2,174 Comments for Bennett School for Girls

Having grown up and then moving out of Millbrook I had lost track of many of the goings on in town. Bennett has always to me been a draw, and in its prime was a grand "gateway" to town. In this day and age of refurbishing of many structures to become viable forms of business, why was this beautiful building with so much potential left to become the " eyesore" as many people seem to call it? What was it about this place that our town goverment hated it enough to let it just rot before our very eyes? Its a disgrace to know that that they just sat back on their big fat freakin' asses and just watched this place just cumble. This building with so much history behind it should of been preserved long before it fell into such a state of disrepair. You all should be be so damn proud of yourselves.... bunch of damn losers !

Wow, favorite shot on the site, wallpaper please?

Millbrook has its' collective panties in a bunch over Bennett College. Village Attorneys Rich Olson and Rich Cantor have redrafted the villages' Unsafe Building Code,
to make them less liable for not tearing down
an unsafe building. The board will now officially demand of Louis Heithaus, the properties' developer, and David Blumenthal,
the developer, that they immediately tear down Halcyon Hall. Skip Ciferri seems to be leading the charge on that aspect. I am
unsure if Contento Corporation is still under contract for the demolition of Halcyon Hall.

Village Trustee George Whalen said
:We're all of the opinion now that safety is more important than expense...I think within the calendar year here we should have this figured out." All of a sudden, after 3 plus fuckin decades. safety compliance has suddenly become good for Business! Hoho ho...
The most obvious confluence of conflict of interests {banking, real estate, government]
Millbrook has ever seen Has Spoken.
NOW you can be SURE this fucking place will be demolished any day now!! Halcyon Hall may not see the freakin New year with the hardon the Village Board is fronting to rip this place down, indemnify themselves from liability or cost, get this project done while there is momentum, and ignore the lawsuit{s]
that might stand in the way of the program.

The developer published a guest column in the local weekly periodical to state his final position, promises, the history of his compliance and seeking common ground with his detractors, etc. He claims neighboring properties values will actually INCREASE [lol!...] due to this development.
This paper gave the developer a big fat wet sloppy kiss. Their was perhaps one line in The Editor's own statement on the topic that
even seemed at all concerned, and that only in regards to the Planning Boards handling
of the ongoing proceedings, which has subjected them to lawsuit{s} on the matter.
In other words, they might mea culpa on PROCEDURAL aspects of this fiasco, and the SUBSTANCE of contention is irrelevant
and already decided.

A local resident, eager for demolition,
expressed her fear of the unsafe condition of the building.
Quote: "Kids are going in there and shooting music videos" ! She discovered some on the internet. LOL!!!!
Hell, she should send Me the freaking links, I should have thought of that for my own
rok n' role combo, ha ha....

The dates of demolition are being determined immediately in conjuction with Millbrook's Building Inspector, Ken McLaughlin.

As the first blanket of heavy snow covers
the hudson valley, i'd guess this weekend would be the best last time to photograph
Halcyon Hall. I'd bet it will disappear before
it is ever seen without snow on it again.
This first storm of the year is a heavy one,
the better to blanket Halcyon to sleep finally.

There will probably be more lawsuits.They
probably will not matter. But who knows?
The Law is the Biggest Business there is in Dutchess County in many ways....

Merry Christmas Halcyon Hall....

and Cheers All!

you may be right, johnny blackout. Millbrook
is the like the publisher's clearing house IN REVERSE... you May Have Already LOST the
sweepstakes.....

You know I used to deliver newspapers to the condos that were built in the back and every time I went buy I always said " how beautiful but how sad " the ruler I was told is that the owners couldn't afford the renies so it went and the town of millbrook said the would purchase the building but the family said no so the family sub divided the property off and sold to the condos for development and a few of the old staff houses which are beautiful old Victorian homes I just wish I could contact the owners and get the money together and no matter how much or how long it takes we bring this building back to life and no longer let it crumble Into the earth

jamie-

I'm suprised the tub hasn't run off on its own!

I live within 1 mile of this building. If they tear this building down, there will be airborne asbestos for years. I am dead set against this. I will have to move my family to safety.

