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Bennett School for Girls | | | Close Calls |
And Millbrook cops are deffinatly the worst ever, I got arrested here a few years ago.
The house is so incredibly...crooked. It's all tumbled-down looking.
My mother lived in a lovely old dormitory at Millersville State College back in the sixties. It couldn't meet the state fire marshall's codes back then, so they turned off the mains at night to prevent fires. The following year they razed it and built new dorms.
You guys should read a book called "Gone Away Lake" by Elizabeth Enright. It might be for young adults, but that book is interesting.
alarmed, and is very hazardous inside as well. i am working on a history of its' designer. unfortunately it probably will
be demolished, to the shame of my hometown.
Millbrook for many years.it is true, alot
of the laborers who built this edifice
came from abroad. specifically the stone
masons, almost all of whom worked
for Mead & Taft, of Cornwall on the Hudson, who were the principal
contractors on Halcyon, as well as many,
many other structures in Millbrook. There
was so much work for these talented craftsmen that many stayed here, built
homes and thriving businesses of their
own. for me to label them as laborers is
almost an insult, they were really like
artists. one hopeful note: the rezoning
of the bennet /halcyon property includes a mandate that the STONEWORK of
halcyon must be preserved regardless
of whatever else is demolished. this
almost makes no sense, but it is a
consolation that at least this aspect of
these workmen's craft will endure in some form...
general hardware dealers.they were
credited as architects for three projects
i know of:1870-"Glenfields" estate for
quarry owner Archibald
Gracie KIng[Old Manitou Rd, Philipsburg Manor]
1875-99? Le Douxx/Healy House
shingle style house,
Deer Hill Rd, Cornwall
1890's LARGE BARN,Kenridge Farm
Cornwall
they were the principal contractors for
JE Ware's firm's upstate work,
particularly Millbrook and the Mohonk
properties,from about 1889 through
1914, perhaps a bit longer, they may have also serviced his firm in his NYC work, i am not sure.
i would imagine that Cornwall's local
historical society would be a place to
find out more about them, sometimes
any info on this stuff can be scarce, but
i am often pleasantly surprised in my own
research. if you find out more, let me know!
You're correct - I believe the boxy dorm was Alumnae hall and I think the chapel is now where the current caretaker lives. It was renovated into a residence shortly after the close of Bennett School by a local artist who shortly thereafter passed away. If you'd like to drop me a line, I'd love to hear from you, share my "stories" and reminisce a bit.
D
Made me think of people I knew then. Does anyone know what ever became of these people: Mildred Johnson, Ph.D teacher of music, Madelaine Germain, French teacher, and the head of the English department at that time, first name was Charles. Would love to hear.
HAS APPROVED PLANS TO DEVELOP
THE BENNETT COLLEGE PROERTY.
the approved developer is going to put
ABOUT 95 HOMES here. they can put
up to 112. what a sport. there is some
outlying property on this parcel, but certainly not enough to build this many,
WITHOUT ACTUALLY BUILDING ON OR
DIRECTLY ADJACENT TO HALCYON HALL'S FOUNDATION, WHICH MUST BE "PRESERVED" UNDER THE TERMS OF THIS DEAL.
in other words, GOODBYE, the building
IS COMING DOWN.
alot of people are not happy about this
development regardless of the building's fate. It is the entire character
of the village that will be affected. This
property has been a sylvan, serene,
park-like setting since before 1892,
and is still now. my god they are gonna ruin another beautiful place with
obscene condominiums!
property affected by projected development. i believe the chapel,
]probably designed by Allen & Collens,
architects, sounds like a winecooler}is
a private parcel? preserved, anyway.
thegreat theater complex on the hill by the
golfcourse? i do not know its' status...
it was originally the stables/garages for the college.
the seperate dorms to the east of halcyon might be adapted for housing,
as might the newer addition to the
left, connected to the main building.
there are dilapidated victorians on the
property that will also probably kiss the
wreckin ball, as they need every god
damned inch of this spread.
the big ? is the condition/fate of the
science building, located at the most hidden/remote part of the property.
the road has been closed for years,
returned to grass.it was built the year
bennet closed, to accomodate
state science accreditaion requirements.
it was never used, was considered
state of the art for 1977, and was a huge
factor in the colleges's failure the following year., in addtion to notorious mismanagement. it has always been the most hush-hush aspect of bennett's real estate/development potential future.
this property has been rumored through the years [79-present]to be bought and used by[in order']
-paul newman
-rev sung yun moon
-the guinness corporation
-trinity college, dublin, ireland
ETC ETC ETC
it is now apparently, finally, making way
for mundane crap housing with a fancy
name, maybe halcyon terrace or gardens or view or commons or dale
or hill or....halcyon hole....?
express some desire to preserve some
aspect of the history of this property!
Too many of the "players" in the impending demise-for-development
are the same characters who wish that freedom of speech ends at the Millbrook village's borders. Yeah? Well, TOO BAD!
not everybody concerned about this current plan are among those who turned a blind eye to restoration. THE
VILLAGE GOVERNMENT HAS WANTED
THIS SITE CLEAR FOR CONDOS going
back to 1983. The developer MAY or MAY NOT do something "positive with the
property"; that remains to be seen.
Rather than cashless complaining,
some people regard bringing historical voices to bear on the debate, ALONG
WITH the [inevitable} development, as
a mitigative factoring influence on
the developer DOING WHAT HE CAN,
and WHERE HE CAN, to TRY to preserve some aspect of the clearly
marvelous architecture represented,
WHERE POSSIBLE, This is all anyone is
really asking for.But boy, that really bugs
some people, doesn't it? Those
pesky history lovin interferers! Drat!
NO ONE is interfering, or "making problems" for the developers!! They have
been given a full spread eagle green light by the village board to do
practically whatever the hell they want with this site!
If they are acting in good faith as {new}
members of the community, they would be looking at trying to do this without
having to be shamed into it by, you
know,LOCAL AND ACADEMIC OPINIONS. I have heard that they are
trying to do just this, in terms of salvaging some of the architecture, which is encouraging. They seem to be
acting in good faith.
If on the other hand, it is so painfully
deleterious on the poor senses of the
developer or his affiliated defenders to
have to GOD FORBID...LISTEN TO SOMEONE'S OPINION ON THE TOPIC, or mock their right to do so for fear of interfering with their rammed through
business plan, then they are BY
DEFINITION ignorant a-holes who
should expect as much oversight, scrutiny, propagandizing against their
positions, and likewise as much mockery as they insist on heaping on
those of a differing opinion.
In other words: your getting your way!
and you'll all make a bundle. SO DON"T EXPECT ANYONE, LEAST OF ALL PEOPLE LEGITIMATELY OPPOSED TO YOUR PLAN FOR WHATEVER REASONS,TO CRY AND WHINE ABOUT YOUR P.R. PROBLEMS!!!
happy demo-ing
ps: good luck with the asbestos
Bad enough we're slated to lose our town treasure, it would be positively tragic to sacrafice tales and photo's of its incredible past along with the wrecking-ball. (Including a special chapter on all the idiots responsible for even allowing this day to come.) Would love to hear from you: wrddreamer@comcast.net
the contrast between the old of the house and the newness of the foliage is really beautiful and is a recurring theme in this set of pictures.
I noticed that a lot of windows were broken in by tree branches, and it seemed to me like nature was trying to tear the house down.
the black and white version is my favorite, though. it looked to me like an illustration from a story book, except instead of old style cottages, a more modern house.
it's beautiful
of Halcyon Hall and the Bennett campus from
the turn of the century, google-Hudson River Valley Heritage, a couple dozen fantastic photos can be found on their site. Also the
Village of Millbrook/Town of Washington
Historical Society website has a little bit.
