Repairs to the Wyckoff House in Hightstown are set to begin on Saturday.
By: Marisa Maldonado
HIGHTSTOWN The borough filed a complaint last week against a historic house after several residents complained about its alleged state of disrepair.
The house at 421 N. Main St., known as the Wyckoff House, has drawn complaints because of the front porch’s stairs, which have no railing, and its chipped paint.
"Basically, if you look at the house, it’s general maintenance scraping, painting," said Harry Wetterskog, a construction and zoning official who filed the complaint late last week. "The exterior trimwork needs to be done."
The lack of a railing on the stairs is the only code violation present, Mr. Wetterskog said.
Owner Allan White declined to say how long he has lived in the house and referred all questions to an attorney, Robert Stockton of Princeton. Mr. Stockton, who knows Mr. White from the Princeton Monthly Meeting of the Quakers, said a group from the Whites’ church will start working on the house on Saturday.
In addition to the borough, several residents of North Main Street expressed complaints about the house at 414 N. Main St. at Borough Council meetings on April 4 and 18. Peter Klapsogeorge, a North Main Street resident and former councilman, said he was concerned about hazards presented by the Wykoff House’s condition.
"Given the shape it’s been in, it needs to be knocked down to be saved," Mr. Klapsogeorge said Tuesday. "We’d like to get it taken care of, for Hightstown as well as the people inside. (We’ll) work with them, come up with something, because it’s not good."
A letter signed by five neighbors, including Mr. Klapsogeorge, states they are worried that the house is a fire hazard. It also said hanging wires caused by leaning trees from the Wyckoff property have damaged the neighboring house at 414 N. Main St.
But the borough’s construction official this week disputed many of the neighbors’ complaints. Mr. Wetterskog said the house posed no fire hazard, and that any hanging wires are the responsibility of the utility company.
The complaint does not specify a deadline by which the owner, Allan White, must finish the construction, he said. Mr. Wetterskog said he has been talking to him about the house, which is listed as a historic building in Hightstown, for years.
"This is not going to be an easy case," he said.
The borough sent a letter to Mr. White in October, saying the repairs must be done by Dec. 2 or legal action would be taken.
Mr. Wetterskog said he did not file a complaint in December because other people had said they would get involved with the repairs promises that went unfulfilled until this Saturday.
Two members of the meeting have signed up to help, said Sally Oppenheimer, a clerk at the Meeting. She said the group would do whatever the Whites needed. She did not know how long the project will take or how much the cost will be.
"They’ve given a great deal to the Quakers," Ms. Oppenheimer said. "It’s perfectly appropriate that we give back to them."
Several of the volunteers, including Ms. Oppenheimer, have volunteered for Habitat for Humanity.
"They’ve built houses from scratch, so I assume they can do the railing," Mr. Stockton said.
Mr. Stockton said the neighbors who had problems with the house should help with repairs.
"Maybe they’d like to come this weekend, this Saturday, and help do the work," Mr. Stockton said. "Tell them to wear old clothes and bring paint scrapers."

