Memory Lane

A reader reminded Gossips of this press release, from May 7, 2012, which can still be found on the Galvan Foundation website.

THE GALVAN FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES A HISTORIC PRESERVATION INITIATIVE TO SAVE TWO HISTORIC AND IMPORTANT PIECES OF HUDSON’S ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE.

HUDSON, NY May 7, 2012 -- The Foundation mission, in part, is preserving the unique architectural heritage of the City of Hudson. In accordance with our mission, the foundation proposes to move 900 Columbia Street and the Robert Taylor House to vacant lots Galvan already owns.

900 Columbia Street is currently a group home run by the Mental Health Association of Columbia Greene Counties. They are in need of a new housing facility, which they plan to build on the lot behind 900 Columbia, and then raze the house to make room for parking. They have generously offered to transfer the building at no cost to anyone who would move it. The site selected for the house is located at 215 Union Street, Hudson, NY.

The Robert Taylor House, located at 68 South 2nd Street, has been vacant for many years. On its current site the house is somewhat lost, and looks out over warehouses, when originally it looked out over the South Bay towards Mt. Merino, the river and the Catskills beyond. The site selected for the Taylor house is 21 Union Street, Hudson NY.

These moves require cooperation and assistance from the several City agencies as well as residents. For example, we must provide the movers with a clear path, including temporarily adjusting electrical lines and street lights.  We also have to trim any tree branches that might impede the move, and no parking on the streets along the route will be possible on the day of the move. Traffic will also have to be rerouted for the move. The Foundation is hopeful that in the interest of preserving these two important historic houses that all interested parties will provide the cooperation necessary to make these moves possible

On May 11, 2012, the Historic Preservation Commission denied a certificate of appropriateness to the proposal to move the Robert Taylor House but granted a certificate of appropriateness to move 900 Columbia Street. The press release makes it pretty clear that what was being proposed at the time, and, more importantly, what the HPC deemed appropriate, was to move the house not to "disassemble" it and "reassessible" it, which is what is actually happening.