“Laffalot,” one of the original homes in the Art Village in Shinnecock Hills, should not be demolished, according the Southampton Town Landmarks and Historic Districts Board.
After reviewing a demolition application for the property, the board reached a consensus at its June 21 meeting to object to the proposal. An official response will be provided to the Town Building Department within the allowed review period for the demolition application, according to Stephanie Davis, a member of the Landmarks and Historic Districts Board.
Although the house has been abandoned for some time, Ms. Davis said she agrees with the board’s recommendation to oppose demolition.
“We felt it was a historically significant house,” she said. “We were not provided with any compelling reason why demolition was necessary. It didn’t appear to us that the owner had explored all of the potential avenues of renovation.”
The home’s owner is listed as Laffalot LLC, whose sole principal is listed as John Danilovich on supporting paperwork for the application. The application indicates that the owner wants to demolish the house, which is located at 11 Ochre Lane, because of its poor condition. According to a letter to the town from the applicant’s attorney, Linda Riley of Southampton, the owner wishes to demolish the building as soon as possible due to it being a “safety hazard and a liability.”
“It is estimated by the owner’s architect and contractor that it would cost far more to restore the house than it will be to build a new house, and many original elements (to the extent that there are some original elements) would be lost in the process due to their poor condition,” Ms. Riley wrote the town in a letter.
According to county records, the house was sold by the estate of John Strang to Laffalot LLC in 2013 for $600,000.
There is not much else the Town Landmarks and Historic Districts Board can do to stop the demolition, other than make its recommendation, because Laffalot has not been deemed a historical landmark.
Laffalot is recognized as part of the Hamlet Heritage Resource Area, a collection of historically significant properties, Ms. Davis said. The property was also listed in the 2014 Southampton Historic Resources Survey, which included a table recommending the property for potential landmark status.
Built in 1892, Laffalot was sold in 1896 to Rosella “Zella” de Milhau, an art student, who had the house renovated by another student, Kate Budd, who was the first female architect to become a member of the American Institute of Architects in New York.
The two women expanded the small cottage into a larger house—some of whose early features exist today—and Laffalot became a social hub in the art community.
The owner’s attorney did not respond when called for comment.
on Jun 28, 2016