WestportNow Teardown of the Day: 173 Cross Highway

8 thoughts on “WestportNow Teardown of the Day: 173 Cross Highway”

1. ok, sometimes you just have to say when.

   when.

   time to rise up, WN readers who loathe teardowns of historic homes – this one is 210 years old; it must have some interesting history (located on Cross Highway, two houses east of the Bayberry intersection).

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2. That’s why we have the Westport Historic District Commission, no? Is a house worth saving simply because it was built 210 years ago?  Maybe, maybe not.  Let them determine that.

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3. Someone should check to see if they tried to get a permit to renovate, and were required to make many upgrades to meet current code.  In some cases, these requirements can make it more cost effective to just start over.

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4. WHEN!!  I hear you Jack it makes no sense at all.
   What a beautiful home. I guess I just don’t get it. If the new owner wanted a new home why not buy one. There are plenty to choose from.
   What a waste.

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5. Nick – I know this home is not within one of the six historic districts in Westport, and it is not listed on the HDC’s “inventory” (properties identified as being “worthy of preservation”):

   http://www.westportct.gov/NR/rdonlyres/A3B6E076-F565-4B83-9D0A-AE0C7554B4C3/0/HistoricDistrictInventory72106.pdf

   But just because a home is not in an HD or listed on the historic resources inventory doesn’t mean it isn’t somehow worthy of preservation.

   I believe that, for properties such as this, the HDC can only [in effrect] slow the process down while alternatives (to demolition) are encouraged. That’s where public outcry comes into play.

   And Dan, I hear you; I would suggest that it is almost always more cost effective to tear down and build new vs undertake a sensitive restoration-renovation. There need to be financial incentives to preserve historic properties.

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6. When!

   I ditto the question, “If you want a new house, why not buy a property with a 1950s house on it and build there?”  Why would these owners destroy a part of our heritage?  It is a joy for all Westporters to drive down a street and be able to glance at a part of history and see “what Westport used to look like”.  So when someone thumbs their nose at the town to which they are moving (presumably), I ask them to please buy in a town where new houses are the norm.  Leave us some of the old (210 years, wow!) houses that CANNOT be replaced.  Once they are gone, our history is gone.  And this house definitely looks like it could be restored.

   And yes, many of us would like the town and HDC to find ways to make it cost-effective to upgrade a house to the new codes.  NOW is the time to do that!

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7. Wow!  How did an 1800 antique house not get included in the HDC’s Inventory?

   I wish that my old house had been overlooked.

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8. Why?

   This week found me at the Old Post Office in Washington DC. This beautiful Beaux-Arts building was slated as a tear down before it was fashionable.

   Nancy Hanks (Chair Nat. Endowment for the Arts) headed a citizens effort to block the tear down and developed a gorgeous tribute of our history with a re-purposed building now housing a free tower tour with 10 mile views, retail and Fed & commercial office space.

   Risk taking and the willingness to lead a band of civilians brought about a mind change that saved a landmark. Why do we continually allow our heritage to be buried under the ruble?

   Mary Ann West

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