The Documents in the Case: The General Worth Hotel, Part I

The demolition of the General Worth Hotel forty years ago continues to fascinate. The hotel is mentioned, although not by name, in Henry James’s The American Scene. Its demolition is the historic event at the center of the novel The Spirit of the Place, by Hudson native son Stephen Bergman, writing as Samuel Shem. It should have been Hudson’s Penn Station, but it wasn’t. Instead its demise was the beginning of an orgy of demolition and rebuilding in Hudson that altered forever the area around Promenade Hill and more than fifty acres in the Second Ward.  

Gossips recently discovered two newspaper articles from the fall of 1969. Their discovery is the beginning of an investigation of what was reported in the press about the controversy over the demolition of the General Worth. The Hudson River Valley Commission, which is mentioned in both articles, was a precursor of the Hudson River Valley Greenway—a state entity focused on the environmental and physical needs of the Hudson Valley—which existed in the 1960s and early 1970s.

Schenectady Gazette, September 10, 1969

Hudson Hearing Set on Razing Old Hotel

ALBANY (UPI)—The Hudson Valley Commission will hold a public hearing Sept. 15 in Hudson to determine whether the historic General Worth Hotel can be preserved.

The General Worth was built in 1837 and was the center of the city’s social and cultural life in the mid 19th century, when Hudson was a major river port. The hotel was closed six years ago and city officials want to demolish it.

Kingston Daily Freeman, October 10, 1969

Would Preserve Hudson Hotel

HUDSON—The Hudson River Valley Commission today urged that the City of Hudson, Columbia County, abandon its plan to demolish the historic General Worth Hotel, and, instead, recommended that the City or interested civic groups take advantage of Federal and State programs to renovate the building for present day community needs.

The Commission announced its findings on the importance of the General Worth Hotel following an extended review of the proposed demolition, including a public hearing held Sept. 15 in Hudson.

HRVC Chairman Fergus Reid III, who made the announcement, said that “the Commission finds that the General Worth Hotel is an historic resource of importance to the nation as well as to the citizens of this Hudson River Valley,” and described the 1837 building as “a building of prime importance as a rare example of a Greek Revival hotel, one of the earliest remaining prototypes of the urban hotel in America.”

"They Paved Paradise . . . "

On a recent visit to Willard Place, I noticed that the street, as it circles around at the end of this historic neighborhood, had been widened, encroaching on the green area that is the centerpiece of Willard Park. It seems odd that the City should take such action when the question of whether Willard Park is parkland or "excess city land" has yet to be decided in court.  

A Willard Place resident explained that over the summer workers rehabbing the interior of one of the "Greek Revival" houses introduced onto Willard Place in recent years had parked their vehicles on the grass in the circle, leaving it a rutted mess. The solution seems to have been simply to pave over the damaged area. This action brings to mind a suggestion made by former Second Ward Alderman Quintin Cross back in 2004 when the question of parking for the new houses was being discussed. Cross's idea: Pave the circle and make it a parking lot.  
  

Not to Be Missed

Inspired by this morning's Gossips post "Hudson Renaissance Blamed for Homelessness," Sam Pratt has published on his blog a recollection of what the "adequate supply of cheap housing in the city of Hudson," which is supposed to have existed before the newcomers came and started rescuing houses, was really like: "From Whorehouse to Warehouse."   

The Best Laid Plans

The new owners of 226-228 Warren Street appeared before the Historic Preservation Commission several times. The HPC was very thorough and patient about advising the owners and explaining their expectations. 

Since no photographs could be found that showed the building as it was originally or in the 19th century, and the building was being converted from an apartment building to a mixed use building with commercial space on the ground floor, the HPC encouraged the owners to use the projecting storefronts on other buildings on the block as a model for what they were planning for their building. There was a lot of conversation about compatibility and creating something that was in keeping with the historic character of the block and the city. 

Finally, at their September meeting, the Historic Preservation Commission granted the project a certificate of appropriateness, and Gossips reported on it.   

So how did we end up with this?

