Revolutionary War era Brooklyn landmark faces uncertain future as vandals and trespassers make their mark on the beloved relic
NEW YORK - The Wyckoff-Bennett Homestead on East 22nd Street near Kings Highway is believed to be more than 250 years old. A report from New York City's landmark designation from 1968 reads, "From an inscription found cut in a beam in the old barn, we can assume that the house was standing in 1766."
Built by the Dutch Wyckoff family, that would make this home older than the American Revolution.
Brooklyn Borough historian Ron Schweiger says German soldiers helping the British Army forced their way into the home during the Revolutionary War.
"One of these two soldiers took their knives and scratched in one of the window panes their name and their rank," Schweiger tells CBS2's Hannah Kliger.
He also says George Washington himself was believed to have visited the house.
"He stopped here and tea was served to him," he explains.
The house is a city landmark, owned by only three families over its whole history, until 2021, when the children of the former owners sold the property to a Limited Liability Company called 22nd Street Investors.
Designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1977, the property is showing signs of disrepair all around. Schweiger is worried that weather, vandals and time will continue to make their mark.
Over the span of several weeks, CBS2 visited the neglected homestead to find broken glass, a crumbling porch and vandalism scarring the home. Just off-camera one day, we saw a teenager coming out of the house, leaving the door wide open.
Maya Benshabat, a real estate appraiser who walks by almost daily while walking her dog, says this has become a common occurrence.
"Obviously this land is very, very valuable," she says, referring to the spacious lot. "A developer would love to grab it."
CBS2 tried to reach 22nd Street Investors, or co-owner Avraham Dishi via both phone and email, but we never heard back.
There are several complaints filed to the Department of Buildings by concerned neighbors, and the Landmarks Preservation Commission says it issued two violations to the owner for repairs. However, when Kliger checked back after several months, none of those repairs have been made.
In a statement, LPC says: "In response to enforcement efforts by the Landmarks Preservation Commission, the owner of the Wyckoff-Bennett Homestead, an individual landmark, has filed for and received an LPC permit for the work needed to bring the house into good repair. We will continue to monitor the conditions at the landmark."
"It's a shame to see it go like this. People have to learn a little about the history of where they live," Benshabat says.
Right now, concerns mount that the landmark can deteriorate to the point where the city has to tear it down for safety reasons.
"The New York City landmark law does have provisions for the city to sue the ownership if there is a proven demolition by neglect situation," says Blaire Walsh, the Director of Preservation Services at the New York Landmarks Conservancy, a nonprofit which advocates for the preservation of historic structures.
Sources say there is no indication that the house is structurally unsafe, but if a landmark is demolished, the city can seek the fair market value of the property.
The Landmarks Preservation Commission says someone came out to assess the condition of the homestead as recently as April.
A spokesperson for City Hall says the mayor is aware of the situation.
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