In other Bennet "newz" [i feel like Ron Burgundy}... let's see, where do i begin.?
ok the plan submitted by Saugerties based
developer David Blumenthal calls for the construction of 95 homes on the Bennett site.
They are sorta faux Victorian, psuedo tudor
style facades. Slightly cheesy, but not that
bad relatively speaking. It could have been ALOT worse, as in Westchester aesthetics.
Millbrook Associates are the designated designers on the project. They do top notch
work, and have an impeccable reputation
regionally.
The East wing with the Queen Anne tower is
the only section of Halcyon to be saved. The
Chapel is to be moved close to it . Two
houses on the property are to be moved
up the hill to the golf course.
Everything else is to be demolished, the stone
is to be grinded and buried onsite. ONE undesignated
section of the masterfully executed stonework
is to be preserved. I presume the beautiful
little nursery school, built in 1930, possibly
by acclaimed Boston architects Allen & Collens, WILL be saved as it is a private parcel? i am unsure.. The Exmoore
mansion will be literally surrounded by this
development. It is currently for sale, at below market rate, as are dozens of more modest properties adjacent to the development. So it
has ALREADY had a negative effect on the
local real estate environment.
I think it is great they are attempting to save what they can. Obviously it impacts there business plan, as any of these concessions to preservation are strictly in the interest of
public relations, but so what? Most developers
wouldn't even bother. It is an indication of
how sensitive to the locals this whole affair is,
MORE than a case of enlightened planning,
i suspect, but who cares? i would like to be
optimistic and open minded.
Recent developments though, do not bode well for citizens hope for input. It is no
secret that this deal was pretty much cut behind closed doors, with zero public input.
The "official" public meeting on the topic
has been predictably stalled, and when it was
finally set for the final thursday of November,
the planning board cancelled the meeting 3 hours before it was set to begin. People are PISSED. The reason cited was unstated issues that have arisen between Blumenthal and the current owner of the parcel, Bud Heithaus.
There are other problems. Local property owners in outlying areas of the village who have been denied village water service for years have filed lawsuits protesting the
sweetheart deal proposed for water service at Bennett. An expensive deal just got more so!
There still is no Negative Environmental
Impact Designation in hand {allowing a
development to go forward.] People are
convinced that public input has been not
just stifled, but nonexistent. It is true that so much of this complex proposal has been already decided without a SINGLE public
meeting on the issue! Astonishing, really,
anywhere but Millbrook.
And then there is that pesky MASSIVE
asbestos and lead contamination. Bummer.
Half of the above information was made available in the local newspaper. I have only mentioned names that have been printed
publicly in context of Bennet's impending development.Except Ron Burgundy. And, oh,
Allen & Collens. {It really does sound like a wine cooler...]
in any event, the saga continues. Publicly stated plans to have the buildings down by now in fact, are gonna taka a little longer folks. ha ha....
This is one tough fuckin building....
PS - keep knockin us out with your amazing
enterprise Mr. Motts! You Rock The Planet!!!!
finally holding meetings re: the impending development of the Bennett parcel. Predictably,
these first meetings open to the public are
already the ones slated to declare wether or
not the plan is given a negative environmental
declaration allowing the plan to go forward. A
positive declaration would mean that more
intensive environmental studies are required.
Billionaire Oakleigh Thorne, the publishing
and software magnate, said he was concerned about possible effects to his nearby
farm, particularly because the water flows to it westward through the Bennett property.
[ Thorne's estate, Thornedale, has been in his family since before the American Revolution.
It was deeded to his ancestors by Crown Grant. It is considered one of the great
country seats of the northeast, due to it's
architecture, renowned gardens, colonial
pedigree, and it's high standing for centuries
in American racehorse and cattle breeding.]
Thorne expressed his doubts about the projects chances of succeeding if more
reviews and studies are required, and in
that event "we will help find a project better suited for our community." This recieved
enthusiastic applause from over 80 attendants.
more meetings are planned in the coming weeks. some people are in favor of this
proposal, and speak out in favor of it as well.
In some cases there is more to it than meets
the eye in terms of said parties public/
private interests being rather conflicted, let's
put it that way, but hell, we are all entitled to our
opinions for WHATEVER reasons, pro or con,
right? as long as the con ain't on me,baby....
i mean, I'm biased as hell on the issue,
for my own goddamned reasons...
is oakleigh hinting at getting behind an alternative proposal?
perhaps; his family has and probably continues to be one of Millbrook's most
generous benefactors, often anonymously.
there had been idle chatter, often referred to
as Gossip, that the Thorne's wanted
something Proper to happen with their
failing neighbor Halcyon Hall. Who knows...
But the relationship between Halcyon and
Thornedale can be historically described
as polite ambivalence; Halcyon's founder
HJ Davison Jr. was upfront about trying to upstage it's neighboring estate, and it's
very in-your-face siting relative to the Thorne
bloc still resonates in terms of proximity.
Mansion building tended to be very competitive
in the nineteenth century. Perhaps some things have changed since 1893?
i will be Pat-strodamus and predict that...
this project will likely go through, perhaps
with modification. Too much of which will definitely make the whole thing unprofitable
for anyone, and Halcyon will STILL be left
to rot, fall, or burn.
What a fuckin mess....
Fantastic shot !!!
Signed: An American Soldier stationed in Germany.
development was billed as another chance for residents to offer public commentary. As the meeting began, however, it immediately became nothing of the sort. The Planning Board chairwoman changed the format
instead into a forum for the developer to
update Millbrook's own planning consultant.
No public commentary was allowed to the
dissappointment of many of the over 90
attendees.The claim was made that no new info was being submitted by the developer.
Yet by the end of the evening a large number of developments were made public for the first time, many after most of the attendees
spoke with their feet and left upon being
misled. Perhaps next meeting no one will be allowed to comment on this last one's developments? They are getting famous for this swap-o/ change-o routine.
Perhaps because last meeting 61 of 62
speakers were on record as against this fiasco?
The mayor dosn't seem to be having a problem with his free speech being curtailed.
He has published a very bitchy letter to local
papers excoriating opponents of this deal.
He is in a bid for re=election in less than 2weeks, and took a case to the County Supreme Court to have his opponents
candicacy nullified at the last minute. He
lost the case badly, complaining of missing legal deadlines because of bad weather. Judge
James Brands, known as a strict interpreter of the law , in cases before his court at least,
dismissed the case quickly.
The politician who can sucessfully develop
Bennett will be worshipped as a brahmin god
by certain segments of Millbrook's political,
banking, and real estate community. The
politician who attempts this and fails will go
down in flames of political oblivion.Make no
mistake, this is smash mouth, bloodsport politics to the parties involved here. There
are many millions of dollars at stake for the
public and private sector, There is so much
goddamned money in millbrook in general,
it is almost staggering.
The final application will be submitted by the
end of March. The developer says he is creating a web site with all available info, to spare the village clek being inundated with
Freedom of iNFORMATION requests.
It was settled that THERE ARE NO MORE ZONING ISSUES, this site is legal in that regard for this development, and that that will
NOT be revisited. From here it is a matter of
environmental permits, etc. and final legal
drafting etc blah blah...
In addition to concerns about road width,
trees and landscaping, and other site issues,
they were savvy enough to bring in a Historic
Resources consultant, who revealed that The State Office of Historical Preservation requested that they AGAIN LOOK AT THE BUILDINGS TO SEE IF MORE OF THEM CAN BE SAVED, which was concluded negatively.
On the positive side, the east wing's tower,
as well as The Chapel, and two quality Victorian houses are to be saved, along with some section of the beautiful stonework.
