Arson Of Historic Parsonage Remains Unsolved, Fire Marshal Says
Aug 10, 2010 | Delaware Online
An arson that heavily damaged a parsonage left from the state’s oldest Catholic church — set ablaze Feb. 10 in a state-of-emergency snowstorm — remains unsolved, Chief Deputy Fire Marshal Alan L. Brown said Monday.
But New Castle County has closed the case on the illegal demolition of the building’s charred remains, without a demolition permit and in violation of a stop-work order, according to Department of Land Use spokesman Mark Veasey.
Harvey Hanna & Associates was fined $1,000 and banned from receiving county permits for the site — needed for development — for three years, Veasey said.
The Coffee Run Mission parsonage, a three-story stone house, was built in 1812 on Lancaster Pike south of Hockessin and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.
“It’s a terrible loss,” Joe Lake, Hockessin Historical Society president, said after the fire. The parsonage was from the country’s third-oldest English-speaking Catholic church, he said, “a national treasure.” He and others were trying to find a way to preserve the building before the arsonist struck.
Harvey Hanna & Associates, a redevelopment firm handling the site for WCNJ LLC, contended the shell was a safety hazard that had to be razed. The company said at a hearing it alerted state environmental officials and the county to its demolition plan, county documents say. But the county notification was one message left on an absent staffer’s voicemail and no substitute for a valid demolition permit, county officials said.
The contractor said he didn’t see a stop-work order posted after demolition began, but county officials said the red paper posted on the front door was easily visible from Del. 48 and the property’s access drive.
In 2005, Harvey Hanna & Associates sought a permit to demolish the house and outbuildings for a $4 million school construction project. But the Historic Review Board of New Castle County delayed the application due to the house’s historic significance and the school plan expired.
Harvey Hanna & Associates, which couldn’t be reached for comment Monday, posted a $5,000 reward for tips leading to a conviction in the arson.
Brown said tips may be given to the Office of the State Fire Marshal at 323-5375 or Delaware Crime Stoppers, (800) TIP-3333.
Comments posted to the Delaware Online site:
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NucMedGuy wrote:
Ouch! That really HURT…
“Harvey Hanna & Associates was fined $1,000 and banned from receiving county permits for the site — needed for development — for three years, Veasey said.”
Let’s get serious… Make it a REAL PENALTY like 30 years or more so they will NEVER realize a profit on the property in their lifetime.
This minor delay only makes this incident fade from memory.
They should be forced to sell or better yet, forfeit the site.
Let the state or county take it through eminent domain and make it a park.
8/10/2010 12:01:30 PM
NucMedGuy wrote:
“Harvey Hanna & Associates, which couldn’t be reached for comment Monday, posted a $5,000 reward for tips leading to a conviction in the arson.”
Sounds familiar – Like when OJ Simpson posted a reward for his wife’s murderer.
8/10/2010 11:55:03 AM
Gravley wrote:
Did anyone check out the engineer who said the building was structurally unsafe? Apparently he looked at 1 (one) picture of the building, similar to the one in this article, and based it on that. He is either the world’s best engineer or a hoser. I’m going with hoser, wonder how much he was paid?
8/10/2010 11:41:13 AM
webshell wrote:
Replying to rrrrr:
Harvey Hanna & Associates, which couldn’t be reached for comment Monday, posted a $5,000 reward for tips leading to a conviction in the arson.
You scum bags did it yourselves. Where is my $5,000?
Good call.
8/10/2010 11:28:45 AM
rrrrr wrote:
Harvey Hanna & Associates, which couldn’t be reached for comment Monday, posted a $5,000 reward for tips leading to a conviction in the arson.
You scum bags did it yourselves. Where is my $5,000?
8/10/2010 9:13:19 AM