Hudson Renaissance Blamed for Homelessness

The second in a series of "in-depth coverage articles" by Francesca Olsen about the recent DSS efficiency study appears in today's Register-Star: "Study: Ditch motel model."  

The article quotes from the study: “For years there had been an adequate supply of cheap housing in the city of Hudson. In the 1990s, this pattern began to shift as older tenement houses in Hudson were bought by individuals more interested in classic architecture than in using them as rental housing on the low end of the housing market. Those that did come back on the market as rentals were often priced far above the standard shelter allowances provided for individuals or families in receipt of public assistance." How inconvenient for DSS.
 
The study goes on to recommend that, instead of building a homeless shelter, which, it points out, would have to be very large to accommodate the county's homeless population, now averaging 100, and would involve, in addition to the initial capital investment, the continuing expense of staffing and support services, the county establish "congregate housing"--apartments in buildings that the county either leases or owns. The study assumes that DSS will remain in Hudson and therefore recommends that the congregate housing be in Hudson as well or "within reasonable proximity to the city." Would this mean more buildings--enough to create apartments for 100 people--off the tax rolls in Hudson?

Not to Be Missed

An article about Crittall windows, by architect, Hudson resident, and Historic Hudson board member Juan Carretero, is in today's issue of the British newspaper The Independent: "Retro windows a must-have in New York." 

The photo that accompanies this post is not from the article. It shows the metal windows at the Charles Williams School on North Third Street, which, although they may not actually be Crittall windows, are certainly worthy of preservation.

Not to Be Missed

The Ricky Files, Sam Pratt's collection of documents from the past decade of Hudson politics, is at sampratt.com. Volume 4 was published today. Here are the links to the previous volumes.
Volume 1
Volume 2
Volume 3   

Tuesday Night at City Hall

Not much happened at Tuesday night's informal Common Council meeting, but a few dates were announced to keep in mind going forward.

2011 City Budget
November 3, 1 to 3 p.m., and November 4, 5 to 7 p.m.  Budget available for review by Common Council
November 10, 6 p.m.  Mayor presents the budget to Common Council 
November 17, 6 p.m.  Public hearing on the budget
November 30, 7 p.m.  Common Council votes on the budget

LWRP
Common Council President Don Moore expressed his hope that a presentation of the comments on the LWRP and the responses on behalf of the City being recommended by BFJ Planning and City Attorney Cheryl Roberts will by made at the November informal meeting, to be held on November 8. When asked by Third Ward Alderman Ellen Thurston when the Council will get to see the comments and responses, Moore said he thought they were now with the Department of State for review. 

What's the Status with Kaz?

Some months ago, HDC Executive Director Peter Markou spoke of the acquisition of the Kaz warehouses off Cross Street and Tanners Lane as if it were something that could be finalized any day. Someone who attended the gathering at Eric Galloway's house last Saturday night reported that Mayor Rick Scalera spoke of closing on the warehouse property this week. A report in this morning's Register-Star, however, gives the impression that discussions with Kaz are just beginning: "HDC to discuss acquiring Kaz Inc. properties."

The picture shows the property in question from the South Second Street stairs.   

Point Me to the River

The signs guiding people to Henry Hudson Riverfront Park appeared recently, just in time for Columbus Day weekend. As promised, there are three of them: one at Third and Allen, one at the western terminus of Warren Street, and one at South Front and Ferry streets. Skip Weed is to be congratulated for successfully incorporating elements from the riverfront park signage into a very appealing navigational sign. The only disparaging word that's been heard about them is that they are difficult to read from a moving car. Could that be because they don't have upper- and lowercase letters?

On the topic of signs, the Register-Star reported yesterday that a volunteer committee has taken on the task of assessing the signs that lead to and around Hudson and making recommendations for improvement: "Team looks to improve signage to city."  Gossips would like to pass along this tip to the committee: Word has it that the village of Skaneateles in the Finger Lakes has signage that is comprehensive, effective, and aesthetically pleasing. Before all the leaves are off the trees, a field trip to central New York might be in order.    

