Hornell Adsit House: Historic Treasure or Future Crackhouse?

If you've ever traveled into Hornell to get a lotto ticket and a dozen microwaved chicken wings at the Convenient, you're probably familiar with the Adsit House. It's the handsome brick house across the street. According to an article in the Hornell Evening Tribune, it was built in 1828 by one of Hornell's founding fathers. Now it's in the midst of a tense battle, as an outsider ne're-do-well developer wants to tear it down for commercial development. According to "independent" engineers, it would cost as much as $835,000 to make the building habitable. But local house-hugger Mildred McAnany is sure that she and Historic Hornell, Inc. can save the property. The Corporation's primary weapon over the last few years, legal red tape.

Now, I'm all for historic preservation, but isn't the purpose of such preservation societies to raise funds to buy properties, not block the purchase and use of them by others? Next time you're stepping out of the Convenient with your "Win for Life' ticket, glance across the street. If you see Mildred has handcuffed herself to the chimney, you'll know why.