Main Street building in Historic District demolished

WARWICK — It was built as a residential structure in 1920 and it sat in the Historic District of the Village of Warwick.

On Sunday morning, Sept. 7, the two story building at 104 Main St. next to the Post Office was torn down to make way for a new 3,000 square-foot building, also two stories high.

It will soon serve as the new home of Riehle Opticians, currently located in Merchant Square.

The original 1,930 square-foot building had recently served as the office of Century 21 Peck Realty.

According to Daniel Kelly, who is in charge of the Village of Warwick Code Enforcement, the building was on the Historic Registrar and within the Historic District but was deemed unsafe to renovate by a design professional as it had been unoccupied for a time and the structural members were no longer sound.

"It is always difficult to loose a building within the Historic District," Mayor Michael Newhard said. "The challenge of an expanding commercial corridor, the need for business placement and the difficulties of retro-fitting an older residential structure into the building code and handicap accessibility requirements for retail or offices are great."

Newhard explained that some buildings in the Historic District have changed so much over time that they loose their historic context and that it's up to the Architectural Review Board with input from the Historical Society to make that determination.

"The bright side," he added, "will be a new building on this site that will be a 21st century addition to the rich collection of architectural styles that will now span four centuries."