SUNY Fredonia Interim President Dennis Hefner stated in an email that the university won’t tear down the Fenner House. OBSERVER File Photo

It appears the Fenner House will remain standing at 178 Central Ave. in the village.

In an email sent to faculty and staff last week, State University of New York at Fredonia Interim President Dennis Hefner said demolition is no longer the course officials will be going. Instead, funds from the SUNY Construction Fund will be used to secure the outside structure.

“In the course of conducting our due dilligence, two employees from the State Historical Preservation Office in Albany travelled to Fredonia four weeks ago to tour the house and discuss a number of alternatives,” Hefner wrote in the email that was forwarded to the OBSERVER. “One alternative they suggested, which has been utilized by another New York campus, was applicable to our situation, and appeared to be legal under current state laws and SUNY regulations.”

This will likely bring appreciation from many who, since the fall, have called for a plan to save the structure. According to the Fredonia Preservation Society the structure is listed with the State Historic Record Agency as an historic building but is not listed on the National Historic Register. It is a state-owned building.

The Fenner House also is documented in Dr. Daniel Reiff’s book: “Architecture in Fredonia” and pictured in the popular, often requested, book of architecturally significant Fredonia homes.

“The funds originally provided by the Construction Fund for demolition of the house will be used to secure the outside structure, which will include, but not be limited to, making the roof and exterior water-tight, installing proper ventilation, and adding internal structural and foundation supports to keep the exterior intact,” Hefner wrote. “By not having to either renovate or utilize the internal components of the house, the previous barriers were eliminated.

“As a result, the property will continue to be part of the campus, the visual impact the house has on Central Avenue will be maintained, and the park-like setting proposed for the lot will now use the house as an architectural feature. This result will be achieved within the funding amount the Construction Fund has made available, and will not adversely impact any other campus construction project.”

Before its closing, the Fenner House was used by the university as its admissions office until January 2018.