors as they have not been seen, since they were being built
almost 130 years ago. Winding backwards, as it were, from profane
physical fact , back finally, to an ideal on a piece of drafting paper.
Architecture still exists even after it physically disappears.
From a dream in someone's imagination, now back to a dream in
our collective memories. These are the things that draw me, and most of us
i think, to these buildings in the first place. Mott's photos seem to capture that sense of connection particularly well, I think.