RIE — A group of town preservationists is working to save a historic mansion on Rock Road from the wrecking ball its owners are trying to redevelop.
owner of 237 Rock RoadA two-story colonial-era house stands near the road, and they are offering to sell it for free. However, the new owner must completely or partially remove the building from the lot. Owner Kurt Jackson lives right next door to the old house and is looking to build a larger home on the property.
But rather than see the early 19th century home demolished, local residents interested in historic preservation are working to find a new owner.
David Choate, New Hampshire executive vice president of commercial real estate firm Colliers, is chairman of the Rye Demolition Review Committee and a member of the Rye Historic District Commission. He and Alex Herlihy of the Rye Historical Society are working to preserve the seaside town’s historic homes through their group Rye Advocates, which has compiled a list of more than 315 Rye homes built before 1905. We are promoting protection.
“We’re interested in finding someone to take it on, or perhaps tear it down and rebuild it somewhere else in Rye. “Where is the attraction on the road and down Rock Road? It’s unfortunate because that’s what it looks like at times. But we can’t tell him what to do with his property,” Choate said.
Jackson plans to keep the old barn, which has multiple bays on the property, to get development planning approval. Mr Jackson’s plans are scheduled for a public hearing before the Demolition Review Committee at Rye Town Hall on Thursday, January 25th at 6pm.
History of the house at 237 Rock Road, Rye
According to the Rye Historical Society, Captain Gardiner T. Locke, a Rye Harbor schooner and descendant of Captain John Locke, was the former owner of the house, as shown on an 1851 map of the town. . The house is located on Gardiner Toll Rock, his homestead, on land purchased from its namesake, Thomas J. Parsons, in 1843.
The home’s original features include three fireplaces, exposed beams, moldings, and a curved center staircase. Above the second floor is an empty A-frame attic with nails sticking out of the ceiling. In an unknown number of years, a sunroom and kitchen were added to the home, both of which were located closest to the large backyard. Sunlight streams into the mansion, illuminating the first floor’s floral wallpaper, which features illustrations of the house and major U.S. cities.
“There’s no question about it, these are the homes you want to preserve,” Herlihy said. “This is the legacy of the community.”
The house was purchased for $1.5 million.
Town property records show Jackson purchased the colonial mansion from the Murray Family Trust in June for $1.5 million. Jackson has owned his adjacent home at 231 Rock Road since March 2018.
The home at 237 Rock Road was recently appraised by the town for $810,600.
Several parties have been floated as possible future owners of the home, but none have signed a contract to take the home from Mr. Jackson for free. One party has since backed out of the process, and the cost to remove and reassemble the house on the property, replacing all plumbing, electrical, HVAC, siding, septic and foundation, starts at $500,000. He told Choate it would be $500,000. 700,000 dollars.
Herlihy thinks that estimate may be too high. Historians are looking for a second opinion to pass on to interested parties who come to see the house.
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Owner cannot refuse to demolish the house
The Rock Road became famous a few years ago as one of the only routes from the town center to the port of Rye.
For a home to be eligible for demolition review in Rye, it must be more than 500 square feet and at least 50 years old, Choate said.
“We basically review them. We don’t have the ability to stop someone from demolishing them,” he said. “All we really have is a bully pulpit (like Jackson) trying to convince someone that they should do something different. It’s the most important building we’ve built since I’ve been chairman for the year.”
Mr. Choate and Mr. Herlihy said the new home Mr. Jackson wants to build will not be built on the exact same spot as the existing mansion, but on the back corner of the property.
The two preservationists have a common mission: to find a new owner who will remove the old house and move it to a new location, preferably in Rye.
“This road is truly historic,” Choate said. “It’s a shame that we can’t build a house here, but it’s better to build somewhere else.”
Avatars and other Rye residents are invited to speak at the Jan. 25 Demolition Review Board hearing.