Livingston Manor’s version of urban renewal continued during the early spring of 1972 with the demolition of the historic hotel in the center of the village. Just in the past two-plus years, changes along Main Street included the razing of the landmark Johnston & Johnston building which was replaced by a gas and service station and the demolition of the residences of Schaff and Izzy Myerson on lower Main Street to make room for the new location of the Sullivan County National Bank. Meanwhile, the UDC housing project was in the midst of construction at Jacktown.  
The old Main Street hotel located in the center of town was built in 1900 by Monticello area native Daniel Radigan. Progress in the building’s construction, however, was beset with problems. One method of excavating for a building’s foundation during this era was with the use of dynamite. After the setting off the explosives, the soil and rock would then be loosened for easier digging, either by hand or by the use of a horse-drawn scoop shovel. In blasting out Radigan’s hotel foundation in early April, three sticks of dynamite were used. By setting off all three sticks at once, the explosion shattered the newly laid Main Street water main in front of the site. After the damaged underground pipe was repaired, it was then discovered that the pipe crossing the middle of the Little Beaverkill was also damaged. It took four days to get the system up and running again.

Also in early April of 1972, on the lot directly behind the Johnston building, the old Constanzo Eugeni residence was also leveled. The Eugeni residence is noteworthy for it was formerly, as told to me a number of years ago by long-time resident Odie Hoos, a portion of the original village school that was located on Rock Avenue. With the building of the Union Free School in 1901 on the same Rock Avenue location, the old school was lifted and rolled off to the side to allow the new school’s construction. The old school was then auctioned off in two sections. Josiah Brown, prominent local contractor during this era, purchased the large section and relocated it onto the lower Pearl Street lot.