"I Pledge Allegiance . . . "

The Pledge, a new book about the origin and history of the Pledge of Allegiance, written by Hudson resident Peter Meyer, is reviewed today in the Wall Street Journal.

ArtsWalk Humor

Corner of Warren & Fifth



Next to 445 Warren Street

Saturday Night with the Mayor

Attendance at the event at Eric Galloway's house on Saturday, described as a meet and greet with Mayor Richard Scalera, was by invitation only. Gossips was not invited. What is reported here was gathered from reliable sources who had been invited to attend and did. Yes, the report is hearsay, but this is, after all, The Gossips of Rivertown. Anyone who wants to correct, take issue with, or elaborate on anything said is encouraged to do so by posting a comment.       

On Saturday night, invited guests, described by one observer as "young and well dressed," gathered at Eric Galloway's antebellum mansion on Allen Street to meet the mayor of Hudson. Before the event, Hudson was abuzz with speculation about its purpose, and afterward some people present reported that they were still unclear about what it was meant to accomplish.

With the fifty or so guests seated in chairs arranged in rows, the evening began with Tom Swope introducing the mayor. In his introduction, Swope explained that when he first came to Hudson he was not a fan of the mayor, but he soon changed his attitude. Later on in the evening, Jamison Teale professed his loyal support of the mayor, boasting that, unlike Swope, he had supported the mayor from the beginning. Gail Walker also declared her fondness for the mayor, calling him a "decent guy."

Before he began what was described as a "long presentation" about his accomplishments during his many years in office, Scalera assured the audience that he was not running for mayor again. Rather, he said, he plans to run at the county level. Exactly what county office he would be seeking is unclear. He lives in the Fifth Ward, and in 1999, when he decided to run for Fifth Ward supervisor instead of mayor, he lost. Also, no one in the crowd on Saturday night seemed to be a resident of the Fifth Ward. In fact, word has it that a few people on the guest list were neither residents nor property owners in Hudson.

Having disclosed his political plans for the future, Scalera talked about his accomplishments in office over nearly two decades. (With the exception of two years--2000 and 2001--when Ken Cranna was mayor and two years--2006 and 2007--when Dick Tracy was mayor, Rick Scalera has been the mayor of Hudson since January 1994.) The highlights, according to reports, were the new water treatment plant, paid for with a no-interest loan which the City is now repaying with income from a "rent to own" deal, negotiated by Scalera with A. Colarusso & Sons, for more than 200 acres of land surrounding the City's secondary water supply, and the waste water treatment plant now under construction, financed by federal stimulus money. Both projects provide evidence of his ability to find money to finance major capital projects from sources other than local property taxes. Scalera also cited "cleaning up Warren Street" as one of his accomplishments and mentioned specifically putting lids on the trash barrels to prevent people from dumping household trash in them. 

Speaking of accomplishments he hopes will soon be realized, Scalera told the group that he is committed to getting the LWRP adopted this year and that next week the City--or rather Hudson Development Corporation (HDC)--will close on the old Kaz warehouse at the head of Tanners Lane. Although he seems not to have talked about the plan for this property on Saturday, more than a year ago he explained that his intention was to raze the building to expand the parking lot for the train station and provide additional parking for people attending events at the waterfront.   

Following the mayor's presentation, there was a question-and-answer period moderated by Peggy Polenberg. One audience member asked if the mayor was for or against demolishing Bliss Towers. He said he was definitely for it. At some point in the discussion, presumably in the context of the conversation about Bliss Towers, Scalera said he hoped "people would buy up these buildings and make them beautiful." It wasn't clear what he meant by "these buildings," but it's assumed he was talking about surviving pre-Urban Renewal houses in the Second Ward. 

Another audience member asked how many of the 7,000 people living in Hudson received some kind of social services. Scalera said he didn't know, but someone in the audience offered the information that more than 60 percent of Hudson residents rely on social services.

