John Grossi spray-painted flourescent curses and other decorative tags on his recently purchased house in order to protest NY city's designation of the home as historic. The man planned to build five town-houses after paying $720,000 for the landmark. "I bought this house to tear it down," Grossi told the New York Times. "It ain't like George Washington slept here or nothing." Preservation
Spray-Painted House is Landmarked
Story by Margaret Foster / Apr. 26, 2005
Staten Island, N.Y.
Owner John Grossi vandalized his own house last month, misspelling several words.
The new owner of a 19th-century house in Staten Island, N.Y., spray-painted curses on it last month, protesting the city's plans to landmark the structure and prevent him from tearing it down to make way for five townhouses.
John Grossi's fluorescent graffiti caught the attention of New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who vowed to protect the Second Empire-style house built c. 1870. On Apr. 12, the city's Landmarks Preservation Commission, which had already identified the house as one of the "best preserved" in the area for a survey, designated it a city landmark.
Now Grossi, who whitewashed the house two days after vandalizing it, has applied for a "hardship provision," claiming he cannot get six percent of the assessed value of the property, which he bought for $720,000 earlier this year. Grossi, who wants to build five townhouses on the site, also poked a hole in the roof of his house and barn on Mar. 18, neighbors say.
"It was in wonderful condition when he bought it, but when he got mad, he trashed it inside and outside," says neighbor Tina Kaasmann-Dunn, a preservationist whose name Grossi spray-painted on the side of the house that abuts her property.
"I bought this house to tear it down," Grossi told the New York Times. "It ain't like George Washington slept here or nothing."
Staten Island's historic houses are rapidly being replaced with new multi-family developments. "The builders are coming in, finding these beautiful homes that tend to be on large lots, and seeing dollar signs," says Linda Hauck, president of the Tottenville Historical Society, which formed last year in response to the teardowns.
The group heard of Grossi's demolition plans in January and contacted the Landmarks Preservation Commission, which plans to complete its study of Staten Island's historic houses this summer. Its quick actionâ€â€and perhaps Grossi's, tooâ€â€helped save the structure, known as the Bedell House for its first owner, undertaker James Bedell.
"We were down to the wire," Hauck says. "We're thrilled with the designation because this house rightfully should be a landmark. It's one of many on Staten Island that have sort of slipped through the cracks."
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