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

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3 comments found

THE MOTT HOUSE : 10/11/2009
The Mott House has been deteriorating for many years. It has been neglected by Town Administrations of all political parties. It has finally collapsed. Mark Lesko blaims Carol Bissonette, a Democrat running as a Republican for the County Legislature against Kate Browning. He says it happened on her watch and he stripped her of all responsibility for historic sites in the Town. Actually, it happened on Mark Lesko's watch. He is the Supervisor. Surely, he is not the only villain in this lack of respect for our Town heritage, but all Mr. Lesko can do is attack strong, independent women. He does not even attack his own opponent, Mark Haley, who is running one of the weakest campaigns in the history of the Town, Mr. Haley is a man. Ms. Bissonette is a woman, So are Lesko targets Town Clerk, Pamela J. Betheil, and Councilwoman Jane Bonner. All he can do is attack stong independent women. The next thing you know, he will blaim Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, when he has to raise taxes after the election, because his budget is a complete hoax. He may even yet blaim her for the collapse of the Mott House.

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Mott House collapse : 10/3/2009
Our town history is not a plaque by the side of the road or ancient maps lying on some dusty library shelf..it is what part of the past we choose to value through preservation... That is what the Woodhull, Mott, Davis, Thompson and other precious homes mean to our residents. Shame on Brookhaven Town that it thought so little of its own past and its residents' treasures that it allowed pure amatuers to enter the Mott House at all and treated the debris as mere garbage. Old houses fall down..but with Brookhaven's neglect and ignorance this precious lost hitoryy was apparently inevitable.

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: 10/2/2009
I would hope that Connie Kepert would have as much compassion for the people living in her district who are losing their homes to high property taxes as she does for an old, empty house.

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