Jay Heritage Center: County Parks Department Reckless with History

(PHOTO: Westchester County trucks made ruts through an archaeological sensitive area at Jay Property on Friday January 22, 2010)

Is the Westchester County Parks Department being reckless with an important part of Rye and American history?

According to the Jay Heritage Center, trucks from the county parks department made huge ruts on the property Friday. And apparently this is just one in a series of incidents. Jay Property in Rye is the boyhood home of New York State’s only native Founding Father, John Jay (1745-1829).

Suzanne Clary, president of Rye's Jay Heritage Center, told MyRye.com "The ruts are located in between the old formal gardens and cold frames and a stone ha-ha wall at the front of the 23 acre Jay Property that shares the driveway that leads to Marshlands. You will see the treads on the right hand side. The deep tire ruts are the latest in a series of incidents."

"The Jay Heritage Center is very concerned about recent work by the Westchester County Parks Department at the Jay Property in Rye," continued Clary. "We are reaching out to other preservation organizations for help as to how to resolve this ongoing matter.  We are deeply disappointed that after all the years and millions of dollars that the JHC has invested in restoring and preserving this National Historic Landmark site that these actions by the County have occurred."

Perhaps Clary should call ex-Rye corporation counsel Kevin Plunkett who went to work for new Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino on January 1st to see if he can help halt the mess.

Here are some photos of other shabby county work:
 
 

(PHOTO: This is the Ice House where the county removed the old windows and installed the solid panels shown in the photo.)

(PHOTO: This is hardened mound of cement next to the Ice House that was left by the county's workmen.)

(PHOTO: This is how the county has maintained the interior of the Ice House –the county's new solid panels block this view.)