A contractor is in hot water for illegally demolishing a home that was almost 400 years old.
The Hour reports the city of Norwalk, Connecticut, is pursuing the “strictest penalties possible” against a contractor who was hired for a “renovation/addition permit” on the historic Thomas Hyatt House, but instead knocked it to the ground.
City officials ran to the structure as it was being knocked down to issue an immediate stop work order, but it appears they were too late. The house, which they have ruled as unsalvageable, was constructed in 1677 and was considered the city’s oldest or second-oldest structure.
They said the permit was granted to renovate the saltbox-style home’s kitchen, laundry room and bathroom on the first floor, in addition to constructing a second-floor “addition over existing footprint.”
Mayor Harry Rilling told the outlet, “I am disgusted by this contractor’s actions and want to ensure he knows that when someone violates the city’s requirements to issue a demolition permit or get a proper demolition license, there are consequences. What he’s taken from us was more than just a building, it was an integral part of Norwalk’s history.”
The outlet tracked down the home’s owners and learned they were also listed as the contractor in charge of the renovation.
The city also found the home was not part of the Norwalk Preservation Trust — as they had previously assumed. Tod Bryant, the trust’s founder and president, said he is clueless about why someone would demolish such an important landmark, especially since it was in livable condition.
Added Rilling, “We plan to pursue this matter to the fullest extent of the law, including potential civil and criminal penalties.”