Town appoints custodian for Lewis House

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The Board of Selectmen has appointed a custodian to watch over the town-owned house at 35 Wolfe Ave. in Beacon Falls after some minor vandalism was discovered inside the home Sunday. –FILE PHOTO
The Board of Selectmen has appointed a custodian to watch over the town-owned house at 35 Wolfe Ave. in Beacon Falls after some minor vandalism was discovered inside the home Sunday. –FILE PHOTO

BEACON FALLS — One resident will be keeping an extra eye on the Tracy Lewis House.

Town Treasurer Michael Krenesky was named the custodian of the house at 35 Wolfe Ave. Monday during the Board of Selectmen meeting.

The appointment followed the discovery of some minor vandalism at the town-owned property.

First Selectman Christopher Bielik said he was walking in the house with Krenesky on Sunday and they noticed a couple of holes punched in the walls and marks that look like something was dragged across the hardwood floors. One hole is about 6 inches in diameter and the other is about 2 feet in diameter, he said.

“It’s starting to attract an undesirable element in town that seems to think destruction is some kind of fun,” Bielik said.

Bielik said it didn’t look like anyone broke into the house. There was no damage to the doors or windows that showed signs of forced entry. Rather it is likely the person or people who entered the house did so through a door that had been left unlocked, he said.

The 1.5 acre property and house were purchased by the town in August 2008 for $425,000. The house once belonged to Tracy Lewis, the president of Beacon Falls Rubber Shoe Co. The town had originally planned to keep the house and renovate it into a community center and space for the library. However, those plans have yet to come to fruition.

Krenesky said he offered to be the custodian, which is a volunteer position, in order to keep an eye on the house for the town.

“My concern is that we just don’t seem to be taking care of it. I’ve offered to make sure it is locked, make sure the windows are open or closed when they need to be. I understand we have some longer term plans for the property. Once we finalize what that is the house will be what it is. In the meantime we paid a hefty amount of money for that property,” Krenesky said.

Krenesky said police already make routine passes on the Wolf Avenue to check on the house, but can not be there all the time.

Bielik and Krenesky also planned to look into whether new locks or any other security measures are needed.

“We should be doing a better job of keeping it secure,” Bielik said.