The Maine Maid Inn, which the town of Oyster Bay registered as an historic landmark in 2012, may undergo renovation if the town's preservation commission and the architect can agree on how to proceed.
It is necessary for the landmarks commission to review any alterations planned for landmarked buildings, and residents and preservationists alike expressed concerns when part of the building was recently demolished.
The architect on the project, Angelo Francis Corva, has plans to turn the building into a restaurant. When he first presented his plans in public, some residents objected. John Collins, a commission member, said the renovations would destroy many of the historic characteristics of the building, which was a stop on the Underground Railroad, the escape route slaves used to make their way to the North before the Civil War.
Collins said he was upset that Corva's plans would erase the building's history, and while Corva acknowledged that the renovations would eliminate some architectural details, he added that turning the building into a multimillion-dollar restaurant would solve structural problems and help stop vandalism. Corva also said it was never his purpose to restore the building to its original condition.
Hicksville resident Deborah Strube added that she was proud that Oyster Bay would have such a historic building, and she believed it would draw many visitors.
The commission might work with brochure printers on a booklet about the Inn as it was in its prime, and distribute it for informational purposes.
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191 Broadway
Hicksville, NY 11801
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