PIcture this photo with most of the stone base
but all of the wood section gone except the
easternmost fifth or so. This is what the computer simulation looks like anyway
There has been alot of redesigning of the
housing to be built, that it will fit with the
Tudor style of what will be saved, as well as the look of the village's housing at large.
Another huge revelation was that Blumenthal
will pay for a traffic roundabout at the everlong
dangerous Monument intersection at the
southeast corner of the parcel. This would be a welcome restoration of a very historic, and
long neglected slice of local history.
I think this is the best to be hoped for, really.
None of these concessions would have been a reality but for alot of different people getting
really pissed off and demanding input, including even this website,. I know for a fact that involved parties have monitored the chatter on this message board, which i think is a good thing. In that
regard I have to commend the developer, i hate to say. It is the village govt. that has acted
like absolute shits to the people they serve.
Blumenthal & Co must be aware that they have taken alot of the pr blowback that deserved to be square in the village board's
faces, but hey that's why he makes a buck, right? Besides, the village gvt is WAY too busy
trying to get people to vote for them, instead of actually
LISTENING to those voters.
F*** 'em. Selling off our history SHOULD be expensive, hopefully to all of their miserable political careers!
Thanks again Motts for providing a forum
where free speech still reigns!
happy st patricks day to all!
You mentioned buildings to be saved in this proposed development deal, but I'm wondering about the Harkaway theatre. Any news on that building?
Rock on Motts! Looking forward to any and all new pix's of our beloved Halcyon.
Keep it coming Pat, and a happy jolly St.Patty's to you too :-)
for the hellraising on your own. Unfortunately
the Harkaway Theatre is to be demolished
as well. It was originally built as a stable, if
not for the original hotel, then for the college
not long after. I remember my aunt taking me to plays there when i was a little kid. Either
Godspell or Jesus Christ Superstar. {SO 70's!]
Thanks Pat for all the info. ajax_1@usa.net
The Bennett years were the happiest of my life. I would welcome contact from anyone who went there, and I have lots of info! Am also in touch with my great friend Charley Hoyt who is alive and well in Millbrook. Still lives in the same house! Am also in touch with Peggy Clapp, and members of the Black Swans. I would really love to hear from you! We Bennett girls need to stick together!
peace and Love,
Martha Magee
howyadoinere@hotmail.com
i want to say Haverford?i am unsure, but
i will try to look it up. i know that they were
saved, though, in repository at another college.
to perform the demolition of Halcyon Hall.
the building is starting to cave in. I would
guess they would like to start pouring new
foundations in the spring, and there is
obviously alot to demo before they can do that. as well as
terraforming the new layout, etc. which could be done in winter. I am guessing the very
latest they could do this and be on schedule
would be early January. So perhaps between now and Christmas. But who knows. Things
like this move slow, and common sense would dictate that after the holidays would be a typical time when it would not draw as much
negative attention or coverage.
Also demo-ing in the hot weather is alot more
unpleasant and difficult. so...soon...
she is a comin down.....
i've been seeing photos of halcyon on tons
of sites now, a zillion in the last year alone,
none of them approach the kickass-ness
of Motts's , not even close.
a "sister' building, as it were, to HAlcyon Hall:
the monumental medieval barn on the
Hitchcock estate burned to the ground yesterday, leaving only the giant fieldstone walls. No people or animals were hurt or
killed. It apparently burned for days, requiring a massive emergency response county wide. Besides
Halcyon Hall ,it is one of the largest buildings in Millbrook.
It was constructed in the 1890's by
the architect and builders of Halcyon Hall
for one of the original investors of the
hotel. Charles F Dieterich was a German born
industrial magnate who came to America
penniless but eventually founded Union Carbide. The estate he built was perhaps the
masterpiece of country residential design by
it's architect.
In the 1960's it was the headquarters of fomer Harvard psychiatrist
Timothy Leary, where he spearheaded his
mission of popularizing and promoting
the quest for mind expansion through the
use of psychedelic drugs, specifically LSD-25.
THis barn was originally the foundation
structure of what was planned to be a
full blown medieval germanic castle. After
plans for this were abandoned, Dieterich made it
a cowbarn instead. The late Millbrook
historian Carmine DiArpino rightly described
it as "the most improbable bovine residence
in {America}". FRom Bangall Road it looked
like a freakin' cathedral rising out of the hills.
Amazingly, Halcyon has been a tinderbox
for years without any fire incident, despite
being overun for decades by vandal idiots,
careless fools, and known pyromaniacs.
Drunk punk rok skatboarders would light
fires in it's unfunctional fireplaces years
ago. Yet a solid, virtually all stone mega
structure comparable in size and pedigree
disappears, in a scenario that seems
unlikely compared to the fire-waiting-to-happen that has been Bennet/HAlcyon
since 1977.Murderous irony...
I predict the Hitchcock brothers will rebuild.
THe Stone is intact. A good portion of the
tax arrangement on this vast estate is tied
directly to its use as an agriculturally active
property of historical/ architectural signifigance.
It would be a shame to lose this piece of
Europe on American soil.
why don't you buy the place, then do with it want you want. If you have the pesos you can have the say sos.
"the place" as you refer to it
{I assume you mean Halcyon, rather than my slightly off-topic preceding post referring to
an architecturally related site;] I merely
Advocate Preservation, Where Possible.
Anyone reading any of my preceding posts
as CAREFULLY as I have tried to WRITE them will see that I have commended the developer
where warranted in their attempts to do just that, and that I am as informed as Anyone as
to the UNSALVAGEABLE state of most of these buildings.
Your cute couplet about "having the pesos
to have the say sos" {sic}, speaks for itself
in regarding the base mentality of not just
the mindset supportive of this particular
issue of development, but of the sadly
myopic attitude in Millbrook in general regarding its' physical, social, and historical
legacy.
If it is a wealth based meritocracy
determining local public policy that you
advocate, then touche'...you have that in spades.Congratulations. What is so
objectionable then,about an expression
of Advocacy for Preservation,Where Possible,
for this, or any other future endangered local site of
architectural or cultural signifigance?
Particularly here in a forum dedicated to
the appreciation and lamentation of places
that are considered artistic, neglected or special for WHATEVER reason?
The fact is, if i had a "peso' to spare, the
last thing i would do is spend even a fraction
of it in the desperatley pretentious, plastic shithole of a
"community" that passes for Millbrook these days. Who could blame any smart developer
for sensing a great opportunity to cash in on
an upscale country town hell-bent on selling out what makes
it special in the first place? Millbrook is a smart
developers' moist, wet dream orgy. It is a marriage made in Heaven. Enjoy the wedding by all means, 'cuz the marriage itself is spring -loaded to be rough for you, me, or anyone else
invested in any way with the outcome of
the current scenario, whatever any of our opinions, public or private.
Obviously my extended family has spent more
than a few "pesos" over the last fourteen decades
building what is Millbrook in the first place.
So you'll forgive my current lack of veneration for the
wealth-rated pecking order expected, relative
to commentary,{ or even opinion it would seem.}
Halcyon is gone there will no longer be any reason to go back there for me other to tend to family members buried at the church. Bennett / Halcyon is a chuck of Millbrook history just as Thorndale is.... No it might not of been reused as a school but it could of been restored as a Bed and Breakfast.... gift shops, a custom spa... anything ! other than what it was left to become. What did the people of Millbrook in goverment have against this place to let it fall into such disrepair?? just is so sickening....
