Letter to the Editor: Teatown's Plan to Demolish The Croft 'Distressing'

The most distressing aspect of the situation with The Croft is to find that historic preservation and land conservation interests are at odds with each other when they should be inextricably linked. I had been struggling to find the words to express this when I came across this passage on the website of the National Trust for Historic Preservation (http://www.preservationnation.org/information-center/saving-a-place/land-conservation/ ):

When a place has significant cultural importance the historic preservation movement stands ready to protect it. Many of us are also members of land conservation organizations that work to protect places of profound natural, agricultural, or open space value. But what about special places that boast a range of values? These places – often defined as cultural landscapes – are more than the sum of their parts. Loss of one dimension diminishes our experience of the whole place. Yet these complex sites can present challenges for organizations and resources structured to address solely historic preservation or land protection. The National Trust for Historic Preservation and the Land Trust Alliance are working to provide information, inspiration, and assistance to promote comprehensive protection of all the elements that make places special.

Teatown is such a cultural landscape that is “more than the sum of its parts.” As I wrote last week to staff and board members of Teatown:

An important part of the history of Teatown and the conservation movement in general will be lost if the house is removed. We all make sense of the world through narratives, and the loss of this house will be like taking few chapters out of this story-- chapters that cannot be fully compensated by a pictures in a book or on a website. This house speaks volumes about our relationship with nature and the way that people lived in the past. Not all of these aspects may be in your educational purview, but don’t we want our kids to be well-rounded? Few of them have access in their daily lives to such a fine example of architecture and craftsmanship in such a wonderful setting

Regards,

J-F de Lapérouse

Chair, Yorktown Landmark Preservation Commission

IMAGE: HVRuins.org/Rob Yasinsac