House on the Hill: Booker T. Washington's historic summer home in Fort Salonga
Financial businessman John Rice, of Northport, who purchased the historic home and its surrounding 1.7 acres for nearly $1.3 million in 2007, had sought to have its historic designation stripped so he could build a much larger retirement home on the site instead. Rice argued through hardship papers filed with the town that the Washington house was uninhabitable, structurally unsound and prevented him from making a return on his investment. He also claimed that engineering reports conducted subsequent to its purchase required the house’s removal in order to remediate the property’s eroding bluff.
Breathtaking: The view of the Long Island Sound from Washington's back porch
Rice’s change of heart follows two articles by the Press [“This House Is History,” July 16, 2009; “Preservation Battle Continues,” July 30, 2009] and an increasing interest among individuals and organizations to preserve the historic home.
News of the withdrawal was met with split reactions by Thelma Jackson-Abidally and Elise Morris, the two Northport residents spearheading efforts to preserve the Washington house.
Abidally, author of 2000’s African Americans in Northport, An Untold Story, applauded Rice’s decision. She says she is eager to sit down with the businessman, to thank him and begin discussions regarding the historic home’s future.
“I’m very happy,” she says. “I think he’s done a great thing and I kind of personally just want to thank him for withdrawing the petition to demolish the house.”
Morris, who had a phone conversation with Sahn, was more skeptical.
“I did hear the news and it has given me more questions than anything,” she says. “I can’t imagine there’s another spot on the land where he could put this house while he’s building his house. And I don’t know if he intends to incorporate the [Washington] house into his own home… Of course, my big question is: Does this shut down the public discourse? Since it’s all staying on private property now?”
Both women say they will continue awareness efforts, regardless of the withdrawal. Interest is continuing to grow, they say, with more and more individuals and organizations contacting them through their new website, FriendsoftheBookerTWashingtonHouse.org. The duo seeks to preserve the house as a museum or learning center, and will continue their pursuit of having it recognized as a national landmark.
Huntington Town Supervisor Frank Petrone, who had been against the revocation of the house’s historical designation, issued this statement upon the news:
“We are pleased that the application to remove the historic designation from the Booker T. Washington House has been withdrawn and expect that any alternative plans under consideration will satisfy the requirements of such a designation, as well as Town planning and zoning regulations, and afford the proper respect to a landmark that is significant to both Huntington and the nation.”
Sahn says Rice’s exact plan for the Washington house hasn’t been hashed out yet and estimates it would take about a month to formulate. He declined to comment on whether Rice would be willing to turn the house into a museum, or whether a previous offer to donate the house to interested parties still stands.
In Limbo: Glenn Treacher, the Washington house's neighbor, says he is helpless to stop his home from falling into the Sound without a joint remediation of the shared bluff.
It’s not just preservationists or Washington’s descendants who are eager to hear Rice’s new plans. Glenn Treacher, who lives next-door to the historic home, is also curious. The fate of his house depends on it.
Purchased about six years ago for $1.4 million, Treacher’s house is also slipping into the Sound. The only way it can be stabilized properly, he tells the Press, is through a joint remediation with Rice. Treacher is frustrated and feels helpless, he explains. He adds that he may soon investigate any legal avenues there may be to try and save his home.
“I feel, yup, here we go again,” says Treacher. “I’m in limbo. I have no control of my own destiny on this. I’m tied into the property next door.”
Morris tells the Press she and Abidally will just have to wait and see for right now while Rice and his team re-strategize—hoping for the best, yet standing ready to act in the historic house’s best interest if need be.
“We still want to try to find a way to save this site,” she says.
