Venerable Rumsey Hall has lost its usefulness

It always feels as if something irretrievable has been lost whenever a historical structure is torn down, particularly in New England, a region known to value its past. However, there are times when destruction is the only option left, and so it is for Cornwall’s Rumsey Hall. Still, it does seem a shame that there was nothing else to be done to keep the old building useful, after so many years of its having served the community well.

As noted by reporter Karen Bartomioli in her story in last week’s Lakeville Journal, the crumbling building has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1990. There were good reasons for this: Rumsey Hall began its run in 1848 as a boys’ private school, then as the Housatonic Valley Institute, more schools, and a gymnasium for a private school, then Marvelwood School leased the building until 1995. That’s a pretty long run.

Since then, despite the best efforts and brainstorms for uses of the building by both its owners and the townspeople of Cornwall, no idea took hold enough to become reality.

It is too bad there couldn’t have been senior affordable housing, or a new space for Town Hall. But voters did not accept the idea of renovating the building for town offices. A large part of the problem is that bringing an old building such as this up to current code is simply prohibitively expensive with no guarantees it will be able to be accomplished well no matter the amount of money thrown at it.

Farewell to a building that has been an integral part of Cornwall’s identity for more than 150 years. Since 1995, it’s been more of a negative identification, but for decades before that, there were certainly many more positive experiences that Rumsey Hall provided for those who matured and were educated within its walls. Let’s hope that sometime in the future a new structure will replace it that can claim some measure of similar historic note.

Latest News

Cornwall board approves purchase of two new fire trucks following CVFD recommendation

Cornwall board approves purchase of two new fire trucks following CVFD recommendation
CVFD reaches fundraising goal for new fire trucks
Provided

CORNWALL — At the recommendation of the Cornwall Volunteer Fire Department, on Jan. 20 the Board of Selectmen voted to move forward with the purchase of two new trucks.

Greenwood Emergency Vehicles, located in North Attleboro, Massachusetts, was chosen as the manufacturer. Of the three bids received, Greenwood was the lowest bidder on the desired mini pumper and a rescue pumper.

Keep ReadingShow less
fire department

Robin Lee Roy

Robin Lee Roy

FALLS VILLAGE — Robin Lee Roy, 62, of Zephyrhills, Florida, passed away Jan. 14, 2026.

She was a longtime CNA, serving others with compassion for more than 20 years before retiring from Heartland in Florida.

Keep ReadingShow less

Marjorie A. Vreeland

Marjorie A. Vreeland

SALISBURY — Marjorie A. Vreeland, 98, passed away peacefully at Noble Horizons, on Jan. 10, 2026.She was surrounded by her two loving children, Richard and Nancy.She was born in Bronxville, New York,on Aug. 9, 1927, to Alice (Meyer) and Joseph Casey, both of whom were deceased by the time she was 14. She attended public schools in the area and graduated from Eastchester High School in Tuckahoe and, in 1946 she graduated from The Wood School of Business in New York City.

At 19 years old, she married Everett W. Vreeland of White Plains, New York and for a few years they lived in Ithaca, New York, where Everett was studying to become a veterinarian at Cornell. After a short stint in Coos Bay, Oregon (Mike couldn’t stand the cloudy, rainy weather!) they moved back east to Middletown, Connecticut for three years where Dr. Vreeland worked for Dr. Pieper’s veterinary practice.In Aug. of 1955, Dr. and Mrs. Vreeland moved to North Kent, Connecticut with their children and started Dr. Vreeland’s Veterinary practice. In Sept. of 1968 Marjorie, or “Mike” as she wished to be called, took a “part-time job” at the South Kent School.She retired from South Kent 23 years later on Sept. 1, 1991.Aside from office help and bookkeeping she was secretary to the Headmaster and also taught Public Speaking and Typing.In other times she worked as an assistant to the Town Clerk in Kent, an office worker and receptionist at Ewald Instruments Corp. and as a volunteer at the Kent Library.

Keep ReadingShow less

Rafael A. Porro

Rafael A. Porro

SALISBURY -— Rafael A. Porro, 88, of 4 Undermountain Road, passed away Jan. 6, 2026, at Sharon Hospital. Rafael was born on April 19, 1937 in Camaguey, Cuba the son of Jose Rafael Porro and Clemencia Molina de Porro. He graduated from the Englewood School for Boys in Englewood, New Jersey and attended Columbia University School of General Studies. Rafael retired as a law library clerk from the law firm of Curtis, Mallet Prevost in 2002 and came to live in Salisbury to be nearer to his sister, Chany Wells.

Rafael is survived by his sister, Chany Wells, his nephew Conrad Wells (Gillian), and by numerous cousins in North Carolina, Florida, Wyoming, Arizona, Cuba and Canada. He was the eldest of the cousins and acknowledged family historian. He will be greatly missed.

Keep ReadingShow less