Another One Lost

In a city that purports to value its architectural heritage and is constantly wringing its collective hands about the shortage of housing, it would seem there might be some serious effort to enact and enforce policies to protect the housing that exists from abandonment, neglect, and deterioration, but such is not the case. Maybe it's part of Hudson's DNA. After all, half a century ago, a report that found Hudson to have the worst housing stock in the State of New York inspired the policy- and decision-makers in Hudson at the time to demolish vast swaths of the city and use federal Urban Renewal money, then flowing freely, to fill the void with subsidized housing.

That rant was inspired by the demolition today of house in the 400 block of Columbia Street. 

The house was not located in any historic district, so there was nothing to prevent its being demolished. When it met its end, it was unoccupied and covered with vines. Some sleuthing online and in the assessment rolls found that the house was purchased for $135,000 in 2017 by an LLC (limited liability company) called Four Two Five. (The address of the house was 425 Columbia Street.) At some point during the intervening eight years, there was an effort to sell house. The listing can still be found on Zillow, accompanied by this picture and with an asking price of $309,100. 

The Zillow listing indicates the house is now "Off market." Indeed, the house is now is not only off market, it is off the face of the earth.

COPYRIGHT 2026 CAROLE OSTERINK