2,174 Comments for Bennett School for Girls

Anyone got pics or updates on what the demolition of the old place looks like let me know at croosa@cfl.rr.com
Used to live/work there when I was a kid and wondering how big the asbestos cloud is gonna be when they waste the old place.

this is the only section to be spared demolition. soon...

P-R-E-T-T-Y COOOOOOOOOL

I don't want to hear about demoloshings either nancy!

I went to Bennett and loved it. I rode. We always used to stop at the Grape Shade for lunch between barn and school. What happened to the stables? I had Charlie Hoyt for English.

Looks like its falling down the hill infront...

its one of the coolest places in new york, if not the coolest. go check it out. nothing haunted about it, unless you tell yourself its haunted. you hear and see only what you want to. i got a good pic on my myspace profile, check it at skateparkdreams

Great shot...like the color and lighting.

Elevator to hell!

to everyone who would like to see vintage fotos
of Halcyon Hall and the Bennett campus from
the turn of the century, google-Hudson River Valley Heritage, a couple dozen fantastic photos can be found on their site. Also the
Village of Millbrook/Town of Washington
Historical Society website has a little bit.

In other Bennet "newz" [i feel like Ron Burgundy}... let's see, where do i begin.?
ok the plan submitted by Saugerties based
developer David Blumenthal calls for the construction of 95 homes on the Bennett site.
They are sorta faux Victorian, psuedo tudor
style facades. Slightly cheesy, but not that
bad relatively speaking. It could have been ALOT worse, as in Westchester aesthetics.
Millbrook Associates are the designated designers on the project. They do top notch
work, and have an impeccable reputation
regionally.
The East wing with the Queen Anne tower is
the only section of Halcyon to be saved. The
Chapel is to be moved close to it . Two
houses on the property are to be moved
up the hill to the golf course.
Everything else is to be demolished, the stone
is to be grinded and buried onsite. ONE undesignated
section of the masterfully executed stonework
is to be preserved. I presume the beautiful
little nursery school, built in 1930, possibly
by acclaimed Boston architects Allen & Collens, WILL be saved as it is a private parcel? i am unsure.. The Exmoore
mansion will be literally surrounded by this
development. It is currently for sale, at below market rate, as are dozens of more modest properties adjacent to the development. So it
has ALREADY had a negative effect on the
local real estate environment.
I think it is great they are attempting to save what they can. Obviously it impacts there business plan, as any of these concessions to preservation are strictly in the interest of
public relations, but so what? Most developers
wouldn't even bother. It is an indication of
how sensitive to the locals this whole affair is,
MORE than a case of enlightened planning,
i suspect, but who cares? i would like to be
optimistic and open minded.
Recent developments though, do not bode well for citizens hope for input. It is no
secret that this deal was pretty much cut behind closed doors, with zero public input.
The "official" public meeting on the topic
has been predictably stalled, and when it was
finally set for the final thursday of November,
the planning board cancelled the meeting 3 hours before it was set to begin. People are PISSED. The reason cited was unstated issues that have arisen between Blumenthal and the current owner of the parcel, Bud Heithaus.
There are other problems. Local property owners in outlying areas of the village who have been denied village water service for years have filed lawsuits protesting the
sweetheart deal proposed for water service at Bennett. An expensive deal just got more so!
There still is no Negative Environmental
Impact Designation in hand {allowing a
development to go forward.] People are
convinced that public input has been not
just stifled, but nonexistent. It is true that so much of this complex proposal has been already decided without a SINGLE public
meeting on the issue! Astonishing, really,
anywhere but Millbrook.
And then there is that pesky MASSIVE
asbestos and lead contamination. Bummer.
Half of the above information was made available in the local newspaper. I have only mentioned names that have been printed
publicly in context of Bennet's impending development.Except Ron Burgundy. And, oh,
Allen & Collens. {It really does sound like a wine cooler...]
in any event, the saga continues. Publicly stated plans to have the buildings down by now in fact, are gonna taka a little longer folks. ha ha....

This is one tough fuckin building....

PS - keep knockin us out with your amazing
enterprise Mr. Motts! You Rock The Planet!!!!

I love this picture...

the contrast between the old of the house and the newness of the foliage is really beautiful and is a recurring theme in this set of pictures.
I noticed that a lot of windows were broken in by tree branches, and it seemed to me like nature was trying to tear the house down.

the black and white version is my favorite, though. it looked to me like an illustration from a story book, except instead of old style cottages, a more modern house.

it's beautiful

James,
We all wish "they" wouldn't. This was quite the place back in the day and it is truly a shame that nothing was done back in the early 80's to keep the place alive. So, just what are you doing in there, 1997 or later...

even though the police are around alot and kind of close people still go in there and mess it up i wish they wouldent

i sat on that stage on a wam oct night in 97 those florr bords were not missing

You know, it is possible to buy this property for only $1.00. The people who bought the Buffalo Central Terminal bought it for only a $1.00. This place can be runned by volunteers and is a nonprofit oganization, just like the BCT.