Blaze Hits Landmark Hammerstein House

A vagrant’s fire to keep warm or a developer’s desire to burn the building down?These were two of the rumors circulating among Queens preservationists this week after a fire took place at the officially landmarked Hammerstein House in Whitestone last Monday evening.
The blaze was first reported by neighbors around 6 p.m., and it took 12 Fire Dept.units over 45 minutes to get the fire under control.The blaze was confined mostly to the roof of the deserted structure and Fire Dept. officials declared it under control shortly after 6:46 p.m.
The once beautiful residence of Broadway impresario Arthur Hammerstein has been neglected and allowed to deteriorate over the past decade ever since a restaurant called "Ripples on the Water," which had operated in the 27 room mansion for many years, closed in the early 1980s.
Located on a 4 1/2 acre estate on the north Queens waterfront near the Throgs Neck Bridge, the house had originally been called "Wildflower" bythe Hammersteins. It was designated an official city landmark in 1982 by the Landmarks Preservation Commission. Despite its historic status, the building has become a night hangout for local youths. It has been the scene of a number of previous fires, the most serious one occurring in 1995 when the structure sustained serious damage. It has stood empty and dilapidated while the community and preservationists have called for its restoration. "Here in Queens we have the outrageous misfortune in having two of our official landmarks become the objects of neglect and desecration,"said historian Dr. Jeffrey Kroesller, head of the Queens Preservation League.The other structure he was referring to is the RKOKeith’s Theater in Flushing which has stood empty almost two decades and which has been seriously vandalized.
Earlier this year, the Landmarks Commission granted approval to Kiska Developers Inc. to convert the estate into several townhouse units following the restoration of the landmark by its owners, Emar Inc. Local civic leaders say that work was supposed to have been initiated before this winter season. The rest of the estate was also to be used for the construction of new townhouses.
The Whitestone Waterfront Coalition has opposed these plans and they say they are suspicious about the fires.Richard Bentley, chairman of the coalition says the owners have not fully secured the property. "We are deeply disappointed in the property owner’s delay in commencing landmark restorations. If their motive is to let the estate burn to the ground, we want to make sure that doesn’t happen," Bentley said.
The coalition would like to see a multi-agency city committee set up to make the owners begin restoring the landmark and to provide greater security for the structure and its surrounding property.
Following the 1995 fire, local police made special regular patrols and surveillance on the building and the coalition would like to see that resumed.