P.S (And I wouldn't take that bet, sweetie, you'd lose it big time.)
appropo
I grew up across the street from this building. I looked out the front windows of our home and saw it rising up from that ultra steep hill. That incline served as a great snow sledding location for years. I learned to ride my bike on the circular concrete walk that was on the southwestern lawn, to ice skate on the golfcourse ponds behind the theater. I explored the buildings as only a child can- finding treasure in the hallways after the women had gone home for the summer. Learned my climbing skills- on the stone work and huge trumpet vines that made up the south wall- which later would stand in good favor when I taught mountain rescue in the German Alps. I remember when all th traffic used to go around the Bennett circle, before the road was cut through the hill to the south and bypassed the road through Bennett. After that road was finished, the corner store located on the circle went under. I remember all the cool houses that the college provided for the teachers- each different, old and character filled. Nostalgia and memories, that is what that hugh edifice represents for me.
My father taught there from '62-'72, so this is really a piece of my life being torn down. I won't be the first person to loose something that is dear to them, but it still stings. What really strikes me as odd, it just how rapidly it has happened. I am not that old. When I see pictures of the two houses that sat north of the presidents house, the de la Volpes and the one of the wonderful single older woman teachers , the place where we watched the Millbrook fireworks- all in disrepair, it looks like they have been vacant for a century, not less than 30 years. Why ....that is all I'm wondering. I'm not going to imply subterfuge, that has been done better, in other places on this thread, but lordy.
Another thing that needs saying is that Bennett was for women. This was a place of independence- some of whom were ahead of their time with regards to what women could accomplish. It broke some of the molds and supported independence. I was there in the sixties, so there were all sorts of stories of the more adventurous students spending time with the good Dr. Leary, located just north of town.
The biggest question is where were all the alumni? I had babysitters who are now 30 years into their soap opera starring runs. Not everybody who went to Bennett was from a wealthy family , but I do know Francesca Hilton is an alum, as was one of the bridesmaids in Lucy Bird Johnson's wedding. I'm almost certain that a Bennett education helped some of these women succeed in a monetary fashion. If not residents of Millbrook, why not these graduates? I've never seen a school so ignored by alums that most probably have gone onto fairly lucrative professions.
Anyhow. I'm just venting. Like I said, I've been following this for years, hoping for a change in the status and doing nothing about it except watch. For that, I had a hand in this as well.
I can be reached at pj1550@hotmail.com
As the old saying goes, there's always funding for those "good 'ole boys" prep schools, but when it comes to women, either these women or their husbands still seem to think there are better things in this world than providing for a secular education for their daughters.
I can't tell you how proud I am that my own daughter attended a girls high school and is now attending an all women's college. The difference between she and her other friends who have attended coed schools is like night and day. Poise, confidence, interest, goals, drive, ambition, compassion, grades, and a true sense of self. The work she puts into her studies is unwaivering-something she is very proud of.
Although Bennett, such a beautiful school and part of an eclectic community, can never be recovered from it's demise, it remains all the more important to continue to support other women's bastions of education to ensure our future women leaders will continue to thrive.
Of the many historic places to save, this would have been one of the more esthetic locations in the Hudson Valley to save. But then again, so would all of them.
How does a community prevent the sale of a historic icon sich as this to someone who could never fulfill the potential of such a large building? Preservation? Historic Society? Town Council, Federal Grants, Historic Preservation? How many hands must be in the pot before it will undoubtedly spoil the broth?
As Bennett approached bankruptcy, alumnae were promised that there would be a way to keep up w/ other alumnae thru Pace. Never happened.
Shame that we allow our heritage to disappear.
www.myspace.com/theblackswans1
(my tribute page)
Thanks!
to Audrey Hepburn!! Mel Ferrer Audrey
Hepburn's husband is not related to
Jose Ferrer..Molly Ferrer's uncle in
any way.
of different people for lots of different
reasons, with the accompanying clash
in discourse that usually invites...
opacity is consistently a rich and compelling example
of a Meta-programmatic approach to art,
history, documentary technology, and
individual artistic expresion, one that
paradoxically opens itself up to the
unarmored scrutiny of unrestricted
public commentary. Artistic or otherwise.
And we haven't even gotten to the Content! {!}
Could not keep from posting tonight, just
that opacity is INSPIRATIONAL to me
as a painter, one who stuggles
from the aesthetic "curse" of too Much
inspiration. If that makes sense. Or Not..
Your achievement becomes more substantial the more i take the time to view it.
Thank you motts for taking the time, commitment and risk to do what you do, physically, artistically, publically, legally,
honestly, and most of all beautifully.
Would love to say i know anything new
Re: bennet.. current.. inevitable.. etc.
but there is nothing new....ok
another year this fine hall graces my
countryside, no matter it's state....
ahh... so be it.
tha more rui'nd, all the better...
I've seen 'er recently, 'alcyon 'alls' like
a glow in the dark ghost pirate ship, she is..
over the inertia and lack of official
update on the status of the Bennet property.
The interested parties seem to represent
land and /or homeowners whom seem to feel that the village board/ and or Bennet's
owners have turned a blind eye to safety
and enforcement of building codes there
for the past three decades.
Yeah, no shit. A real hot news flash.Like
no one has noticed the place....
There are some who view this falling wreck of a former landmark as a hazard, and a
blight on Millbrook's image and property values. They are probably correct at this point.
Fire concerns were also cited.
The board led by Mayor Andy Ciferri, is
now ready to hold the proposed developer
accountable for the staus of their project
scenario. In other words, pissed off property owners who feel the developers as well as the current owners have been given a free ride, have decided to light a fire under their asses in a very public way.
It seems the intent is as much to provide
parity, and fairness in regards to ALL local
building codes, zoning, etc. and Bennet
is the obvious example, for people who are routinely
screwed or denied by the village board for their own property, additions, expansions, easements etc.
In other words, this has little to do with Bennet directly, it is {again] being used as a very convenient excuse to embarass Millbrook into following the law regarding
ALL properties.
Kinda, sorta.
These shortsighted people are going to
end up screwing themselves in the end.
Despite the board's seeming cluelessness
regarding Bennet's status, they ,as well as everyone else who has followed this at all
know that the DEC is still conducting its' environmental review. It takes time, people.
There is a war on, Government is busy
Wrecking Everything, it's hard for them to
multi-task folks!! Chill out. Don't worry they
are going to ruin this place soon enough.
Except these rule crazy types may end up forcing the village to DEMOLISH HALCYON HALL ITSELF. Who do you think will pay for that? Millbrook will, if these shortsighted people have their way. Then they will be the first to complain when the multi million bill
forces up their taxes considerably, all in
the name of SAFETY and CODE COMPLIANCE.
They remind me of Republicans: The whole
world can be going to hell, ruinous wars,an economy down the toilet, and all of that is just fine BECAUSE BILL CLINTON"S NOT GETTING ANY STRANGE. To put it nicely.
Basically, they should let the developer
finish the deal. HE pays for demo, site
remediation, and more importantly [to these
rule -crazy types] insurance, against
liability for injury, contamination, or whatever other scenario these paranoid panic-junkies
are so freakin worried about after 3 decades.
It is somewhat of a ploy for a whole other
agenda. But they are right in the long run.
As one who is interested in Preservation,
as opposed to Rules, my concern is that
the current development scenario
provides for some actual preservation!!
The best that can be hoped for, I assure
you.
If the village is forced to demo out of
{all of a sudden] code compliance,
then forget selective preservation
of the tower wing, stonework etc. So if
you are for preserving some aspect of this
place, a legal directive to demo would
be a disaster. As it would also be for the village's fiscal position.
Perhaps the only good would be that the
property would then not necessarily be
as heavily developed as current plans call for.
Mayor Andy Ciferri, who i personally think has been pretty good on this and other issues,
has promised to update the village on a monthly basis.
