EMERSON—One of the borough’s oldest buildings — the DeBaun House built in the 1770s — faces demolition after efforts to preserve the historical structure and American Legion meeting place failed to sustain the 250-year-old structure.
Officials said that in the building’s place, the American Legion Post 269, which owns the building on its 1.6 acres, hopes to construct four one-bedroom apartments for veterans. Nearby, the Legion already built 14 affordable apartment units for veterans.
Borough and post officials said many efforts to preserve the Dutch-style building were attempted over the last several years but structural issues, mold and widespread second-floor damage caused by a plumbing leak, and dry rot found on the exterior had made restoration too difficult.
The house served as a meeting site for veterans since after World War I, in addition to a community resource that has hosted community and social events, for adults and youngsters alike.
The building was not eligible for state or federal historic listing due to its extensive alterations.
Mayor Danielle DiPaola shared the sad news at the Oct. 19 meeting of the governing body. She said the DeBaun House was scheduled to be knocked down the week of Nov. 1.
She called it “very unfortunate” and invited comment from Council President Kenneth Hoffman and Councilwoman Jill McGuire, both of whom were involved in preservation efforts.
Hoffman said the building, one of Emerson’s two oldest, dates to the original settlement of the area. He said the DeBauns “were one of the founding families of this area before it actually became Emerson.”
Hoffman said plans were for the county to preserve the structure. “So it’s disappointing to me and it’s disappointing that they didn’t follow through with that intention. It is a loss for the town.”
He said it was also “a loss for that section of town known as Old Hook” and that the only building left after DeBaun is gone will be the Old Hook Farm structure. “So it’s with sadness I see this happening.”
In an email to Pascack Press, Hoffman said the structure should have been saved.
“I believe that the home could have been restored and preserved by the Housing Authority of Bergen County (HABC), which was their original intention when the application was approved for the veterans housing some years ago. The architectural firm that did the report for HABC said that the building could be restored for use by the Legion, despite the HABC’s public statements to the contrary; the building isn’t beyond repair and the foundation isn’t crumbling,” Hoffman said.
He added, “Based on a conversation I had with a construction expert, the estimate for restoration was overestimated, and I believe funding could have been acquired to save it. This is a great loss for the history of our town and the surrounding area, since such historic buildings are irreplaceable. Its demolition will be a sad day for Emerson.”
We reached out to HABC Director of Development John Biale for comment but did not hear back by press time.
DiPaola noted that former council members, as well as Hoffman and McGuire, “took many visits to the house” over years to consider options for saving or preserving the structure for veterans in American Legion Post 269.
She said, “Everything was exhausted and at this point, the commander, Mr. [John] Hogan, I know with regret, has given the permission to knock their building down.”
McGuire told Pascack Press that “As a historian, I made every effort to educate the interested parties of the importance the DeBaun House plays in the community’s and nation’s history. Along with many in the community, I was hopeful that the Housing Authority of Bergen County would fulfill its original intention to restore the structure for American Legion Post 269. Unfortunately, the restoration will not occur.”
She, too, noted the DeBaun House is owned by Post 269.
“I greatly respect the American Legion post members, who are our nation’s war heroes. They have been without a proper meeting space for many years — which is something that they should have and most certainly deserve.”
McGuire said, “I understand that the decision they have been forced to make in this matter has been made with great difficulty. With that being said, I will be very saddened when the DeBaun House is demolished, as it’s another piece of our rich history that will disappear forever.” She said the county did not utilize a grant it had to restore the house.
Post Commander John Hogan could not be reached for comment by press time.
Legionnaire Bill Wassmann, 92, who was town historian from 1980 until 2012, told Pascack Press on Nov. 2 that the preservation of a building is no more difficult than tearing it down and replacing it. “It could be done but they just don’t want to spend the money on that.”
Wassmann was passionate in a 2019 letter to the-editor on saving DeBaun House, when preservation options were on the table.
“The problem is the will to do it, and the will is missing in this town. It seems to be turning into a bedroom community for New York…Virtually all the old structures in Emerson have been destroyed, the DeBaun is the last. This has me angry,” he wrote.
Of the planned demolition, he said, “I think it’s a terrible thing to do. It’s basically the only piece of history that we have in this town.”
He suggested more should have been done at the borough level. Told DiPaola had noted the building belonged to the American Legion, Wassmann said that Hogan should have worked harder to persuade the mayor and council to get involved.
“Preservation is difficult. I’m a preservationist more than a historian. The building’s historic and there isn’t much of that left here. That’s the problem with history, people just ignore it. A lot of people just don’t want to look back,” he said.
In November 2019, we reported that members of American Legion Post 269 voted to give a thumbs-up to one option for preservation proposed by HABC: to disassemble the building and build a meeting place on site with three second-floor apartments for veterans in its place.
It was one of several options considered — and ultimately rejected — by county officials working on ways to preserve the building.
County officials told Pascack Press then that they would continue meeting with Legion and Borough officials to discuss preservation plans.