Ellingtontodecide fate of historic Pinney House as town officials look to terminate 99-year lease
Jul. 8—Officials have mentioned during public meetings how expensive it is to maintain the empty Pinney House.
During an April 13 Board of Finance budget deliberation meeting, member Peggy Busse recommended that the town stop paying utilities for the vacant house in response to First Selectman Lori Spielman's request. Chairman Michael Purcaro asked Spielman if such a move was legally possible and she said it had been cleared with the town attorney.
Purcaro said Friday that the Board of Finance never discussed terminating the lease or demolishing the building, a rumor he said has been circulating in town.
At the June 12 Board of Selectmen meeting, Spielman confirmed funding for the property's utilities was removed from this year's budget.
Dale Roberson, chairman of the Friends of the Pinney House, said his nonprofit group and many others believe the Pinney House should be perpetuated in the public trust of Connecticut for generations to come.
"Treasures of this type are part of the fabric, culture, and history of our state," he said.
The house was built between the years 1775 and 1778 by resident Eleazer Pinney, who fought in the Revolutionary War and, with his family, was an original founder of Ellington and part of its separation from East Windsor, Roberson said.
Later, he said, Pinney became a member of the state Legislature and was elected as the first selectman of Ellington.
"Mr. Pinney was often involved in the settlement of estates, guardianships, and other responsible trusts; he was referred to as the 'administrator general' of Ellington until his passing in 1835," Roberson said.
More recently, the Pinney House was passed down through several of the family's generations until 1998, when the building and its surrounding land was bought by Santini.
At that time, Roberson said, the Pinney House was threatened with demolition. He said members of the Ellington Historical Society met to create a separate organization to preserve the building.
In July 2004, the Board of Selectmen appointed an ad hoc committee to preserve the Pinney House and in August 2007, the town signed a 99-year lease of the Pinney House with Deer Valley LLC.
In September 2004, selectmen approved $5,000 for an architectural study of the historic house. The next year, historian John Curtis made a full evaluation of the Pinney House and stated "it is unquestionably worthy of preservation. It represents the best that rural 18th century Ellington could produce."
Roberson said he could not agree more. He said the Friends of the Pinney House Corp., which was formed in 2010, has been working for the past two decades to preserve the house through state grants and hundreds of hours of volunteer time, and is concerned about the house's future.
"We were not included in any discussions about terminating the lease and want a reprieve," he said, adding that the group plans to ask the Board of Selectmen to table the motion for a year to give it more time to work on the project, as the COVID pandemic brought work at the house to a halt.
Though the house is uninhabitable, Roberson said the Friends want to finish the renovations so it can be used for the community's enjoyment.
"We believe it's a monument to the family that founded Ellington," Roberson said.
