5 May 2020
Ms. Evelyn Panichi, Director
Royal Carting Service Company
409 NYS Route 82
P.O. Box 1209
Hopewell Junction, NY 12533
Via email: evelynpanichi@gmail.com
Dear Evelyn,
The Fishkill Supply Depot Historic Site represents Military Veterans from several towns within Dutchess County. We work with several other Veteran’s groups to include VFWs, American Legions, HVVA, the Veterans Sportsmens Association, and the Veterans Affairs Committee of the Dutchess County Legislature. Our mission includes helping and honoring ALL Veterans by promoting preservation and education for the historical military sites that played an important role in Dutchess County and the Hudson Valley. Since the Hudson Valley, and specifically Dutchess County played such an important role in the American Revolution and the founding of our country, we are mainly focused on the preservation and protection of Revolutionary War military sites.
The Revolutionary War Griffin’s Tavern is one of those sites that we are interested in preserving. We believe that this Tavern held an incredibly high place of importance by 18th Century Hudson Valley Patriots, and played a crucial role during the earlier years of the American Revolution. Several of our members, and specifically those who live in East Fishkill, became extremely upset when the remaining stone structure of Griffin’s Tavern was recently demolished. Some of those Veterans have since cancelled their contracts with Royal carting, and as word of the Tavern destruction is being shared within the local Veterans community, I would anticipate this trend to continue. According the Hudson Valley VA, there are more than 100,000 Veterans living in the Hudson Valley, and with the recent destruction of the Griffin’s Tavern, Royal Carting has now gained a reputation for being anti local history and anti-Veteran.
As an organization, we are extremely disappointed by the recent destruction of the Griffin’s Tavern and see no benefit to the Royal Carting business model by the removal of this historic structure. We are also extremely disappointed by the Town of East Fishkill that promotes the service of Veterans but allowed this historic site to be demolished. With that being said, we are not as a Veterans based Preservation organization seeking to be confrontational with Royal Carting or the Town of East Fishkill. Instead, we would be interested in working with other local Veterans organizations, the Town of East Fishkill, you, and Emil Panichi to develop the Griffin’s Tavern historic site with a new proper interpretation that honors Veterans and the important role this Tavern played in the founding of America.
We already have some ideas that could be used to preserve this site going forward which could promote local history, allow the occasional public access, and honor Hudson Valley Veterans. It would be a very patriotic gesture on your part to create a respectable and proper interpretive site at the place of the original Tavern. This new interpretive site could be used to honor America’s first Veteran’s so that Veterans and citizens in Dutchess County, and throughout NY and the Country would be able to come and visit. We would like to meet with you to talk about what may be possible to restore the honor for this lost Tavern.
Fishkill Supply Depot Historic Site
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“ Those who have long enjoyed such privileges as we enjoy forget in time that men have died to win them.”
This is an excellent letter. Very well written and makes some relevant ties to how history, Veterans, and the community were tied to the senseless destruction of this historic structure. I hope that Royal Carting will respond favorably and work with Veterans groups and preservationists to rebuild the site in a way that benefits our local community. Good luck!!!