It’s too late for the Smith-Tomlinson House, but Seymour officials are now exploring whether they need a local law that could protect houses more than 100 years old.
The Smith-Tomlinson House, built in 1757, was razed over the weekend because it was not strong enough to be converted into a restaurant, owner Tony Mavuli said.
The building’s demolition saddened local historians, who said the house had a significant history behind it and was the last saltbox left in Seymour.
The house also had sentimental value to the public, as it sat in a highly visible spot at the intersection of routes 34 and 188.
A Valley Indy reader Wednesday posted a comment under Tuesday’s story pointing out that neighboring Oxford has a law on the books that requires public notice concerning tear downs.
The law requires a property owner to notify the historical society if a house more than 100 years old is to be destroyed. If an objection is raised, the demolition can be delayed for up to 90 days.
The delay gives local historians a chance to at least document the property.
A copy of the law is posted below.
Marian O’Keefe, of the Seymour Historical Society, told Seymour First Selectman Paul Roy about Oxford’s law Wednesday.
“I think this will be good for the town of Seymour, every town should have something like that,” O’Keefe said. “It doesn’t mean you’ll save a house, but it gives time to make a record of it, maybe persuade someone to buy it and move it.”
Roy said officials want to examine the Oxford law, enacted in 2006, to see if it could be applied in Seymour.
“We’ll see if it is something that is possible for Seymour. I can’t say it is until I take a look at it,” Roy said.
Republican Selectman W. Kurt Miller also said he wants to take a look at the Oxford law.
“It certainly makes sense we preserve the history of our community. The one thing I would be concerned about is impeding progress. It’s something we should be looking at, to give folks an opportunity to come in and take pictures and maybe get parts of it,” Miller said.
Miller said he would raise the issue at a future Selectmen meeting if Roy does not.
During a review process in front of the Seymour Zoning Board of Appeals, Mavuli had repeatedly said his wish was to renovate and expand the old house — not tear it down.
That changed once his plan was approved and, within the past 90 days, structural engineers got a good look at the house, he said.
Mavuli said he still wants to incorporate the lumber from the old house into the new building.
Suzie Stevenson, a Seymour resident who lives nearby, said the Seymour law is a little late — but she would still support it.
“In this case it’s like closing the barn door after the horse got out,” Stevenson said. Her uncle once lived in the house and she visited there often. “All the history is disappearing. That ordinance would be a good thing.”
In the Oxford ordinance, no building larger than 500-square-feet and more than 100-years-old can be demolished without filing an application and obtaining a permit from the building inspector.
There is a waiting period of no more than 90 days so that consideration may be given to the documentation and preservation of historical, architectural or culturally significant buildings.
Failure to comply results in a $500 fine.
The law helps in the historic preservation cause, said Dorothy DeBisschop, the town historian. She had pushed for the ordinance five years ago, noting that Oxford has many houses that date back to the 1800s.
“With that 90-day time frame, you have a chance to talk to them and see if there are other viable options for them. They’re usually happy to let you photograph it and document it, so if nothing else, you get a good historical document and maybe change people’s minds,” DeBisschop said.
It is common for municipalities to use this type of legal protection for historic buildings, the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities told the Connecticut Post in 2006. At that time, Bridgeport, Darien, Hartford, New Haven, New London, New Milford, Westport and Stratford were among a dozen cities and towns that used such legal protection.
The Smith-Tomlinson House was not listed as a historic property. It was once a stagecoach stop and inn.
