The Annesdale Mansion is 166-years-old and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. An interior architecture and design firm has a contract to buy the historic Annesdale Mansion, with plans to expand how the property is used in ways that do not include building apartments on the seven acres.
Murphy Maude Interiors, owned by Leslie Murphy, filed an application with the Land Use Control Board for permission to expand the uses of the 166-year-old property to include interior and outdoor recreation, office, retail and bed-and-breakfast.
The plans could be a comfort to neighbors of the surrounding Annesdale Snowden Historic District. Several expressed concern when owner Ken Robison put the mansion at 1325 Lamar on the market for $5 million in March 2020. Among his selling points is that a new owner could build apartments on the grounds.
“The desired use of the property is to locate the offices of Murphy Maude Interiors along with associated showroom retail space within the home with the ability to continue the events portion of the business that has been underway on the property for the past 8 years,” the letter of intent states.
“A potential future use of a Bed and Breakfast is also proposed.
“The home would be core to (Murphy Maude Interior’s) clientele who are designers, home owners and custom home builders who appreciate fine architecture and custom textiles,” states the letter written by architect Kate Haywood. She is the firm’s director of interior architecture and also has her own firm, Daily Design Group.
“… Opposed to removing the historic home and building apartments, it is our desire to be a steward of the home made possible by the income generated from hosting weddings an other curated event that support the arts community,” the letter states.
The Annesdale Mansion, built in the style of Italian Villa architecture, has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places for 41 years. Robison bought it in 2011 for $550,000, and spent years carrying out a substantial renovation. He has used the property for both a residence and to rent out for weddings and other special events. Murphy Maude Interiors plans a big change, moving from this industrial space on Cumberland to the historic Annesdale Mansion on seven acres at 1325 Lamar. Murphy Maude Interiors would be moving five miles southwest from its current address in the Bell Park industrial development in Binghampton.
The change in environment for the business would be 180 degrees. Bell Park is a bustling but gritty old industrial park of loading docks, dumpsters and 18-wheelers.
The existing office has no natural lighting, but at the Annesdale Mansion employees and clients can benefit from large windows and even use a rear porch.
Murphy plans to change the focus of the events hosted at the mansion. The property will still be a wedding venue, but will be tailored more to host art-based and community events, Haywood wrote.
Revenues from renting the space for events will help pay for the cost to maintain the old mansion and grounds, the letter states.
Neighbors have […]
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