Nelson House hotel's 1925 annex (Tom Rinaldi)

Could a hotel in downtown Poughkeepsie, N.Y., be torn down for a parking lot?

Many residents, including the city's mayor, are outraged by Dutchess County's plan to raze the county-owned Nelson House hotel, where Franklin D. Roosevelt gave many speeches.

"I just heard about it a week ago," says Mayor Nancy Cozean. "The Nelson House is a very important part of the downtown area. It's been allowed to be neglected, and that is the real crime."

The Nelson House was built in 1876 on the site of a 1777 tavern frequented by Alexander Hamilton. Part of the 19th-century structure and a six-story neoclassical annex are all that remain of the hotel. Roosevelt, who lived in nearby Hyde Park, used the Nelson House annex during his gubernatorial and presidential campaigns and presidency.

"This hotel was the de facto headquarters of the White House," says Elizabeth Ryan, board member of the nonprofit Hudson River Heritage. "It's shocking that they would consider demo-ing this building—and for such a specious reason as parking."

In 1963, the county removed the building's oldest wing to make way for an office building, and the once-glamorous hotel suffered, closing six years later. The county moved in, turning it into offices and courtrooms, but abandoned the building in the 1980s.

Bill Steinhaus, county executive, revealed plans to demolish the Nelson House for a courthouse parking lot earlier this month as part of his 2006 capital plan. Steinhaus, who proposed the same demolition four years ago, did not return phone calls from Preservation Online.

The county legislature's capital projects committee will review the plan later this month. In the meantime, Mayor Cozean and others are forming a group to protest the plan.

"There's a whole slew of people who would like to say to the county, 'Hey, stop. Let's think of a better use than a parking lot for the future of that block,'" Cozean says.

Want Today's News headlines delivered to your e-mail box? Sign up for our weekly e-newsletter >>