Archive: Opinions

EditorialI got a little behind on this issue, because I was distracted.  I went down to Ludlowville to get a picture or two for my story on the horrible flooding that has been causing hundreds of thousands of dollars of damage to residents there.  And I was struck, as I always am when I go to Ludlowville, by the beauty of the hamlet and the buildings I found there.

I walked up to the old Ludlowville Union School and snapped pictures, trying to imagine what it was like to be a student in the beautiful old building.  And I lamented the sorry state of the school now.  Lansing has lost a lot of beautiful buildings.  In 2005 the nearly 200 year old Beardsley Building, a beautiful North Lansing grange hall, was demolished.  The cost of maintaining or restoring these Lansing gems must be well beyond the means of their now private owners.  But it is a shame to see them go, and a joy to see them before they do.

The Barr Cottage looks pretty much the same as a picture I have seen from 1890.  Ludlowville has many beautiful old houses, lovingly cared for by their current residents.  While the 'Brick Block,' which housed a general store and a post office and a barber shop, is the hamlet's most striking landmark, other pieces of Lansing history remain.

One is the Methodist Church, one of a handful that merged years ago into the Lansing United Methodist Church.  The old Asbury Church is another from the churches that merged.  Both are private homes today, as is the old East Lansing Baptist Church, just down the street from my house.  We also have two one-room school houses in either direction from our house, both converted into homes.  And in Ludlowville the Federal House is a circa 1815 inn, originally a summer residence, that now thrives as a popular bed & breakfast.

That seems to be the most effective way to preserve Lansing's heritage -- converting historical buildings into homes.  Because it is private money that has to pay for these buildings to remain standing.  With gas prices and the cost of lumber and construction soaring, saving these jewels from our town's past is becoming close to impossible.  Even the Rogues Harbor Inn, arguably Lansing's premier landmark, has served as a home to its owner who has lovingly restored it, room by room, into a bustling restaurant, bar, and bed & breakfast.

Along those lines I am hoping that residents will be willing to donate money and time to bring back one of Lansing's oldest landmarks.  The North log cabin, which dates back to the Revolutionary War, was brought home to Lansing after spending a half century at the Cayuga Museum in Auburn.  About a third of the logs are in bad shape, and it will take some effort to erect it again.  But the Town has selected a beautiful spot to do so, if the money and expertise can be found -- not at taxpayer expense.

The cabin will be the crown jewel in Lansing's collection of beautiful old buildings, and possibly the motivation for a Lansing Historical Trail.  I think it will be worth it.

There used to be 23 schoolhouses in Lansing.  I know where five of them are, and suspect there are more to find.  There are 30 cemeteries here, and I don't know how many churches.

I almost didn't get this week's newspaper finished because I was having so much fun walking around Ludlowville on a beautiful sunny morning.  I didn't want to go back to the newsroom and stare at computer screens on such a lovely day.  Luckily my camera battery died.  That got the presses rolling again!

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