Ye Olde Firehouse in Point Lookout prepped for razing

Scaffolding around Ye Olde Firehouse will be removed and temporary fencing will be put up around the building beginning Friday.

That action follows Thursday's decision by Hempstead Town to allow demolition of the firehouse next week.

On July 22, town officials denied the site landmark status, and state officials ruled earlier this week that the building is ineligible for the state and national registers of historic places.

The white stucco firehouse building has been a community center, a preschool and a social gathering place, but little of it is now used by the fire district. The building was erected in 1934 as a community hall and later became part of the local fire department. It closed in 2011 over concerns about its deterioration and was further damaged by superstorm Sandy.

"Like many members of this community, I have fond memories of Ye Olde Firehouse," Fire Commissioner Andrew Richter said in a news release Thursday. "We [commissioners] look forward to a dialogue with the community this fall concerning our fire district facilities."

Don Kelly, president of the Point Lookout Property Owners Association, said in March that he had opposed the demolition and that the site should be a landmark and a community center. He could not be reached Thursday.