The Kellogg House exterior has been restored to its former glory

After workers stripped the exterior of the George Sumner Kellogg House over the summer, Gary Farkash, the president of the Baldwin Historical Society, uncovered something that he would later use to pay homage to the home’s rich history.

The Kellogg House has been a fixture in Baldwin for more than 100 years. It was once the home of civil war veteran George Sumner Kellogg, who later died in July 1918, and the House became an antique shop shortly after Kellogg’s death in the 1920s. It has been out of operation for the past couple of decades, however, and has become an eyesore. That finally changed during exterior renovations that began in July, and Farkash figured out how to give the house a fresh look.

Construction workers removed a number of layers of the building’s exterior until they uncovered the original wood, which had been painted green and white. The colors had changed over the past century to blue and yellow, and then red and purple.

“The colors on the Kellogg House are the original colors,” Nassau County Legislator Debra Mulé said. “So they are historically accurate, and I’m just thrilled that this renovation is getting done.”

Mulé noted that the green and white repainting had been completed in recent weeks, and Farkash said he believed they “nailed it.”

“Now that it’s not an eyesore, we have a chance to start fresh,” Farkash said.

Karen Montalbano, vice president of the historical society, said that the original colors show the beauty of the building, and added that she believed that the new look would help it realize the potential it once had. With exterior construction finishing up, according to Mulé, Montalbano has several ideas about what she would like the house to be used for.

“The Baldwin Civic Association hosted a meeting at the Baldwin library to talk about possible community uses for the house,” Montalbano said. “Some things mentioned were things like renting out the house for private parties once it looks nice, or to use that area (the House) for small meetings like book discussions.”

Montalbano said she would also like to see the porch of the house used for community functions, like group games, and that there could be a community garden as well. And because George Kellogg, who built the house, was a Civil War veteran, Montalbano mentioned the possibility of having the house host a program for veterans.

The building is now owned by Nassau County, but Montalbano said that the county is looking for ways to make it “self-sufficient.” Before it could be open to use by the community, the county would need to find a tenant.

“I hope that it becomes something that the community wants it to become,” Mulé said. “This should not be my decision. This doesn’t mean we can accommodate all of the ideas, and there will be financial considerations, but we have to take all of the ideas, put (them) together, and hopefully come up with something wonderful.”

Mulé noted that the renovations symbolize a link between the house’s past, present and future, and she would like the project to be one that the whole community can join in on — whether doing the actual work or coming up with ideas for community activities.

“I believe that we need to preserve our past so that people can understand where we came from,” Montalbano said.

Montalbano would like for the house to display its history, as well as craftsmanship that isn’t common anymore.

“Preserving the house for its value, and being able to reflect on the past, as well as keeping a community feel, are extremely important,” Kimberly Malone, president of the Baldwin Civic Association, said.

Malone said she wanted the house to become everyone’s “home,” where neighbors can come and feel comfortable. She would like to see it be a collaborative space, with community organizations’ offices there.

“We have artists in this community,” Montalbano said. “We could use the house for an art space, and display all the artworks from people in Baldwin.”

The construction is continuing, and there is no set date for its completion, but Montalbano, Malone and others expressed their enthusiasm for working with the county to eventually turn the house into a community-centric building.