Northborough Landmark White Cliffs Faces Wrecking Ball

Ask anyone in Northborough to name a defining property in their town, and White Cliffs is often the number one answer.

Long a fixture, the towering estate - a huge, sprawling white mansion on a cliff - hosted countless weddings and other functions.

Originally, White Cliffs was built in the 1880s as a summer home for Daniel B. Wesson of Smith & Wesson fame. It’s had several owners since.

The LaCava family now owns it the property, which sits on more than six acres. And since the real estate has sat for more than 10 months on the market, owners have decided to knock it down, reported the Community Advocate.

This week, the family applied for a demolition permit at the Historical Commission meeting.

The property is currently listed by LAER Realty Partners for $2 million, and lists White Cliffs, which is located at 167 Main St., as “breathtaking and unparalleled.” It features 32 rooms, 17 fireplaces and this lavish mansion has been meticulously maintained with its original grandeur and beauty, and has for many years since been the site of breathtaking weddings and functions.”

But there haven’t been any bites, and the building needs some code-related updating such as a sprinkler system and an elevator.

Michael Durkin, who represents LAER, told the Advocate that the family is hoping requesting the demolition permit will incite someone to step up and buy it, and if not, the cleared land will be attractive to developers.

Since put on the market in May of 2014, Amanda Millette, daughter of two Historical Society members, created a Save the White Cliffs Facebook page, urging supporters, “Let’s save it from a developer and keep this historical gem in town.”

The Historical Commission is holding a public meeting in February.

What are your memories of White Cliffs? Are you concerned about its demolition?