He has his work cut out for him.
the village anymore that i am probably not
on about the relative merits of millbrook's
"leaders" ! I guess I felt pretty disappointed
in the last 2 mayors, under whose tenure things
COULD have been improved, and felt that
Andy, who I think is a decent guy on a human level at least, might have brought some of that to the job.
I've tried to evolve my position as the situation changes:; that is, that "restoring"
Halcyon is out of the question, case closed.
That the development scenario already
in motion [?] DOES provide for some
sympathetic retention of stonework, the chapel, cottages, etc.
I do think that IS preferable to just tearing it all down outright. So my advocacy for this building's rescue starting in 1989, appears now to have
evolved to a position of "siding" with developers, if one were not careful to
recognize the nuance of my argument.
If THEY are going to save some of this place, then I will side with whoever THEY are!
... with reservations about the
impact on the character of the village.
I love Millbrook, and I care deeply about the place, on alot of levels. So your right, there
are no easy solutions or answers. Other than your point which is local government, in
general, and this one in particular, ARE THE
PROBLEM! And that dealing with them is useful if only
because one must go over or around their bullshit inevitably. But you are right that they
no longer deserve the benefit of the doubt from anybody, not even an optimistic
maniac like myself!
Bottom line the building IS falling down,
the OWNER might want to get his shit together and advise the board, the public,
etc etc. But we all know, on a business level that would be a lit bag of dynamite in the
current climate of Absolute Code Compliance.
piano@earthlink.net
I first lived out at North Clove Rd. which was completely isolated. She was "stuck" there (we only had the one car) with our children - toddlers 10 months apart while my work at the college usually involved 10 to 12 hour days and numerous evenings. We moved into a house owned by Bennett out on Oak Summit Road during our second year.
I enjoyed the area with its woods and snow but my wife did not and after four years I accepted a job as Music Director at Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles where just about every person in the film industry sent their sons and daughters. Anyway, I really did enjoy Bennett and found many of the students to be of superb intellect and admirable asirations. The drama and dance productions were often of high quality and there were lots of opportunities for highly original and even experimental work.
I do remember Regina Cody, a very old and brilliant teacher who headed the English Dept. and who took a great liking to me
after hearing my string quartet. We shared tea and had some great conversations. I do remember Charles Hoyt - he played some pretty hot Fats Waller on the piano. There was the artist whose last name was Della-Volpe who befriended me early-on as well as the younger Ron Collier. Mike McElhaney directed the theater department and Emily Wadhams the dance department. Harkaway Theater was an incredible environment named for the horse of the brilliant architect who designed the facility 'way back when.'
Halcyon Hall - the posted photos show this
sort of horrid Victorian film-genre building.
Halcyon was actually quite lovely and it is surely only the fault of those so callous as to let it fall into such a state that accounts for the later photos. It was old, yes, but it was a warm, welcoming, stately place with endless character and beauty. It was filled with great old 1900 furniture. Whe n you entered the lobby there was a huge floor-standing clock.
The faculty lounge had old Victorian furniture
I recall having lunch with trustees and we were served by young women in maid's uniforms with white gloves. I did manage to look inbto dorm rooms during an official tour and I remember them being old and small but, still, possession a character that could not be easily dismissed.
The newer dorm building was fairly absurd and whoever let the new architect place it next to Halcyon had little or no respect for the character of the college overall.
You have to have seen the place when it was filled with great kids going to class, snow on the ground or Fall leaves, flowers, etc.
President Eldridge's house stood at the top of the main hill of the campus and looked down upon Halcyon. Keep in mind that Halcyon was the official entrance - you drove up the road and discovered a somewhat 'surrounding' Halcyon Hall with its attached library, chapel, etc. and the main erntrance to the building. Up on the hill were located Harkway Theater, a state-of-the-art dance studio, drama classrooms, the modern music building, fashion design building (music and fashion were connected via and underground tunnel as I recall), a fabulous wide-open art studio where sculptor Tal Streeter worked and taught, etc.
The science building was among the very old facilities but was outfitted with modern classroom equipment, etc.
I can recall almost all of the students I ever taught at Bennett. Two who attained fame -
Gates McFadden ("Star Trek") and Andrea Marcovicci (often called America's leading cabaret singer) well represented the kind of talent and dedication that I found in the wonderfully interesting young ladies who attended Bennett.
The college spared n o expense when it came to bringing famous personalities to campus. During the four years I taught at Bennett we had as guest lec turers/artists
Tyrone Guthrie, katherine Litz, Roy Lichtenstein, Senator Fullbright, ambassadors, scientists, playwrights,
etc. The beauty of any school in which the students are in-residence is that evening programs are always being planned.
Of course, that also meant that, as a young married husband, I was too, too often "trapped" in long evening rehearsals or preparing tapes in the sound booth.
Ann and I returned to Bennett sometime in
the late 1980s while passing thru the area on a return visit from California. The college had gone "belly-up" years before and high weeds were already growing up around the beautiful dance studio. There were some people around as part of the campus was then being used as a workshop for a welfare program I believe - not sure. Ann had tears in her eyes. When I asked her why she said that
she was remembering how lonely and unhappy she had been while I was teaching there. It made me realize that I had made the right decision to move out to California and take a position which was more challenging but gave me a good home-life with Ann and our kids.
Millbrook - what a weird place. It could be charming and delightful as well as lonely,
too damn provincial and even "close-minded." There were too many folks with the same last name. We were treated ok as I recall although you were always "one of those college people." I really don;t know if it's fair to blame the townies for not rescuing the college campus. First of all I went into town a lot and I do not recall the girls patronizing the Millbrook stores unless they really were desperate. They drove into Poughkeepsie or flew to White Plains. So, I'm not at all sure that there was any love lost between the town people and the college folk.
I remember Rolf Haines Pharmacy, John Cading at Corner News Store, Al Maggiacomo dry cleaners and Millbrook Dept. Store. Ha, I used to read Playboy Magazine and when I purchased a copy at Corner News Store it had to be put into a brown paper bag before I left so that I didn;t dare walk down Main St. with it showing.
Horrors! During the summer the college was deserted but we had Upward Bound and I had a blast with those kids.
It did not require a genius to see that Bennett was heading towards bankruptcy if they did not choose to go co-ed while there was still time. The day of the single-sex school was over except for those who could stand on their reputation as great institutions of higher learning. Bennett's trustees, administraion and business officers simply 'sat on their hands' too long before seeing what was coming. I was, of course, deeply saddened to learn of the college's financial failure, but
I dfo recall the business manager making fun of me for leaving to go to a job in California where, according to him, "those private schools go under all of the time."
Well, the school I moved to continues to be one of the greatest schools in the nation and has graduated lumanaries too numerous to count (Jake and Maggie Gyllenhall, Governor Jerry Brown, Sally Ride, nobel winners,
leaders in every field, etc.) Bennett should have gone co-ed by 1970.
The arguments about Molly Ferrer are pretty silly. The issues surrounding whether or not
rich alumni should have recused the campus are probably moot. If Bennett alum had felt the need to rescue the place - meaning the physical plant - they would have done so. Obviously they went on to 4 year colleges and universities and no longer felt a strong-enough attachment to the place to warrant such a rescue.
Personally, I always saw Halcyon and, in fact, the entire campus as a ripe opportunity for someone to develop a huge Bed & Breakfast or lodege of some kind. So much was in-place when the school 'went under.'
Knowing the way Millbrook Bank and the Millbrook twon fathers worked I still believe that they probably enjoyed watching those fine buildings crumble away. My personal belief, however, is that the memories live on and the demise of the physical plant cannot subtract from what thousands of individuals accomplished and took away with them for the rest of their lives.
