Alleged vandals at Corinth paper museum: Youths caught ‘in broad daylight’

By Ben Westcott, Chronicle Staff Writer

Three juveniles were charged with 3rd degree burglary and 2nd degree criminal mischief and released to their parents after they allegedly vandalized the Hudson River Mill Museum in Corinth the morning of April 14, said the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office.

Museum Treasurer Maureen Kelly said the juveniles who have not been identified, were caught in broad daylight while still on the property.

“They rode down the driveway and threw a chair through a window, and the neighbor watched them do it” and called the police, Ms. Kelly said.

She estimated $100,000 in damages to the museum and described the scene as “carnage” and that she hasn’t seen that much broken glass in her entire life.

Ms. Kelly said the vandals smashed every picture frame and destroyed a mural commemorating the 100th anniversary of International Paper. She said they sprayed eight fire extinguishers throughout the downstairs and upstairs, and 45 Christmas trees were destroyed.

The building had been the time office of International Paper, which operated a paper mill in Corinth from 1898 to 2002.

“I cannot fathom what just happened here,” Ms. Kelly said. “Security shouldn’t have to be a thing. You should damn well know better.”

On the positive side, she said, “Everything in those frames is whole and completely intact. Everything that was thrown is now all collected. All the exhibits are all back together.”

“The biggest thing that was destroyed was the mural,” Ms. Kelly said. “So that’s going to take the longest to get repaired. That was the primary museum artifact that was completely destroyed.”

She said a pair of local artists are going to restore the mural.

Ms. Kelly said the community has pitched in with 75 hours of volunteer help and that multiple fund-raisers are underway for the museum.

“The community outreach has been incredible,” Ms. Kelly said.

“We’ve got to start healing. We’ve got to start being better, getting better, and figuring out a path forward, through education and restoration.”

Corinth has had other vandalism. Mayor Terry Miller, in a letter to residents posted on Facebook Wednesday, cited damaged picnic tables at Pagenstecher Park and “graffiti all over the Village.”

“These acts have all been attributed to juveniles,” he wrote. “I have contacted the Saratoga County Sheriffs and requested all patrols in the Village to act on any violations of the Village Curfew Law.”

Mayor Miller told The Chronicle that the juvenile who damaged the picnic tables at the park was caught. “I contacted the parents and am getting restitution for it.”

Trying to explain the spate of vandalism, Mayor Miller said, “I think some of it is kids not engaged in positive activities, and maybe some parental oversight isn’t as good as it should be. The parents need to make sure that they know where their kids are.”

The mayor said the issue is not unique to Corinth. He cited “a lot of issues with juveniles on bikes in Glens Falls and around different areas, with people doing damage. So I don’t think it’s specific to the village of Corinth. I think it’s kind of all around and I think that social media has brought it more to the public.”

Corinth’s curfew law says, “It shall be unlawful for any child under the age of 18 years to remain in or upon any public street, highway, park, vacant lot or other public place between 11:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m.”

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