A House With a Role in the Revolution Is Now Left Unprotected

NY Times ^ | July 5, 2010 | PETER APPLEBOME

[Pharmboy]

NORTH WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.

There

[EmilyGeiger]

Have a bake sale. :) Many would come to an event to save it, and they would probably raise more money than what they could get from the government.

[Pharmboy]

My most sincere apology to you...number 12 was NOT meant for you.

[appeal2]

I live nearby. We can’t afford it but there are plenty of private groups who can. If it wasn’t for our town governments inaction all these years, this wouldn’t be a problem.

[Mere Survival]

Well, remember that if it was valuable someone would actually buy it and restore it.

[Pharmboy]

Indeed, they did abstain. From LIBERTY! The American Revolution by Thomas Fleming:

The next morning, July 2, the performance for the benefit of the public (and the historians) went smoothly. Twelve colonies voted for independence. Only New York abstained for want of instructions but her delegates declared themselves heartily in favor of independence.

[healy61]

I would be surprised if you spent 200,000k. It should be at least stabilised with a new roof, rain run off protection, paint and chaulking the windows. Other things can be attended to later. And open it more often or by appointment. I agree taxpayers shouldn’t be funding 1.anything million.

[Pharmboy]

Indeed...some places and houses are minor, but this one, IMO, is not. A skirmish happened on "Miller's Hill" within sight of the farmhouse and meetings with his staff took place here. White Plains was an important battle early in the war.

I believe it is important for modern Americans to see how the Founders lived and fought, the hardships they endured and what they overcame. And here, I use the term Founders to include all those who gave to the cause with blood and/or money/supplies.

[healy61]

Pharmboy, your manners are lacking. You didn’t welcome mere survival. He arrived on April 29th, and will likely be leaving us very soon.

[dusttoyou]

ignorance to the thread...it’s been a while since we’ve had any and it’s always important to have diversity here

Have you missed the threads on BP wildwell? Such diversity abounds on those.

As to the old house, I’m with #10.

[SunkenCiv]

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[Gay State Conservative]

If I were a fabulously wealthy American, I would buy it and restore it. Perhaps such a person exists...

Perhaps Soros should be contacted.

[XRdsRev]

Actually being old does make something historical. The argument becomes exactly how significant the history is.

I agree that not everything is worth preserving but as it is right now, very little including very historic places are preserved.

I think that a building where George Washington planned Revolutionary War strategy including the actions of one of the biggest battle of the Revolution is clearly historically significant and worthy of preservation.

[DTogo]

Maybe the Tea Party types will come up with the money.

The NY Slimes...

[moovova]

Apology accepted...but...wow.

[niteowl]

My first reaction was the same as #14 - why would it take $1.2M to restore a colonial-era farmhouse? Searching for other pictures leads here, which contains some facts that are carefully left out of the NYSlimes hatchet-piece against Republicans and the Tea-Party (and which shows a much better picture, from the front of the house):

http://www.wpcnr.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=8160

The money lines to me are:

-the current location of the building in an industrial area is not suitable for visitors and more spending would be needed to move the house.

-The Miller House is open to the public the third Sunday of each month from February through October and has approximately 150 visitors per year.

-Astorino said. “This veto message should not be construed as abandonment by the county of its obligation to maintain this historic site. The county will continue to carry out its responsibility to keep this structure viable.

So the house is not to be "unprotected" by the county (as lied about in the Slimes), and precious county resources would go towards a site that gets 150 visitors per year ($105,000/150 = $700 per visit per year).

This isn't an easy issue, but it seems to me that Mr. Astorino is acting pretty responsibly here. On GoogleEarth, the site today seems to be surrounded by office buildings, not an open battlefield, so the aesthetics wouldn't seem to attract a lot of visitors even if it were open more often.

[hedgetrimmer]

Many historic adobes in Monterey, California were saved by citizen grouping together and forming the Monterey History and Art association.

They purchased the adobes and use them for historic tours and events, and as locations for their art collections done by Monterey artists.

[aculeus]

Meanwhile in London a good news story.

http://benjaminfranklinhouse.org/site/sections/default.htm

[SampleMan]

Actually being old does make something historical. The argument becomes exactly how significant the history is. I agree that not everything is worth preserving but as it is right now, very little including very historic places are preserved. I think that a building where George Washington planned Revolutionary War strategy including the actions of one of the biggest battle of the Revolution is clearly historically significant and worthy of preservation.

1. Rocks are generally not historical, yet they are extremely old. The two are not synonomous.

2. Very well, how much have you personally contributed? The point being that preservation (especially preservation that preclude functional use) is quite expensive. Apparently this piece of history ranks lower on the priority list, but private individuals are always free to donate.

[XRdsRev]

I hate to break it to you but rocks ARE part of the geologic history of the earth, therefore by definition they are historic (properly speaking they are pre-historic) unless modified or utilized in some function by humankind at which point they become (pre)historic artifacts or elements of historic geology.

I have spent considerable amounts of my own time and money on historic preservation and history related causes. Particularly those related to the American Revolution and Civil War. I have worked in excess of 1000 hours, gratis, helping municipalities catalogue and plan for their historic Revolutionary War resources. All the while keeping a “real” job and taking care of a family.

Three of the sites I helped rediscover are now publicly owned historical sites, visited by thousands of people anually, including visitors from outside the local areas who bring in revenue to the local economies without utilizing municipal services. I have also helped in the marking and preservation of 2 unknown soldiers graves on small unpreserved battlefields. So I don’t just talk the talk.

[Smokin' Joe]

Moving the building loses it’s significance. Move the artifacts to the local museum and be done with it.

Yep. I cn see the placard by the door: "Washington slept here.. well, actually, over there..."