Mt. Pleasant Reclaims Thornwood American Legion Post Property
News Based on facts, either observed and verified directly by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
The Town of Mount Pleasant has taken over the American Legion building in Thornwood overseeing its interior reconstruction after it was severely damaged from flooding during Hurricane Ida.
About a month ago, ownership of the Gilbert Rauh Post 1574 reverted back to the town because of the expense of the work and the dwindling membership of the Legion post, said town Supervisor Carl Fulgenzi. The town deeded the property to the Legion in 1955, and upon officially reaching an agreement to reacquire it, the town paid the same $400 it received nearly 70 years ago.
“It’s beautiful,” Fulgenzi remarked about the condition of the building. “Everything’s brand new. We did everything, painting, everything like that. We added a bathroom upstairs, a handicapped bathroom because there was no bathroom upstairs, and then we redid everything downstairs – kitchen, bathrooms, the heating system, the air conditioning. A lot. We put a lot into it.”
After the interior was demolished by an assortment of volunteers and members of various organizations, including the nonprofit Fuller Center Disaster Assistance Response Team and cadets from West Point, the town hired a contractor and paid about $150,000 to complete the work.
Fulgenzi said he’s hopeful that most, if not all, of the expense will be recouped through FEMA. The town has received a small portion of the money from the federal government; however, FEMA is waiting for the town to address the flooding issues caused by a nearby stream that occurs during very heavy rainfall. The agency does not want to see the damage happen again before it releases the balance of the funds, he said.
On the evening of Sept. 1, 2021, the nearby stream swelled and overflowed its banks. According to eyewitnesses following the storm, there was about four feet of water on the ground floor of the building.
Now that the building is in the town’s possession, it belongs to the Recreation Department, Fulgenzi said. The town plans to rent it out to community groups but also allow the Marine Corps League to use it once a month as well as the Thornwood Legion.
“I told them it’s here for them to use whenever they want,” Fulgenzi said.
Martin has more than 30 years experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, including a frequent focus on zoning and planning issues. He has been editor-in-chief of The Examiner since its inception in 2007. Read more from Martin’s editor-author bio here. Read Martin’s archived work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/martin-wilbur2007/
