Once owned by Lincoln’s granddaughter
Demolition spotlights Middlesex’s lack of
historic preservation ordinance
Middlesex County Planning and Zoning Director David Kretz said last week that the antebellum 1840s Hartfield mansion “Woodstock on the Piankatank,” sometimes referred to as the “Lincoln house,” and two other structures on the property were demolished through a county-approved demolition permit obtained on Oct. 23, 2025.
The permit allowed the demolition of house, small agricultural structure, and barn. The demolition took place in March 2026. “A demo permit was issued by the Middlesex County Building Department prior to the demolition so the removal was done with permits,” said Kretz via email. “Zoning does not require a zoning permit of structures per Section 21-3 of the zoning ordinance.
- Total demolition of a structure.
- Minor repairs including but not limited to the installation or replacement of new roofs, siding, and windows.” The demolition permit cost $25.50.
The demolition of the historic 1840s Woodstock, once owned by Jessie Harlan Lincoln (1875-1948), granddaughter of President Abraham Lincoln, was legal — but was it in the best interest of Middlesex?
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