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The
"Jason Skinner House'
(continued)
Roger P. Plaskett
After the death
of Mr. Roraback the house, and 2100 acres of Harwinton
land and houses, passed onto his son Lewis. Lewis lived
in Hartford for 50 years and used the house in Harwinton
only occasionally.
Lewis Roraback standing on the porch of The Skinner
House about 1949
On the most part
the house stood vacant from the early 1950's through
1979 when Lewis died in Hartford. There is speculation
as to how the land became State property. One document
said that it was the stipulation in the last will and
testiment of John Roraback that the land would be dontated
to the State after the death of his son, and yet another
that states it was Lewis who donated the land. Whatever
the situation was, the State of Connecticut was left
the largest donation of land in it's history. 10% of
Harwinton was now State owned property.
State Officials
were jubilant over the gift, which even to this day,
is the largest single donation of open space in its
history. The town however, was less then overjoyed.
State land is not taxable so the town would loose approximately
$17,000 a year in annual taxes. The will stated that
the land be used for passive recreation.
In 1983 the State
DEP described the house as having fallen victim to vandals,
years of neglect and powder post beetles and is no longer
structurally sound.
So what now? The
State had to decide what to do with the house.
In 1983 the State
offered the house to the Harwinton Historical Society
for the price of $1.00 with a stipulation that it must
be moved. The President of the Society was Roy Gilley.
He asked the Board of Selectman to appoint a committee
to work towards mnoving the house with possible usage
being as a Town Hall or even a Library.
First Selectman
Lloyd Shanley Jr., whose ancesters had once owned the
house, appointed a panel to work on getting the House
on the National Register of Historic Places. This designation
would have some strategic advantages with possible grant
money available and a recent Presidential order suporting
the preservation of historic buildings.
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