We received the following note from the group trying to save the Gedney Farmhouse about possible action at tonight’s Rye Neck School Board meeting:
We want to bring you up to date — and right now, the news is not good: On Friday, Feb. 10th, the Board of Education was taking bids for demolition of thIs 1790 Farm House. This undoubtedly means that at their Wednesday, February 15th School Board Meeting, the Rye Neck Board of Education will set the date for demolition. If there’s any action to be taken, it must be done quickly. The head custodian informed us recently that it could be only a month until demolition after a date is set!
The Gedney Farm House is the oldest building in Mamaroneck, is the last building from the Federal Period left in Mamaroneck. It was the home of the Gedneys, a very prominent family in Mamaroneck and throughout all of Westchester. An early Gedney married the granddaughter of John RIchbell the founder of Mamaroneck before the house was built….Thus this home represents not only Gedney descendants but Richbell descendants, and is thus one of the most historically significant homes in Mamaroneck.
The Rye Neck School Board has been determined to demolish this house. They will no longer rent it, nor will they sell the property….Our only alternative is to move the house.Non-Rye Neck citizens, the Historical Societies of Mamaroneck and Rye, and Gedney descendants found out about this only the end of October, and have been making an enormous effort to find a way to find a location and funding, to preserve it, and need more time… We have several leads yet to follow. But with no concrete proposals on the table, the School Board is proceding with demolition plans.
They let the Larchmont Historical Society walk through last week, taking “final” pictures to document the house. Mamaroneck Historical Society’s turn was Monday. Although the outlook seems bleak, we’re not giving up. It would be a total travesty to take this historic house down, and we’re going to keep trying to find a solution!
You can reach CONCERNED CITIZENS FOR PRESERVING THE GEDNEY FARMHOUSE at Savegedneyfarmhouse@gmail.com
photos: june marie sobrito
Any thought to moving the structures as 1st Mamaroneck schoolhouse was done?
JPeron
It seems the Rye Neck School Board needs to give more time to the groups interested in an alternative to demolition, since they have only known these plans since October. Why is the board in such a hurry?
“Non-Rye Neck citizens, the Historical Societies of Mamaroneck and Rye, and Gedney descendants found out about this only the end of October, and have been making an enormous effort to find a way to find a location and funding, to preserve it, and need more time… We have several leads yet to follow. But with no concrete proposals on the table, the School Board is proceeding with demolition plans.”