Once the spot that contained the historic Mott House, the fenced-off property was empty as people drove by two days after the historic house experienced a collapse some believe was the result of improper handling by workers hired by the Town of Brookhaven Parks Department to prepare the house for engineers as part of a planned restoration.
The almost 200-year-old house, which greeted residents in the Coram and Gordon Heights community at the north end of Homestead Drive up until last week, collapsed Wednesday while workers hired by the Town of Brookhaven were cleaning the property. The Mott House was built on stones laid in the ground in 1824 on land originally owned by William C. Howell. The original parcel where it was located consisted of 30 acres of land. Seaman Albert Mott and his wife, Joanna, lived in the house with their seven children, according to the U.S. Census in 1870. More recently, the home was inhabited by wildlife and had fallen into a state of disrepair -- a trumpet vine had wrapped itself around the chimney, and the cabinets, which once stored the belongings of the Mott family, were inhabited by pests.
A day after the collapse, what was left of the Mott House's legacy ¬was carted away in debris Thursday, prompting Brookhaven Town Board members to unanimously approve a resolution at Tuesday's board meeting requiring an expert assessment of all historic structures maintained by the town. Under the legislation, an independent historic preservationist would be employed to complete the job.
The resolution's sponsor, Fourth District Councilwoman Connie Kepert (D-Middle Island), whose district includes the Mott property, said she was contacted by a constituent last week curious why workers were at the site. Ms. Kepert said by the end of the week workers had removed windows, a support beam and cabinetry that held up the home, not to mention the back wall. Ms. Kepert said she was informed by a constituent that workers were pulling a vine from around the chimney Wednesday when the home collapsed. Prior to commencing any work at the site, Ms. Kepert said, there should have been a qualified engineer's report.
"I was going to say this was a comedy [of errors], but I would not call it that," Ms. Kepert said. "This was a tragedy of errors."
But Parks Commissioner Eddie Morris Jr. disagreed, maintaining that there was no wrongdoing. He also pointed out that the engineers would not go inside the house because there was so much debris and, among other things, animal feces.
"None of the engineers would go in if it wasn't cleaned out," he said.
Second District Councilwoman Jane Bonner (C-Rocky Point) said she agreed with the assessment because it will better inform the town as to how they should proceed with the historic properties. Ms. Bonner currently has two historic homes undergoing restoration in her area, including the Nathaniel Woodhull House in Wading River and, in Coram, the Lester Davis House, which is undergoing some masonry work and an emergency stabilization.
But the problem does not just lie in the home's age or the town's lack of resources.
"The powers that be pander to the residents and purchase these houses, make all sorts of promises, and then it becomes a political football," Ms. Bonner added.
Greater Gordon Heights Civic Association president Tawaun Weber said there was a time she looked forward to sharing the home with the Gordon Heights Chamber of Commerce, but her hopes were dashed this week when she received a phone call from someone telling her the home had fallen to the ground. First, Ms. Weber said, she was in a state of disbelief, then "furious." Then, to add insult to injury, the home was carted off to the landfill like trash. Ms. Weber said state parks department rules and procedures should have been followed at the site to ensure the home would be preserved.
"That's not how you treat history," Ms. Weber said.
peggy@northshoresun.com