While reading the comments posted here I remembered that I used to shoot 8mm home movies as a hobby - the kids, our houses, trips, pets, etc. Needless to say I took a few reels of Bennett College when everything looked great. The best is a four-minute color video taken in the 'dead of winter' when everything was covered in lovely snow.
I held my camera in one hand and just drove around the entire campus with my Yashica camera going. I transferred it to VHS yearts later and eventurally to DVD. needless to say, there's been some natural deterioration but the place still looks great in the footage.
(I remember Mike McElhaney dreamed of bringing a video studio to Bennett at a time when video cameras were still large and quite expensive. I'm not sure that ever came about or he would have invariably taken videos of the campus, productions, people, etc.
Anyway, I just thought I would add my insight and memories to this site with the hope that someone, somewhere has their memory piqued.
I'll close with a thought similar to somwething I wrote earlier. Seeing Halcyon in those recent photos is a bit like seeing the ocean liner S.S. United States after she was stripped bare by salvage companies.
The "thing" itself still stands in memory and whatever it looks like now is merely a reflection of what human beings value or, to be kind, are unable to maintain due to
change, progress, values, the natural order of things and even a certain sense of disregard which may also be natural to the human condition.
I truly wish that the young ladies of Bennett College have gone on to wonderfully happy and productive lives and that their memories of Bennett are fond ones.
Best Wishes,
Jerry Margolis
As it turned out, finally, over the years accumulated teaching in other Colleges and Universities (MIT Center for Advanced Visual Studies, University of North Carolina, Dartmouth, Queens, SUNY Purchase---the latter which I left Bennett to found the Division of Visual Arts Sculpture Department) that I came to the realization that Bennett was indeed way, way up there, a remarkable school. And isn't this outpouring a testament and a well-deserved tribute to Miss May Friend Bennett's school!?
I'm going to add some more considered comments soon. In the meantime, drop me a line I'd love to hear from the extended Bennett family!
talkite@comcast.net
Attended by a little under 100 people, only
2 people spoke in favor of the proposed development. Former mayor Don Briggs,
under whose term the plan was initially presented, made his case that it was a good
plan in the best interests of Millbrook.
Local contractor and builder Skip Ciferri,
whose ancestors built the stonework of Halcyon, also expressed a desire to see the plan move forward. Unfortunatly, unlike the former mayor, Skip felt the need to excoriate
dissenters, labeling them as "from outside the village" and imposing
'their own elitist view".
The counter argument against the development proposal was more effective
this meeting. 25 people alloted their 3 minute
slot to billionaire Oakleigh Thorne, whose
ancestral farm neighbors the Bennett property to the west. Thorne used the 45 minutes to present a comprehensive
argument against the project, based on
economic, environmental, infrastructure,
and quality of life issues.This included a
56 page slide show, as well as reports from
consultants Morris Associates.
Alot of residents of the existing condominium
community adjacent to the property in question also spoke against the plan. That
development from 1984 converted the
existing dormitories on the Bennet campus.
The meeting was actually very detailed
as far as the specifics of this development's negative impact on the village of Millbrook.
I have not the time nor space to get into those specifics, except to say that they were fairly thorough. The way previous meetings
were conducted, there was no opportunity to respond or counter SPECIFICS of the proposal. This should have been allowed
from the begiining, which seems why Thorne's presentation was necessary to
at least hold the board accountable to those specifics as it decides the fate of the Bennet
Property.
As of tonight, Halcyon Hall is still standing.
Thanks again Motts, you Rock....
'
I hope the structure or some of it can be re-used in some way. If the buildings are too far gone to be saved that is. Maybe they can make a monument to Bennett's school? The B & B would've been a great idea...but that should've happend not too long after it closed in 77. Its (the buildings) have been sitting way too long now (for renovation that is)....and I'm sure costs would be sky high ....so many upgrades needed really. Sad but so true. Either way , Pat, please keep us all updated when you can. Take care.....
Many years later I learned Bennett had closed due to inability to repay NY state Dormatory Authority loans taken out on newer co-ed dorms and when enrollments declined the state would not offer any flexability. This caused the closing of the College. A nearly identical fate nearly occurred to the college I eventually completed a BFA degree from - Cazenovia College. Only for them, the town business people came together and helped the college regroup. kholden@twcny.rr.com
presented. For all intents and purposes,
this means the demolition of Halcyon HAll.
The only real mitigative stipulation by the board was 5 foot sidewalks instead of
4 foot sidewalks, and that was not even out of
compliance with the Americans With
Disabilities Act.!
Opposed Interested parties have expressed astonishment at the vote in light of the
compellingly comprehensive presentation
against the particulars of this development proposal. Be careful who ya vote for, folks,
somewhere around the millenilum, that
vote of yours DID suddenly matter, Huh? ho ho ho...now live with it
Former Mayor Don Briggs, under whom this plan first manifested, was an enthusiastic cheerleader for this development plan,
and commented favorably on the resolution , almost as if he were still mayor.
Just my impression. The current mayor has not been vocal at all, even after promising to
update the public on a monthly basis, and
failing to, even once in seven {7} months.
THe Blumenthal plan provides for SOME
preservation of a tiny fraction of Halcyon Hall,
specifically the stonework foundation, the extant chapel property, some part of the eastern tower wing[ most of which will undoubtedly be almost new construction]
The plan calls for all of this to be conglomerated into some postmodern
jumbling together of the very elements that are being demolished to make room for the
psuedo Tudor condos evoking the real architecture that is making way for it in the first place.
AS a preservationist I try to preserve when
and where possible. The plan approved
PROVIDES EXACTLY FOR SOME OF THIS PRESERVATION! IF THEY DO WHAY HAS BEEN AGREED UPON IN THEIR OWN PLAN.
I emphasize to those opposed to demolition
that the AGREED UPON, IN THIS PLAN,
provisions for SOME preservation of this
site, IS THE BEST that can be hoped for.
I Don't Like it, but it is too far gone to save.
I've been there not long back, and it is just too far gone. Believe me I know from
a structural point of view...
BUT...
NOW that this development plan goes forward, let's makle sure they do what they agreed to, BLUMENTHAL & THE VILLAGE
BOARD...at least in regards to the token
preservation of Millbrook's unique physical heritage.
very nice
principal of Bennett Acquisitions LLC, has
filed a lawsuit in State Supreme Court in Poughkeepsie, against the board of the adjoining Bennett Commons Condominiums.
The suit relates to easements on the property
between the existing condominiums and the soon to be developed areas to be sold by
Heithaus to Brickmann/ Blumenthal partners.
The lot in question is formerly part of the
condominium parcel, yet owned by Heithaus,
whom has payed taxes on it, but has not
been offered the opportunity to vote, or avail himself of any controlling interest in the Bennett Commons Association, despite
owning the lot in question that Heithaus claims
would proportionally give him a 44% vote.
He is seeking to have the lot declared free of any legal encumbrance, pursuant to its sale
for the proposed development.
Another easement situations seems
unresolved as far as the Exmoore property.
This small mansion will be virtually landlocked by this development, and is allegedly left off some of the siteplans.
Rumoured to meet the criteria to be considered a historic property.
Exmoore was built in 1913 as the President's residence for Bennett college.
Designed by Halcyon Hall's original architect,
it continued James E Ware's employ by Mae
Friend Bennett in enlarging and adding to the
college campus that he had originally designed as a hotel 21 years earlier. It is
one of the last buildings in Millbrook designed by Ware. A quietly distinguished
neo colonial residence that has a stately charm, still reminiscent of the early 20th century.
it is also considered something of a dead horse in the local real estate market for
years at varying prices. There isn't a problem with the house itself, it's in excellent and upgraded condition.