The oft-cited fact that 50 percent of the properties in Hudson are not on the tax rolls--either tax exempt or receiving some kind of PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes)--was also mentioned. On the topic of the heavy tax burden levied on the few, Scalera allegedly made the observation that the taxpayers of Hudson have to support a large police force (the police force represents half the City budget), but the people who make such a large police force necessary do not own property and do not pay taxes. 

When asked to share his vision for the waterfront, Scalera said he was hoping a restaurant will open on the waterfront very soon, which seems to lend credence to the suspicion that there's a plan afoot to sell the old Dunn warehouse building across from Henry Hudson Riverfront Park, now owned by the City (or maybe by HDC), to some private developer--perhaps to Eric Galloway. The mayor also spoke about attracting to the waterfront some big, fabulous industrial enterprise that would utilize the railroad and the river to ship goods out of Hudson. Might he have Aerocity wind turbines in mind? 

Window Wars

In 2006, the Preservation League of New York State included "Original & Historic Wood Windows" on its Seven to Save Endangered Properties List. The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Certified Local Government Program advocates for the preservation of original and historic wood windows. The National Trust for Historic Preservation supports repairing historic windows instead of replacing them, warning that "once original material is removed from a building, it is gone forever." A collection of articles arguing for the preservation of old wood windows, assembled by the Northeast Chapter of the Association for Preservation Technology, is available online. Still the message that "window restoration has proven favorable over window replacement in terms of architectural integrity and aesthetics, energy efficiency, sustainability, durability, and long term, material life span economics" * seems not yet to have reached Hudson.

Applications to replace historic windows with replacement windows of varying levels of quality come before the Historic Preservation Commission all the time. At the HPC's October meeting on Friday, October 7, there were two such applications: one from the owner of the St. Charles Hotel; the other from the current owner of the former Maxie's on South Front Street. The application for the St. Charles Hotel was deemed incomplete. The applicant was asked to provide the missing information and return in November. The application for 22 South Front Street was complete, but it presented several problems. 

First, the HPC discussed whether or not they should consider the application when neither the applicant nor a representative of the applicant was present. During the course of this discussion, it was revealed that the applicant had, without obtaining a certificate of appropriateness from the HPC, gone ahead and purchased vinyl replacement windows and that 90 percent of them had already been installed. A stop work order has been issued by Code Enforcement Officer Peter Wurster until the applicant comes before the HPC and a certificate of appropriateness is granted or denied. 

The building, which was purchased by Peter Schram last summer, is currently owned by Andy King, who plans, we've been told, to open a "nautical-themed" restaurant there. Schram, although no longer the owner of record, holds the mortgage on the building and is overseeing the renovations. Peter Wurster, who was at the meeting on Friday, explained that he had advised King that a building permit would not be required for interior alterations so long as no structural changes were involved but had cautioned him that any exterior alterations would require a certificate of appropriateness from the Historic Preservation Commission.

More than an hour into the meeting, when the HPC had decided that they could not consider an application unless the applicant was present, Peter Schram arrived. The discussion began with HPC architect member Jane Smith informing Schram that vinyl windows were not in keeping with the historic character of the building and were not acceptable. Other members of the HPC pointed out that their decisions were based on the Secretary of the Interior's Guidelines for Treatment of Historic Properties, and the guidelines specify, in order of acceptability, repairing the existing windows; when that is impossible, replacing them with wood windows that replicate the originals; when that is impossible because of cost constraints, replacing the existing windows metal-clad windows that imitate the originals.  

Schram argued that the windows had already been purchased and most of them had been installed. He pointed out that Andy King had talked with HPC chair Tom Swope in the spring, and Swope had given him "advice" which he took to be approval of his plans for the windows. Schram called it a "misunderstanding" and said it was "not intentionally done." 

Swope explained that he had not given approval to King, that no individual member of the HPC could give approval, and that a formal application and review by the HPC was required for a certificate of appropriateness. He then, however, expressed his opinion that "these windows are actually pretty all right." When another member of the HPC suggested a way that the HPC might be able to grant a certificate of appropriateness to the already installed windows, HPC member Tony Thompson asked, "Is this what we're going to do in the future? If people go ahead and do things, pretending they didn't know, are we going to try to shoehorn things?" When Swope said, "We have to consider our role in economic development," he was told by other members of the HPC that such a consideration was irrelevant and not in the purview of the Historic Preservation Commission.