On Nov.20th Tim Tice, owner of Exmoore,
along with Millbrook resident and entrepenuer Paul Orofino,
filed suit against The Millbrook Planning board, for flagrant abuse,
ignorance, and gross violation of Open Meeting Laws, in particular in relation to
handicapped access laws, as well as the
"sped-up" nature of the proceedings, the
bait & switch aspect that has characterized
the nature of these proceedings at least as long as Mott has been photographing the
site, and at least as long as I can remember anyone but me bitching about it all....ho ho ho...
Some Serious People Care what happens, and don't ,to this place, for reasons of Their Own...the word iz the developah wants it all on the fast track, presure, pressure...
Their are also allegations of gross disregard
of historical criteria for preservation
ignored. I would guess this is in regards to Exmoore. But who knows? The promises for the Monument were also extremely vague. The
latest evalution had that as a resource
actually endangered by this development.

What is good for saving history? What are the wiser decisions to make as a generation
to leave the next? What is smart development , what is zoning? When is commerce bad, when is {actual] conservatism Good?
When does the common voice finally get
it's point on record? Before all the rammed
through, backroom ballrub fuck-fix deals
that are NEVER UN-Doable in this country..
When?

Halcyon Hall is to me a boxer who just won't go Down...a fighter who will never tap out.

ha ha.. i'd like to think that nancy....

Gael,

I am younger, but found your story very interesting. It is amazing the lifestyle differences of my generation compared to yours is amazing.

I am curious what you ended up doing after leaving Bennett?

What did your life path bring you?

Did you get a "ring" even if not by spring?

For some reason I am drawn to your comment, and intrigued by your life story now.

The ghost that is haunting Halcyon Hall is that of James Ware, who is getting even for the gross destruction of his magnificent creation. No one even had the sense to close the windows after the college closed.

The owner of Halcyon Hall, Louis Heithaus,
principal of Bennett Acquisitions LLC, has
filed a lawsuit in State Supreme Court in Poughkeepsie, against the board of the adjoining Bennett Commons Condominiums.
The suit relates to easements on the property
between the existing condominiums and the soon to be developed areas to be sold by
Heithaus to Brickmann/ Blumenthal partners.

The lot in question is formerly part of the
condominium parcel, yet owned by Heithaus,
whom has payed taxes on it, but has not
been offered the opportunity to vote, or avail himself of any controlling interest in the Bennett Commons Association, despite
owning the lot in question that Heithaus claims
would proportionally give him a 44% vote.
He is seeking to have the lot declared free of any legal encumbrance, pursuant to its sale
for the proposed development.

Another easement situations seems
unresolved as far as the Exmoore property.
This small mansion will be virtually landlocked by this development, and is allegedly left off some of the siteplans.
Rumoured to meet the criteria to be considered a historic property.
Exmoore was built in 1913 as the President's residence for Bennett college.
Designed by Halcyon Hall's original architect,
it continued James E Ware's employ by Mae
Friend Bennett in enlarging and adding to the
college campus that he had originally designed as a hotel 21 years earlier. It is
one of the last buildings in Millbrook designed by Ware. A quietly distinguished
neo colonial residence that has a stately charm, still reminiscent of the early 20th century.

it is also considered something of a dead horse in the local real estate market for
years at varying prices. There isn't a problem with the house itself, it's in excellent and upgraded condition.
It is just one of those difficult properties, made more so
by proximity to the controversial Bennet ruin.

There is also the looming scenario holding
the village responsible to demo in the event of the failure or delay to do so by the development proposal.

most of these snags will likely just add to the eventual cost of this fiasco. I would bet good odds
and real money that will be the justification for
jettisoning the preservation aspects of the development,[what laughingly few there are]
Hopefully selective demolition is not the first casualty of the current economic climate relative to this proposed development's
own stated plans, the plans that have been agreed upon.


So there are a few ghosts in the machine in the race to tear down Halcyon Hall which is 116 years old.

In this economy, do they actually have the money to go ahead with this entire proposal?

3rd favorite album so far next to norwich and gaebler

very nice

beautiful shot, stunning