It is just one of those difficult properties, made more so
by proximity to the controversial Bennet ruin.
There is also the looming scenario holding
the village responsible to demo in the event of the failure or delay to do so by the development proposal.
most of these snags will likely just add to the eventual cost of this fiasco. I would bet good odds
and real money that will be the justification for
jettisoning the preservation aspects of the development,[what laughingly few there are]
Hopefully selective demolition is not the first casualty of the current economic climate relative to this proposed development's
own stated plans, the plans that have been agreed upon.
So there are a few ghosts in the machine in the race to tear down Halcyon Hall which is 116 years old.
along with Millbrook resident and entrepenuer Paul Orofino,
filed suit against The Millbrook Planning board, for flagrant abuse,
ignorance, and gross violation of Open Meeting Laws, in particular in relation to
handicapped access laws, as well as the
"sped-up" nature of the proceedings, the
bait & switch aspect that has characterized
the nature of these proceedings at least as long as Mott has been photographing the
site, and at least as long as I can remember anyone but me bitching about it all....ho ho ho...
Some Serious People Care what happens, and don't ,to this place, for reasons of Their Own...the word iz the developah wants it all on the fast track, presure, pressure...
Their are also allegations of gross disregard
of historical criteria for preservation
ignored. I would guess this is in regards to Exmoore. But who knows? The promises for the Monument were also extremely vague. The
latest evalution had that as a resource
actually endangered by this development.
What is good for saving history? What are the wiser decisions to make as a generation
to leave the next? What is smart development , what is zoning? When is commerce bad, when is {actual] conservatism Good?
When does the common voice finally get
it's point on record? Before all the rammed
through, backroom ballrub fuck-fix deals
that are NEVER UN-Doable in this country..
When?
Halcyon Hall is to me a boxer who just won't go Down...a fighter who will never tap out.
is the like the publisher's clearing house IN REVERSE... you May Have Already LOST the
sweepstakes.....
to make them less liable for not tearing down
an unsafe building. The board will now officially demand of Louis Heithaus, the properties' developer, and David Blumenthal,
the developer, that they immediately tear down Halcyon Hall. Skip Ciferri seems to be leading the charge on that aspect. I am
unsure if Contento Corporation is still under contract for the demolition of Halcyon Hall.
Village Trustee George Whalen said
:We're all of the opinion now that safety is more important than expense...I think within the calendar year here we should have this figured out." All of a sudden, after 3 plus fuckin decades. safety compliance has suddenly become good for Business! Hoho ho...
The most obvious confluence of conflict of interests {banking, real estate, government]
Millbrook has ever seen Has Spoken.
NOW you can be SURE this fucking place will be demolished any day now!! Halcyon Hall may not see the freakin New year with the hardon the Village Board is fronting to rip this place down, indemnify themselves from liability or cost, get this project done while there is momentum, and ignore the lawsuit{s]
that might stand in the way of the program.
The developer published a guest column in the local weekly periodical to state his final position, promises, the history of his compliance and seeking common ground with his detractors, etc. He claims neighboring properties values will actually INCREASE [lol!...] due to this development.
This paper gave the developer a big fat wet sloppy kiss. Their was perhaps one line in The Editor's own statement on the topic that
even seemed at all concerned, and that only in regards to the Planning Boards handling
of the ongoing proceedings, which has subjected them to lawsuit{s} on the matter.
In other words, they might mea culpa on PROCEDURAL aspects of this fiasco, and the SUBSTANCE of contention is irrelevant
and already decided.
A local resident, eager for demolition,
expressed her fear of the unsafe condition of the building.
Quote: "Kids are going in there and shooting music videos" ! She discovered some on the internet. LOL!!!!
Hell, she should send Me the freaking links, I should have thought of that for my own
rok n' role combo, ha ha....
The dates of demolition are being determined immediately in conjuction with Millbrook's Building Inspector, Ken McLaughlin.
As the first blanket of heavy snow covers
the hudson valley, i'd guess this weekend would be the best last time to photograph
Halcyon Hall. I'd bet it will disappear before
it is ever seen without snow on it again.
This first storm of the year is a heavy one,
the better to blanket Halcyon to sleep finally.
There will probably be more lawsuits.They
probably will not matter. But who knows?
The Law is the Biggest Business there is in Dutchess County in many ways....
Merry Christmas Halcyon Hall....
and Cheers All!
www.nhapeakfoundation.org is our website
allowing the project to proceed, based upon
'procedural errors, insufficient, and erroneous information."
Among the boards blunders were their failure to include the DEC as an involved agency. They also failed to adequately
address impact on two protected streams on the property. This oversight occured in
the developers plans by being ignored as if they do not exist. The same goes for the Exmoore mansion, which IS a historic property, and can be clearly demonstrated to be so. They just pretended it does not exist.
The State Historic Sites Restoration Coordinator has declared Exmoore was not even on the submitted site plans, and that changes in the plan would be required to mitigate the proposed development's impact
on this historic property.
There is also a huge problem relating to water supply, storm runoff, etc that have not been adequately adressed by the developer
in their proposal.
The NYS DEC declared the negative declaration [allowing the proposed development to go forward] be rescinded or amended immediately.
The developer has expressed surprise at this
turn of events, having recently seen the process go pretty much their way despite
overwhelming opposition to this development.
So the race to tear down local history is slowed once again.and not just because of no one dotting I's or crossing T's.
There are serious problems with the substance of the plan on commercial,
environmental, and legal grounds, and the
disgraceful, unethical if not illegal actions
of the board in trying to ram through this
fiasco only underscores their complicity in
trying to defy the public will and interest as
it relates to the gateway to the community.
Send in the lawyers, ho ho...
travel east from poughkeepsie ny on rt 44,
come to the light at the junction of rt 44,
county route 82, and county route 343.
Bennett is diagonally northeast from the light, it IS RIGHT there, in winter you can even see it. I am astonished when people can't seem to locate the place! I would discourage people from going in there, you in all probability could be arrested, and it is extremely unsafe anyway.
but what the hell? i enjoy all of your tresspassing adventures vicariously, since
it is certain that if I, pat ratchet, were caught doing so, they would throw the proverbial book at me, with extreme prejudice, for reasons that are crystal clear to anyone who's read previous posts, and for even more
reasons that will never be made public.
In the interest of full disclosure, i must relate
that a signifigant portion of the info i have posted the last 3 and a half years came directly from The Millbrook Round Table.
Through my No-Bullshit lens, of course.
But The Millbrook Round Table has just gone Out of Business. Announced Tuesday, The last issue comes out Tommorrow. Taconic Press, its' publisher has gone bankrupt.
7 other Dutchess County papers under the Taconic umbrella will also fold as a result.
The Millbrook Round Table's demise seems sadder and more shocking I suppose, because all of Taconic's offices countywide
were located in Millbrook; not to mention that it was published continually since the 1890"s.
in terms of sourcing, i have lost my main source of info on proceedings about Halcyon / Bennet. My supplementary conduits derive mainly from discrete gossip
amongst individuals and entities in local construction, real estate, business, and
legal circles. So it could be awhile before
I am able to provide any more scuttlebutt,
as I am prone now to wind down my muckraking, rather than ratcheting it up, so...
let's just say that the local paper going bellyup is a dream come true for the proposal before Millbrook to develop Bennett College. despite their having been practically cheerleaders for the entire scenario, they
were the only check at all on any
of these developments.
for myself on personal level, i am ready this year to become visibly active on my project on James E Ware & Sons, Architects.
I intend to give lectures locally, in anticipation
of publishing material on the subject.
