When historian John Wolcott talks, I listen. I've known John for over 30 years and have found that he has an encyclopedic mind and the eye of a hawk when it comes to historic architecture and archeology. I've never known him to be wrong either! So when John alerted me to the fire in Lansingburgh a couple of months ago, I knew it had more to do with just the burning of an ordinary set of buildings.

The fire which engulfed 493, 495 and 497 Second Avenue in Historic downtown Lansingburgh went through three of the village's historic architectural treasures. While two of them have been modified over the years, appearing as Victorian structures to the casual observer, architectural historians like Wolcott, and the late Francis Broderick, the village's historian, recognized the earlier significance of these three buildings. Broderick used a drawing of one of them on the village's 200th anniversary publication in 1971. But Wolcott has found something even more remarkable.

These three buildings and the adjacent Daley Inn are the longest row of early brick gambrel roof buildings in New York State and maybe America. Topping that is the fact that they have a peculiar protective edge of bricks set on edge that Wolcott has never seen elsewhere on a gambrel roof in this country.

Both 495 and 497 Second Avenue were modified over the years. Both had a third floor added so that the gambrel roof and brick edging does not show except on the roof line of 493 and against the back of the Daley Inn.

All three buildings were built at the same time on land which is in the original colonial core of Lansingburgh as it was laid out in 1771 by founder Abraham Lansing. The lots on which they were built were all owned by Amos Graves who was the first purchaser of those lots from the village which owned the land.

While the fire itself is tragic for the families who lived in them, it now presents a unique opportunity. The outside brick shells of all three buildings seem to be intact and structurally sound and could be rehabilitated. The building in the middle, 495 Second Avenue, where it started, would have to be totally gutted on the inside, but it could be done. The original gambrel roof lines of the two could be restored by removing portions of the third floor addition. One idea I have is that the insides of all three could be renovated as one building as an expansion of the nearby Daley Inn. This would make the Daley Inn one of the most architecturally unique restaurants in America. It could even compete with the historic Fraunces Tavern in New York City which went through expensive and extensive renovations earlier in this century.

The Daley Inn is one of the few remaining buildings with Dutch brickwork in Lansingburgh built on what was then called King Street. Apparently built for Ezra Hickock, who died in 1794, and is buried in the village cemetery with very ornate relief carvings on the headstone. It was chiseled by Zerrubabel Collins, a famous stonecarver of Southwestern Vermont.

During the 19th century, the Inn was better known as the Filey Tinware establishment Later, it was known as the Cohoes House in 1900, and became the Daley Inn in 1939 after purchased by James E. Daley. I have been told it is now owned by a Gene Colletti.

Of course all this is mute if the rumors I heard are true. The buildings are slated to be demolished by the city this week. Ironically, the village sold these lots for the construction of homes or businesses in the new village to Graves on November 25, 1774, Thanksgiving weekend! They may disappear forever Thanksgiving week, 225 years later! It's too easy to destroy our history. It's takes vision to preserve it.