By Mark Hallum
Demolition work began on a house once belonging to a family of classical music legends and contemporaries of the Steinway family after a drawn-out effort to save the unofficial landmark.
The Dulcken house, located at 31-07 31st Ave., dates back to around 1870 and belonged to the “first family of music,” according to Robert Singleton of the Greater Astoria Historical Society. But Gerald Caliendo Architects filed a request with the city Dept. of Buildings to the demolish home, which gained full approval in June and destruction began earlier this month.
Photos began circulating online depicting worker taking chain saws to the exposed attic in the rain.
The city Landmarks Preservation Commission rejected Singleton’s request in April 2017 to have the site protected due to alterations which have been made to the structure. But Singleton claims that argument should carry no traction since many of the landmarks under the purview of the LPC have been altered on some scale.
“This is not some obscure little dusty name, this is a name that resonates well within the world of music,” Singleton told the TimesLedger.
The French Second Empire style house has lost some of its frills with early photos showing that decorative fascia boards and window frames were replaced with plain wooden exterior siding.
The single spire was renovated from an octagon to a square shape while the second-floor bedrooms were expanded toward the front.
Johannes Dulcken (1706-1757) started the family’s legacy in Germany as an outstanding harpsichord craftsman, before moving on to other keyboard instruments still in world-class collections today.
Later generations of female Dulckens broke gender barriers by performing for the London Philharmonic in the early 19th century and into the 1850s. During this time, the aristocrats and royals of Europe lined up to have their children trained by Louise Dulcken, sister Therese and their nieces Sophie and Isabella for keyboard lessons.
Ferdinand Dulcken moved to the United States in 1876 and was a composer who helped build New York City into the music powerhouse it is today by representing talent and showcasing his own to the acclaim of his contemporaries, Singleton said.
Dulcken himself was a student of Jakob Mendolsohn and his compositions are still taught to pupils classical music to this day.
Singleton claimed that in May 2017 — after the LPC shot down his request — he was not trying to stop the developer from making a buck off the property, which was a rooming house at the time, since Singleton had intended to capitalize on the Dulcken family legacy by turning it into a tourist attraction.
He believes using this as an economic driver would have greater long-term benefit for the property owners and the community.
Reach reporter Mark Hallum by e-mail at mhall
