Comments on: Chestnut Lodge Burns and Collapses

By: DonBee

DonBee — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 20:35:34 +0000

I worked there for 9 years and my wife for 30 years. The pay was always poor except for the doctors. The Bullards were not generous people. There are many suicide stories that were squelched, including one of the Bullards. There should be plenty of ghosts around for a long time.

By: Rockville Central » More Chestnut Lodge Fire Coverage

Rockville Central » More Chestnut Lodge Fire Coverage — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 18:57:11 +0000

[...] The early-Sunday fire at the historic landmark Chestnut Lodge is one of the largest stories to hit Rockville in some time, and a number of news organizations have been covering it. (Cindy Cotte Griffiths filed a report that was among the first accounts here.) [...]

By: Local Links: Local Love, DC Summer Fun, Chestnut Lodge Fire, Yesterday’s Storm, GM Dealerships | Gaithersburg Local

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 17:28:50 +0000

[...] Central was one of the first sites to cover the Chestnut Lodge fire that occurred on Sunday. I had passed the old building many times on West Montgomery Ave. in [...]

By: Andrew

Andrew — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 17:05:24 +0000

‘Old Rockville,’ your comments would be easier to read if you would spell properly punctuate correctly, and use grammar. None of us are perfect typists, but when I see a comment someone hasn’t taken the time to put together properly, I just skip it. While we all can figure out what “takeing a shoot gun aproch” means, we shouldn’t have to figure it out.I don’t even disagree, you make a good point. But on here, all we have to go by are your written words.Hopefully, one day, these ‘blogs will have a spell check and grammar check feature, and we all can look like expert writers.

By: Deb

Deb — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 21:53:32 +0000

I was sad to see it go too. Up close and personal it may have been rundown and dilapidated, but for those of us who drove by it was a piece of Rockville history still standing, not yet developed to within an inch of its property lines. Older architecture, dignified bearing, surrounded by green grass and lots of tall trees, it was a welcome contrast to the new houses and apartments that have been going up nonstop since we arrived here many years ago.At least condos would have maintained the shape and probably the green space. I do not foresee an attractive replacement, sadly.:-( Given what’s been going up in our neighborhood and much of the rest of the City, I foresee an entire development and not much green space to speak of, although I do hope I’m wrong.

By: Rockville Resident

Rockville Resident — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 01:17:57 +0000

Old Rockville, you were the one who mentioned the predetermined wrecking ball.

By: Old Rockville

Old Rockville — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 15:23:22 +0000

Rockville Resident Beauty is in the eye of the beholder to me it always reminded me of the “T.V. show the Adams family house” or some other house in a horror movie. I guess the fact that it was a privately run Sanatorium for all thoose years did not hurt either. As far as the disrepair of the building I think you are takeing a shoot gun aproch for whose to blame The simple fact is Nobody regarless of it ownership wanted or did put any money into that structure. As far blameing the Mayor and council for the poor condtion of the building is faulty logic. The Mayor and Council current and past have been in favor of saveing that building. If we would like to point fingers at people who have thrown any road blocks up it is the ones that want to save the historical buildings the most in the fact that they never can compromise on pratical side matter. As far the economy if they can build and sell the houses they are know I don’t see why they could not have made the condo’s work unlees of course the Historical preservation groups could not come to an agreement with the builder.As far as things that cause the delapadation of a building the quickest is water leaks, sections of the interior of the building open to the weather and vandalism all three were present with this structure so basicly the building has been dieing a slow and painfull death

By: theresa defino

theresa defino — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 13:27:25 +0000

city council delays? of what sort?

By: Cindy Cotte Griffiths

Cindy Cotte Griffiths — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 03:12:30 +0000

Thanks for all of your thoughts. I hope our fire marshals will find a definitive answer on what started the fire and determine if anyone is responsible. Herb, great title. Sometimes we don’t realize we should be protecting things which are valuable until they are gone in a “we should have” moment. Unfortunately the renovations never started with the economic downturn for high-end condos.Mary (of Peerless Rockville) and Max van Balgooy also blogged about Chestnut Lodge combined with all the other recent historic losses. http://tinyurl.com/r6xtux

By: michelle

michelle — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 02:34:47 +0000

It is TRUELY sad…..But I can’t help but wonder, was it the best idea for this historically fragile landmark to be transformed into condos. MAybe this is the “universes” way of telling us no.Now all of “those” that may have been lfet in there can Rest In Peace.Just a thought…………..

By: Kathy Cohen

Kathy Cohen — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 01:26:56 +0000

Wow, what a shame! I only heard about it as a news tease during watching the Tonys. And this was the best spot for news about it. Thanks, Cindy!

By: Ron Nicholson

Ron Nicholson — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 01:02:56 +0000

Money screws a lot of things up ,or the lack of it. I was fourteen years old when I first saw that grand old building, I grew up about 2 blocks down the street from it, played in the apple trees that used to grow there. I am now 66 years old and while I do not live in Rockville anymore it has a lot memoirs for me.

By: Herb

Herb — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 01:00:38 +0000

Cindy, I was going to submit a picture for the POTD with the caption, “Chestnut Roasted ‘cuz an Open Fire…” several spectators independently came up with the same conspiracy theory, that the developer wasn’t keeping the property secure, and the destruction of it will allow more development to occur at greater profit.

By: Rockville Resident

Rockville Resident — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 22:55:27 +0000

Sorry Old Rockville you are wrong. It was a beautiful building in need of TLC. The current owner of the property has owned it for quite a few years now. Unfortunately, there has been almost no work done to the building and that is reason it was in disrepair. The reason for that was most likely delays due to builder and city council delays and the poor economy. The wrecking ball was not predetermined. Unless you want to make a case for foul play.

By: Andrew

Andrew — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 22:47:17 +0000

Perhaps someone can explain how in a building without electricity, but still with its gas line connected, a fire breaks out during one of the wettest weeks in quite a very long time. My guess is “accidental” but certainly not “random” — like the usual “mice chewing on wires.” Maybe some kids in there smoking weed perhaps?It will probably be cheaper and less technically risky for the developer to build it back as a new building with 7 condos in it than to renovate the old one.