Bye-bye (probably) to these houses

The Committee for Historic Preservation gave the O.K. for homes around Scarsdale to be at least 50% demolished. Will you miss them?

BY DEBORAH SKOLNIK

The Insider attended Tuesday’s meeting of the Committee for Historic Preservation, and it was fascinating! Before we look at the properties the Committee assessed, here’s how the process works:

What does the CHP do? It reviews every application filed with the Scarsdale Building Department for a permit to demolish all or a large part of any building in the Village.

What does the CHP look for? It must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt that the building’s architect wasn’t a reputed master of their craft, and that no one of note (not that we aren’t all special!) ever lived there.

What does the CHP do with the info? If those conditions are met, a “Certificate of Appropriateness” is issued, affirming that neither of these issues stand in the way of a demo.

And then the house can be torn down, right? Not so fast. If the certificate is granted, the applicant is remanded to the planning board first for site plan approval, and after that the applicant moves on to the Board of Architectural Review. Only after those steps can a project begin.

What properties did the CHP look at on Tuesday? Glad you asked. Here they are.

8 Dell Road  "It's a little bit of a mishsmash inside," said the demo applicant.

First up was 8 Dell Road, built in 1950. According to building records, no major changes were made to the structure in its 74 years. Committee member Jonathan Lerner noted that the architect was well known in Westchester, but not nationally renowned. In fact, the man behind this house was better known as a sculptor, and one of his works can be found near Quaker Market.

36 Secor Road  "There have been a lot of houses coming down in this area," the applicant shared.

Built in 1950, 36 Secor Road does not fit into any single genre of home style. The applicant spoke to someone who had actually known the architect and described the latter as “a nice guy.” This home sits amid a neighborhood in flux: In the surrounding 250-foot area, “there were five houses that applied for fifty percent or a total of demolition,” the applicant said. Google searches turned up no former residents of historical importance. It was noted that a man named James F. Doyle lived in the home in the 1970s, and was the incoming president of a firm called Thomas Cook & Sons, but he is not thought to have been part of an influential family in the area of the same name.

16 Hamilton Road  is fertile ground (more on that). A different house was designed for the site in the 1930s, but was never built for unknown reasons.

The home's detached garage.

Much of 16 Hamilton Road remains unchanged since it was built in 1952, except for the dormer, which was added at an unknown date. Lerner noted that a local birth announcement in the 1960s, proudly sharing the arrival of a son, indicated that “the Robert Van Horn family” resided in the house at the time. In the 1970s, another family, the Millers, lived in the house, evidenced by a birth announcement in a local paper welcoming their fourth son. “So, it was a lucky house if you wanted to have a baby,” Committee member Lerner noted. This was the sole home that did not receive a Certificate of Appropriateness during the meeting; it was held over because the architect of the house was listed incorrectly.

22 Meadow Road  is of unknown architectural provenance and has undergone several renovations. 

Included as part of a subdivision on a file map from 1953, 22 Meadow Road was issued a certificate of occupancy in 1954. “We could not find any drawing or any information regarding who built that house,” the applicant said. The home did undergo several significant renovations starting in early two thousands, and then again in 2008 and 2011. Searches of available records failed to discover any previous owners of historical significance.

5 Hillview Drive  "I just think it's a really sweet story," said one committee member of the tale behind the house.

The tidy Cape-style home at 5 Hillview Drive has been loved by a single family for 36 years. “This was my late father’s house,” said Jonathan Aubrey as he sat before the committee. “He unfortunately passed there exactly a year ago tomorrow.” Mr. Aubrey shared that he learned to ride a bicycle while living in the home. Although he thought his family was the second to own the house, Committee member Lerner said there may have been another predecessor. A search of local news found that in the 1970s, while a family named Lerner lived there, there was a break-in.

72 Chase Road  Research found the home suffered fire damage in 2008.

The architect behind 72 Chase Road created a few other houses in the area, all of which have been demolished. In fact, seven homes within a 250-foot perimeter of this one have been knocked down. The front dormers and a rear one were added subsequent to the house’s construction in 1957. Committee member Sheri Geer noted with interest that the stone portion of the home’s exterior (see lower right side, directly to the right of the tree trunk) actually continues to wrap around the yard. Ultimately, however, the house was not determined to be of historical significance.

271 Madison Road  "The lack of public comment made it even sadder," one committee member said, lamenting that there was no outcry to save the winsome Tudor.

Driving past 271 Madison Road is true throwback to 1925, the year this Tudor was constructed. Surprisingly, however, the front vestibule was added in 1949. No information could be found about the architect, nor much on its previous occupants. Committee member Lerner shared that a young man who resided in the home in the 1940s became a lieutenant, and in the 1960s, the home’s owner was named Man of the Year by a YMCA branch, and was very active in the community and his church. Of all the homes presented on Tuesday evening, it was this diminutive gem that evoked feelings of regret. “It’s a shame. I walk that neighborhood all the time. A lot of houses are the same age and style. It’s an unbastardized section of Edgewood,” one committee member commented. “It’s a darling little house with wonderful architectural details,” another agreed. “I hope the architect will be sensitive to the neighborhood. You almost wish a family had bought it to fix it up.” In the end, aesthetics aside, the applicant was awarded the certificate.

Note: An extension to a Certificate of Appropriateness for 19 Woodlands Avenue was granted.