The Croft, RIP.
In June 2019 Teatown Lake Reservation, a nature preserve and environmental education center, announced its decision to move forward with demolition of the Croft, a c. 1914 Tudor style mansion built by antiques dealer Arthur Vernay from pieces of centuries’ old English manor houses. “The New York Herald described the house as “probably the first completely antique Tudor house which was ever been constructed in America… Every particle of material used in the structure once formed a part of some ancient English dwelling.”“
February, 2020.
July, 2019.
The prospect of demolition was publicized as early as 2015, with the only glimmer of hope for the house being the possibility of architectural salvage. Even that option was limited, as Teatown preferred “one buyer who will take everything.”
This weekend I was informed that a pile of rubble now occupies the space where the Croft stood. Another fascinating piece of Westchester County’s architectural heritage is gone.
Teatown acquired the Croft in 2010, two years after it was last occupied as a private home. That 2010 purchase of 67 acres was made to secure land adjacent to the existing preserve – the Croft and its associated garage merely “came with that purchase.” The Croft was not demolished because it was a ruin or a relic beyond repair. Teatown stated that it could not “find a practical use for the Croft that fits our mission, educational needs, and financial limitations.” However the adjacent Tudor style garage was renovated and now is in use as an environmental center.
Teatown’s full statement on the “disposition” of the Croft can be read at www.teatown.org/croft.
More photographs from July 2019:
Teatown Lake Reservation justified the preservation of the Croft garage even though the organization could not in its own way justify preservation of the Croft mansion. The garage is now the Teatown Environmental Science Center.
The being demolished is disgusting and you should be ashamed of yourselves. History was destroyed due to short sightedness and poor judgement.
That is about the most ignorant thing I have ever read!! How could they let this happen? What a beautiful & historic building. Stupid..Stupid..Stupid!
what in the World is happening to peoples minds!!!😬😳🙄🙃
This is why historic preservation is important. A committee of faceless and mindless non-entities decides that someone’s life work is of no value. The decision to demolish Croft throws into question the very existence of TeaTOWN Lake Reservation.
Are all New Yorkers lame, stupid, ignorant idiots bent on destroying everything in the age of Trump?
A grant, a carpenter like me and a program of restoration carpentry and a gem would gleam back into life in 2 years…I am a native of Armonk. Grew up with the Calders and Sluders…preservation and quality of life matter if can see beyond a plot of kand
What idiots are running this organization.
Teatown must be run by morons. How sad a stupid – what a waste!
You are correct
The most stupid thing, to demolish this beauty! How could it not be re purposed? It was a piece of history! Not even in complete ruins, now gone forever! Yes you should be ashamed, if you really wanted to preserve it you would’ve found away.
Teatown. The very word makes me gag.
This is a travesty.
They also tout being a “wildlife sanctuary” yet bait deer and mow them down. They refuse to even listen to deer management experts (I am a Deer Steward, Quality Deer Management Association).
That too is unfortunate.
Geoff Thompson wins again and the Teatown community loses. Teatown lost its way under Thompson and the Teatown Board is just a rubber stamp group.
This claim by Teatown that the Croft building “was beyond repair” is a crock It is the a stock phrase of historic building owners and developers use to justify the destruction. They avoid all maintenance in order to achieve their ends. It is methodology called, “demolition by intentional neglect.
This is really a pathetic situation, any structure of that caliber is always worth saving. I grew up running around Teatown its a real gem. The fact that no one had the where with all to find a way to renovate and preserve this piece of history speaks volumes about the administration. If there is a will there is a way. I really wish I knew about this my wife’s cousin is a restoration expert, he loves this type of stuff And he lives close by. I hope next time something like this can be avoided and a program to help save structures like this can be initiated.
Disappointing and disgusting. Not surprising though. I haven’t been enamored by Teatown in many years. I always try to help wildlife whenever the circumstances arise, and Teatown is not readily available to help- ever. Destroying a piece of history for the simple reason of not finding a useful purpose immediately is embarrassing. I hope the board members of Teatown read all of these comments and get a clue that there are many people turned off by their antics- potential contributors.
This is so sad. I delivered mail for eighteen years to the Gilbert family who lived there until 2008. Mrs. Gilbert told me some parts of the house were five hundred years old!
This is insanely unfathomable !! It’s a total disgrace!! It was such a beautiful historic architecture in our beautiful Hudson Valley!! Now it’s Gone!!! Shame shame shame!!!
😤😡
Absolute travesty.
I live in Ca., and we passed a measure in 1976 stopping the developers from tearing down the Victorians. There wasn’t anyone who wanted to dismantle and rebuild or use the parts? Sinful!
A company called Urban Miners salvaged parts for sale.
I am greatly saddened and in disbelief that this beautiful building couldn’t be
preserved from this fate. The whole complex was an architectural gem as a whole.
I’m so glad I got photos of it when I did for my “archive”. I’m relieved to hear
a salvage company was able to retain some portion from it. They don’t build them
like this any more.
I was sickened beyond words after reading of the destruction of The Croft. The decision to demolish a building of such beauty, age and history is inexcusable and the decision of a group of cultural Philistines. If they could manage to save the garage they could have found a way to do the same for the house. To bulldoze a building made from components dating from the Tudor period (1485-1603) is beyond disgraceful.