Halcyon Hall and it's history wil be among the centerpieces of these presentations,
as it is within the architects ouevre.
Perhaps this could put a more public face on
Halcyon's continuing saga.
What would be pretty cool is if the Millbrook board decided to not sell the building But start something like a "Adopt a room" project where famlilies that want to see the building restored and stand for a few hundred more years can donate money to renovate the rooms. Or even to demolish the woodwork, and rebuild it to what it once was and open it as a museum, or since the place does have so much history now. Im sure reopening it as a hotel would attract many people. It cant be to hard to go by all the maps on the internet ive found to make blueprints of the building again
we walk them to the window which we entered and they left. we walk up to the 3rd floor and hear a louder creek. we stopped and went dead silent. All of a sudden we hear-Step, step, step, step, BOOM!!" the door in front of us slams shut, it took us 5 minutes to get where we were it took us 2 minutes to have ran all the way through the building, get out and run to the daycare parking lot and leave. it was crazy
Now I run a civil and environmental engineering company that has worked on redeveloping some large, old abandoned properties. I can tell you from firsthand experience that Bennett is done. Whatever it once was, it cannot be put back together. If the developer is willing to pay $4M for the facility as a tear-down, then the cost of restoring Halcyon Hall alone must be several times that. Until you have done the work of putting one of these sites into useable condition, you really can’t understand the economics of it. This building CAN’T be restored. If it were right back in the condition it was in the seventies, it would still need to be torn apart and refurbished to be useable now. The plumbing, heating, and asbestos issues in the photos I have seen online alone would crush the project.
My experience has been that lots of casual onlookers want these types of “grand old buildings” restored because they make nice scenery as they drive past and local folks get very sentimental for the way it was back when, but very few of these people will ever put a dime to the massive cost of rebuilding it. If you think that Halcyon Hall would work as a hotel, then you haven’t done the math. If the place charged more than high end Manhattan hotels and was full every night, it would take decades to make even a meager ROI on rebuilding it. “Adopt a room?” That idea will work if people will pay a couple of hundred K per room and the rooms would have to be demolished and rebuilt anyway.
From what I have read (and I was sad to hear that the Round Table had folded) there are only two likely paths for Bennett. If the town is lucky, a developer will turn the property into something viable that retains some features of its past architecture. If you can’t find somebody to do that, or if well-meaning, but overly sentimental folks drive the developers off, then the ruin will end up as municipal property (town or county) and will crumble slowly for decades. I have seen way too many properties like this where passionate folks with good intentions run off the developers, celebrate their righteous victory, and then gripe for years after about why nobody will do anything with the ruin.
It is really sad to lose such a distinctive property, but Bennett failed as a college and nobody came up with a viable use for it over the last 30 years. If there was one, it surely would have surfaced during one of the real estate booms during those years.
And take it easy on the cranky caretaker. I knew him in high school and he was a nice (if somewhat intense) guy.
the science building is 33 years old and was never used. i imagine the roofs are compromised, and therefore there is probable water damage.Perhaps not too
bad though,? as the building has a steeply sloping roof. It was considered a modern structure in 1976.
it is slated for demo under the pending development proposal.
the house shown on flickr was faculty housing. it was to be saved under the pending proposal, although to be moved
elsewhere on the property.
to wanderer- there still is no hard date set
on halcyon's demo, despite all the [wrong!]
PREDICTIONS I HAVE speculated on this board! i try to be up to date, and the halcyon saga has been as byzantine a story as there
ever has been in the annals of American preservation, or, non- preservation, as it were.. I'd bet that by the fall? but i also anticipate many more lawsuits!!! LOL!...
so....David Sloan was right, all hope for this building was lost by about 1994 at the latest,
on a structural, business, and practical basis.
Millbrook is inching closer though, to a resolution. The village held a meeting adressing the issue of code compliance of unsafe properties. The legalese / wording of the law was changed. Barricading or fencing off an unsafe property will no longer be acceptable as a remedy for an unsafe structure. This is the first step towards requiring the demolition of Halcyon to comply
with building codes.The change in the law is being touted as a remedy to derelict properties throughout the municipality. Anyone making this assertion is Full of Shit.
You can tell them Pat Ratchet Said So!
It is aimed squarely at The Bennett property
Situation. It's the only derelict property in Millbrook, literally! Has anyone been their lately? Every property is way dialed in... Millbrook is so beauttiful on a scenery basis.....
I would predict the blumenthal plan is dead in the water. In many ways that is unfortunate,
as THEIR PLAN DID PROVIDE FOR SOME PRESERVATION. The village may now be forced to demo out of compliance. This will cost millions, trust me. And that is before all the kickbacks that will be required. Anyone who denies that is a liar.
The positive end will be public safety [that is, if the asbestos is removed properly, WHICH IT NEVER IS!!! anyone who says it is, can ALSO BE INCLUDED ON MY LIST OF LIARS.]
With Halcyon gone, perhaps proper development could occur, as opposed
to the sledgehammer job that probably would have ocurred. Existing properties will be able to be free of the hindrance this adjacent
problem has visited upon them.
That the property would not be SO heavily overdeveloped is probably the smart concern.
Which must be balanced against the fiscal requirement of the village to have some plan
for the eventual disposition of this property.
Not to mention the actual owner of Halcyon Hall.
this has all gone on so much longer than anyone would have foreseen.
i do believe this year that their will be some resolution of alot of these matters, and that the building will be demolished sometime in 09. but i have been wrong before, haven't I heh..heh...
thanks as always Motts, for doing the things you do, the way you do them...
shameless plug: look for a pat ratchet guest column in the Poughkeepsie Journal ANY DAY NOW, about historic preservation.! ok....
I can hear Karen Black now, "I've been waiting for you Ben"!
Having been in every inch of that building, I can tell you it was amazing and should have been taken care of.
On a separate note, I have ( and I believe all graduates got or had the chance to get) a beautiful watercolor o the main building when we graduated . I have it in my home and when ever I look at it i remember sun bathing and running around on that great front lawn and looking up at that great building!
I hope someone can save it!!!!!
I imagine that this is a house where a princess would be inside, sleeping for 100 years, then waiting to be kissed awake (by me of course! - no, I am not a frog, that is another fairy tale).
I searched Google for "millbrook old house mansion derelict" and found this site - now I know what this house is about
I will post here once I have my pictures online - will create a photosynth from it.
http://photosynth.net/...7554052307&p=0:0
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She was interning at a Poughkeepsie radio station where I worked.
I will never forget this grand building. Walking into the main room, well stocked with lovely young things, was like being on a movie set.
I've only grown more fond of old architecture and young girls over the years, the vanishing of both from this site breaks my heart.
There is a 1965 Bennett yearbook in my collection with about 141 Seniors that year.
www.simcenter.org/PDFs/Millbrook_Photomontages-web.pdf
It appears as though you brought your very own baggage along when you tried teaching at Bennett. The President of the college was actually a quiet, unassuming guy and there were no more "self-serving" faculty members than one would find in any college anywhere.
I think most of the people who are willing to offer comments here are expressing their opinions about a great architectural structure being allowed to fall into dismal ruin and certainly not the vindictive assault of one
"unhappy camper."
It has been an ongoing tragedy to see this beautiful, venerable institution fall into ruin. But this did not happen by itself. Perhaps what was needed was a strong and capable person to assume the responsibilities of leader, rather than a "quiet, unassuming guy".
but the problem is that i am only 13 and i live in the u.k....i think it is a bit far! Mum said we can go one day when i am older if it is still there!!! would we be able to go inside for a peeck? If people(the young ladds) were peckish could they go and get something to eat or would thay have to wait for someone?
i wished i lived in the U.S.A!!!