State-Owned Farmhouse Razed

By Kendra Bobowick

Swinging its bucket over a second floor window, an excavator ripped down the remaining upright pieces of the more than 150-year-old farmhouse at 94 Wasserman Way Wednesday morning.

Pushing fallen walls and support beams out of its path, the excavator inched closer and tore another section of exterior wall and, siding down, chewing its way through a state-owned piece of the town’s agricultural history.

In late February a nearby farmhouse at 121 Wasserman Way succumbed to the winter’s heavy snow and ice when a portion of its roof collapsed. Within days contractors for the state had the house down and cleared.

A large barn and outbuilding at 94 Wasserman also soon fell beneath the weight of snow, and the house and buildings were quickly marked for demolition.

Watching the machinery’s jaws methodically tear and move debris from walls knocked down to the foundation, Dave Heelon of ATC Associates, an engineering firm, said, “It’s not as random as it looks. It could take time.” Although demolition crews from West Haven-based AAIS had been on location for nearly one week, the demolition only began Wednesday morning, March 2. Mr Heelon, an industrial hygienist, expected that by the end of the say he would step inside the rubble to test areas for asbestos. Any tiles or other contaminated portions would be removed and separated into designated dumpsters.

Amid sounds of boards snapping and metal jaws crushing building materials, Mr Heelon said, “When the roof came down, that was loud.” Before working on the house however, crews finished dismantling the large barn and a smaller chicken coop or outbuilding.

Watching the excavator work, he said, “It usually moves dirt, but it’s doing pretty good with this.”