Historic Lent house demolished unexpectedly, despite outcry

O RANGEBURG – Preservationists in Orangetown were shocked Saturday morning as the 263-year-old Dutch Colonial that they were determined to save was being demolished in front of their eyes.

"This is a very sad day for Colonial America," said Clare Sheridan, of Tappan, one of those people who rushed to the historic home characterized by its use of sandstone.

Built in 1752, the Abram Lent house had been sitting at the end of South Greenbush Road next to the CSX freight line.

About a year ago, the property owners, Charlie and Tom Graff, signed a 75-year lease agreement with RD Management LLC, the developer of the Orangeburg Commons shopping center off Route 303. The developer is expected to move on to the second phase of its shopping center development, which currently includes Residence Inn Marriott and a Shop & Shop.

As a part of the lease agreement, the Graff brothers were told to tear down the house that sits on the one-acre property. So they applied for a demolition permit from Orangetown.

Soon after the demolition permit was issued, the Orangetown Historical Museum & Archives contacted the owners and expressed its interest in preserving the house. The brothers told the officials they would donate the structure if the organization can remove it from the property at its own cost.

But one year later, no action has been taken, and the owners decided to demolish the house because they were afraid that they might lose the deal, Charlie Graff said Saturday.

"We tried to work with the historical society," Charlie Graff said, referring to the Orangetown organization. "Both my brother and I are sad to see this. But we gave the historical society one year and told them, 'Time is the essence. Do not waste time.'"

Andy Stewart, Orangetown supervisor, organized a meeting as recently as Friday night with Tom Graff and other preservationists to plan how to save the home. Stewart said he was "led ... to believe there was a shared understanding of the desirability and feasibility of salvage and reuse."

"I am extremely disappointed the Lent house was demolished, when plans were underway to salvage and store its historic elements for future reuse," Stewart said.

Mary Cardenas, director of the town's historical museum and local historian, said she also thought there was more time to raise money to dismantle the structure, move the materials and store them elsewhere. Cardenas intended the preserved home to eventually be reused as a public space.

"I came away from the meeting yesterday morning thinking that there was an understanding," Cardenas said. "It's wrenching to see this piece of history going down."

Charlie Graff said the final decision to demolish the home was made Friday night after consulting with their attorney, who advised them it would be their best interest to take down the house.

"This is our retirement. I don't want to take a chance. I'm scared for my life. I have nothing. With this, I have something," Charlie Graff said of the lease agreement, which will help support him and his family. "I didn't want to stall the project anymore."

Tom Artin, who organized the Save Lent House Facebook group and website along with his wife Cynthia and their friends, said they were dismayed.

"It's horrible. ... We had worked out a way to save it," Artin said. "It was not going to stop the development. ... It was going to be a win-win solution."

Hocherman, Tortorella and Wekstein LLP, a law firm representing the developer, could not be reached for comment Saturday.

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