Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Cultural Resources topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board reviews consultant recommendations for Old White Plains 'stagecoach' property; chapel brick likely modern, timber dating recommended
Summary
Consultants presented documentation and recommended targeted interior exposure and tree‑ring dating to date the timber frame at the Old White Plains 'stagecoach' property; consultants said the chapel’s brick veneer appears 20th‑century and the wood frame may be movable or salvageable for reuse.
The board reviewed a consultant memo and photographs for the property on Old White Plains Road commonly referred to as the stagecoach site. Applicant representatives said they engaged Acme Heritage Consultants and that the consultant Matthew (Spiegelman) prepared a recommendations memo describing treatments for the house, well, chapel and outbuildings.
The consultant told the board the house’s timber frame survives in places but that confirming an early construction date will likely require selectively exposing interior finishes, removing drywall or attic coverings and submitting samples for dendrochronology (tree‑ring dating). He said laboratories have expressed interest in the samples but that the testing would require opening sections of the house and that a proposal from a dendrochronology lab is expected (consultant estimated a sample‑testing fee of roughly $4,000, pending a formal proposal).
On the chapel, the consultant reported that the structure appears to be a 20th‑century frame building that later received a brick veneer; the internal salvaged stained glass and some reused elements may have historic value but the brick veneer itself is likely not original. The memo suggests deconstruction and careful cataloging of salvageable items, reuse of brick where feasible, and capping the well for safety rather than extensive excavation.
Board members asked staff and the applicant for labeled, high‑quality photographs from all sides and a clearer chain of title going back to 1924; the board also emphasized preserving an on‑site boulder and other landscape features recommended in the report. Staff said it will circulate any additional documentation received from the consultant and recommended labs to the board and follow up on the proposed tree‑ring testing agreement.
The board did not make a formal determination about landmark nomination at the meeting and asked the applicant team to return with the requested photos and ownership history so the board can consider next steps.