In the end, it was decided that the members of the HPC would, before the November meeting, go to the site and look at the windows, and at the November meeting they would decide whether or not to grant a certificate of appropriateness. HPC counsel Cheryl Roberts told Schram that the project was currently in violation of city code because work had been done without a certificate of appropriateness and described two courses of action that would be open to him if the HPC denied a certificate of appropriateness: he could apply for a hardship variance as prescribed by Hudson's historic preservation law, or he could appeal to the Common Council. 

* Kimberly Konrad Alvarez & John D. Alvarez II, AIA. "Restoring Our Appreciation of Historic Wood Windows: Making a Case for Restoration Versus Replacement." 

Whither the Garden?

Gossips has learned that the raised beds and the soil from the dismantled garden at the Youth Center were supposed to go to the Henry Hudson Discovery Garden at Hudson Junior High School, but on Saturday morning, when Gossips went to check, there was no sign of the materials at the site. Perhaps they're not meant to be delivered until spring.

An Afternoon of Chamber Music

If, after the Hudson Opera House gala, Historic Hudson's Old House Tour, and tonight's silent auction to benefit the Valley Alliance's Save the South Bay project, you still have some disposable income to contribute to a good cause, there's an event on Sunday that promises to be memorable: an afternoon of chamber music to benefit the Dr. Oliver Bronson House, Hudson's own National Historic Landmark, distinguished for its connection with influential 19th-century American architect Alexander Jackson Davis. 

The afternoon begins at 1 o'clock with a tour of the Bronson House conducted by preservation architect and Bronson House enthusiast Alan Neuman. At 2 o'clock, there's a concert by "Healing Harmonies" String Trio at 13 City Hall Place, Peggy Anderson's "ruin" behind the Hudson Opera House. After the concert, there will be reception in the courtyard of the ruin. 

The cost of this afternoon of beauty and delight is $75, which supports Historic Hudson's ongoing project to stabilize and restore the Dr. Oliver Bronson House--definitely a worthy cause.  

Ear to the Ground

Gossips has learned that Eric Galloway is inviting people to his house this Saturday night for a cocktail party and a meet and greet with Mayor Richard Scalera.

Hmmm. One wonders what that's all about.

Book Signing Tonight

If you're stuck in New York City and can't attend tonight's official reopening of the History Room at the library, there's something you can do that will make you feel that you're right back in your favorite little upstate city. Go to a book signing to celebrate the release of Sacred Landscapes: The Threshold Between Worlds. The book is the creation of two Hudson residents. The photographs are by Lynn Davis; the text is by Tad Mann.

The book signing takes place from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Knoedler & Company, 19 East 70th Street. On view in the gallery is an exhibition of Lynn Davis's work: Persistence of Form: Photographs 1978-2010.

DSS Efficiency Study

The first in a series of "in-depth coverage articles" reporting the results of an efficiency study of the Columbia County Department of Social Services is in today's Register-Star: "Study: DSS can do better."

Among the recommendations and observations made in the study, as cited in the article, are: 

• DSS should replace its current use of motel rooms to house homeless people with congregate housing "where the county is the landlord either via a lease arrangement or because it owns the dwelling."
• DSS should expand its employment program to help people become less reliant on DSS by developing "community work experience sites" where people can get supervised work experience and interact with community members. 
• DSS should work with the Columbia County Family Court to develop "an operative model" to slow the admission rate of children into foster care. The study reports that "anecdotal information" suggests "the Columbia County Family Court often exhibits a level of judicial activism that exceeds that of other upstate family courts in New York."    

Not to Be Missed

Chasing another story, Gossips missed the boat on this story about the cruise ship docked at The Point in Catskill, but you can read all about it on Sam Pratt's blog: "Missing the Boat."