Valley Creek Park Farmhouse Due for Renovations in 2012

At Township's Board of Supervisors meeting on Nov. 9, Jim Garrison of Frens and Frens Architects presented the results of a historical study of the Valley Creek Park farmhouse.

The farmhouse at has been owned by East Whiteland Township since the early 1970s and has been rented to tenants ever since the township took it over, according to Director of Public Works Bill Steele.

The township hired Frens and Frens to conduct a historical study of the farmhouse, so the township would know how best to maintain the historic resource, Township Manager Terry Woodman said.

Garrison showed 19th- and 20th-century photographs and maps, as well as images of the farmhouse in its current condition.

"This is a building that was probably constructed around 1800 by a man of some means," Garrison told the board. "But it has some interesting appendages and outbuildings that are 'too cute to be true'—and were most likely added around 1950 when the building reverted to private ownership and was gentrified and restored."

The renovations themselves are considered historic because they too are over 50 years old, Garrison said.

The structure of the building itself is very good, Garrison said. The first floor was probably reframed completely during the 1950s renovation.

The most pressing needs for the township are the exterior woodwork, upkeep of trim and windows, the problem of animals getting into the building, and the lack of gutters.

Furthermore, all the trees and shrubbery around the property look to be about 60 years old and none of them have ever been touched, Garrison said. Overhanging branches and underground roots could cause problems, with the possibility that roots could affect the building's foundation.

No work will be done before winter weather sets in, Steele said, but work will likely be done—such as reparing the windows and trim—in 2012.