The remains of the old Sears building came down today, as demolition of the remaining exterior walls was completed.
Crews will continue to demolish the three smaller stores immediately its east, according to permits issued by Riverhead Town.
The former Sears, Roebuck and Co. store was built in 1949 and opened in 1950. Construction of the brick and block building took seven months, according to an two-page advertisement in the Jan. 19, 1950 edition of the County Review.
A Sears, Roebuck catalogue store had been located in a smaller space and its investment and expansion to a new, larger modern store was an expression of confidence in the town’s future prospects, the company said in a statement published in the newspaper. In an editorial, the County Review called the new Sears a signal that a “marked expansion” of commerce in Riverhead was about to take place.
In 1949, a large two-story home was razed to make way for the new Sears building. The home had once been owned by Dr. Everett Benjamin, according to the County Review, and had served as a USO headquarters during World War II — “where our boys were entertained and spent many a happy hour,” the newspaper editorial said.
Construction on the new building began on April 7, 1949 and was completed on Nov. 1 of that year.
The construction manager for the property owner investigated a rumor that a time capsule had been buried in the cornerstone of the building, but workers came up empty. Isaac Israel of Richmond Realty, which manages properties for site owner Riverhead Enterprises had a mason remove the cornerstone by hand yesterday, to see if there was anything in or under in. There was nothing there.
Richard Wines, chairman of the Riverhead Landmarks Preservation commission researched newspaper accounts of the time and said he found nothing published about a time capsule or even a groundbreaking ceremony for the new building.
Future plans for the site have not been disclosed by its owner. Sheldon Gordon, a principal in Riverhead Enterprises, the company that owns the properties, declined comment.
A large mixed-use apartment building is planned by developer Georgica Green Ventures for the parcel on the corner of East Main Street and McDermott Avenue, immediately east of the Riverhead Enterprises properties.
A contract of sale between Riverhead Enterprises and Georgica Green for the sites now being cleared fell through because the State Historic Preservation Office said the front facade of the Sears building, which the state said was a historically significant resource, should not be torn down. Approval by the state historic office was required because Georgica Green was seeking federal and state financing for the project and the building is within the downtown historic district, which is listed on the state and national registers.
Georgica Green said the restriction affected the number of dwelling units it could build on site and pulled out of the contract after a reduced purchase price could not be negotiated, according to its consultant Connie Lassandro. The developer then signed a contract to buy the former McCabe’s/Dinosaur Walk Museum site to the east, on the corner of McDermott Avenue and East Main Street.
The survival of local journalism depends on your support.
We are a small family-owned operation. You rely on us to stay informed, and we depend on you to make our work possible. Just a few dollars can help us continue to bring this important service to our community.
Support RiverheadLOCAL today.