I came across this interesting article in the Gazette.

To sum it up, it seems that the shack across from the Shoppes of Malta on Route 9 was the home of Colonel Ellsworth for about 3 years. Our town historian want to designate it a historical landmark, but the owner wants to be able to sell it for development.

IMHO, if the owner wants to sell it for development, he should be allowed to. It is a crumbling old shack, not really something for the town to cherish, and putting restrictions on its use now is an invasion of property owners' rights. I think a good compromise would be to require the future developer of the property to erect a plaque on the property stating its historical significance.

Does anyone else have any thoughts on this topic?

Normally, I'm for the preservation of historical buildings rather than their demolition in the name of "progress", but in this case, I favor the side of the owner.

Here's why: From the article: The house was Ellsworth’s home from 1837 to 1840, the first three years of his life....


So in other words, the guy himself probably didn't even know that he lived in the house, since he lived there for all of 3 years when he was a baby. If it were his lifelong home, I could understand wanting to preserve it, but the fact that he lived there for a fraction of his childhood has to be considered.

Also: It was moved off its original foundation when Route 9 was widened in the 1950s, and the house has been altered since Ellsworth’s time

It's not even the same house or in the same location as it was when he lived there.

Burn it down !
Put up condos or a parking lot.


Pardon my ignorance but who is Colonel Ellsworth and what significant role did he play in the area ?

I answered my own question

http://www.aboutfamouspeople.com/article1011.html

I think it's time we remove the Town Historian from the town payroll. What exactly is she earning her salary to do, look around Malta for historic landmarks? I believe we know what they are by now, I can't imagine she's going to stumble across another historic landmark.

Being a remote, rural community, Malta didn't have much other than a few farmhouses that are either gone or not worth preserving. The only building I can think of that is worth trying to preserve is the old schoolhouse on the corner of 67 and Eastline. There was someone that was going to restore it and turn it into a restaurant. Does anyone know what happened to that effort?

move it to the center of "ellsworth commons" with a plaque...ya know, a little tribute.

We're saving enough farmhouses (Dunning Historical District).

The only structure That I'm really concerned about, is the The Dunning Street Presbyterian Church.

I'm no Christian, but as one of the oldest structures in the immediate downtown area. I feel it is important to preserve such a structure. You know, as a tribute to the original Euro-American Protestants who settled Malta.

Not really sure if it is even planned to be demolished eventually, if so it'd be a sin. (no pun intended).

P.S there's allready a historical marker located in the Green Space of the Malta Stewarts that Marks that as Ellsworth's Birthplace, plus, he's buried in Mechanicville.

I think there's enough to remember the dude by.

quote:

Originally posted by DA:
I think it's time we remove the Town Historian from the town payroll. What exactly is she earning her salary to do, look around Malta for historic landmarks? I believe we know what they are by now, I can't imagine she's going to stumble across another historic landmark.

She already removed herself from the payroll to spend more time with her very ill husband.

DA - god or no god ..there is good and evil in this world and there is karma ...and you better mend your ways ....poor historian's spouse is very ill and you bash away ...tsk tsk tsk.
I don't want to stand next to you in a thunderstorm.

Amen.

1 - i didnt bash her.
2- I had no idea there was an illness in her family, has nothing to do with the discussion
3-it makes business sense to remove the position off the payroll. Whitey will back me up on this one. <RWBMU>

Now, the Town Board needs to be proactive. they should be contacting Cabela's and do their best to attract them to Malta. It makes business sense. We need another bar in town too.

quote:

Originally posted by DA:
We need another bar in town too.

We just need to have them clustered together. It's hard to do a pub crawl when they are 3 miles apart from one another.

I'm going to see a minimax on dealing with idiots complaining about the position to the town board versus the amount of annoyance I'm willing to deal with resulting from the types of people who shop at Cabella's before making any serious recommendation in either direction. My initial impression is to encourage a bar. Something without Nascar would be nice. Good thinking, though.

Pastor- what is necessary to put a ban on NASCAR in bars in the town?

I'll take NASCAR any day over football.

i'll take football over nascar,though i love nascar.but i will take nascar over the WNBA.

I'll take paint drying over NASCAR ...what's next **** (Rooster) Fighting ?

(damn yo - automatic censoring ...hmmm...cockadoodle-doo, cockatail, **** and Bull Story, "i was so loaded last night - man i was cocked")

cockfighting is one word

Isn't most of the land where the horse farm land sold? Between the nursing home, hospital, cemetary/church how much of this land could be left? It would make a good place to put a school though, but the price is way too high.

I think the house you are talking about just got a huge tree that broke-off and crashed into the house. Massive, tree, straight thru the roof and top floor. yikes!