306 Bala Avenue, Bala Cynwyd (2016 WatchList)
The Lower Merion Conservancy listed this property in 2016 after a developer announced plans to subdivide and develop it with multiple houses. The Conservancy hoped to engage the public, the developer, and the Township in conversations about creating a development plan that was sensitive to the property’s 1896 shingled house, an early commission of one of America’s most notable architects, Horace Trumbauer. The Conservancy is grateful to the Township and the developer for ultimately creating a development plan that preserves and respects the historic house.
Pennsylvania Railroad Freight Shed, Ardmore (2016 WatchList)
This frame building, which is located at the rear of the Trader Joe’s parking lot, survives to document Ardmore’s extraordinary growth during the late nineteenth century. It was during this period that Ardmore developed into a bustling town of regional significance. This was a direct consequence of its location on the Main Line of the Pennsylvania Railroad, a passenger and freight line second to none in the United States at this time. The Freight Shed served this line for nearly 100 years. The Conservancy listed the building in 2016, following proposal by its owner, Kimco, to remove it. The Conservancy and the Township eventually encouraged Kimco to reconsider its plan. The Conservancy appreciates that the company (which has also stewarded historic Suburban Square into the modern era) recognizes the value of the Freight Shed to the community.
205 Llanfair Road, Ardmore (2017 WatchList)
In 1914, soon after it was completed, this house, which was designed by the noted architect, Horace Wells Sellers, was featured in a 1914 publication of the American Institute of Architects. The Conservancy placed the house on its WatchList in 2017 after learning about proposed plans to demolish it and develop its 1.75-acre property with two new residences. After nearly a year of negotiations with multiple stakeholders, the house is now in the hands of an owner who is committed to maintaining and rehabilitating it. The Conservancy is hopeful that the preservation of 205 Llanfair, which was achieved with the input and assistance of many stakeholders, will inspire other community-driven efforts to conserve the township’s historic built environment.
Narberth Heritage Plan
Narberth’s traditional building stock is central to its character. In recent years, the Borough has taken meaningful steps to identify and implement practical strategies for maintaining this character. One such strategy, a 2013 zoning code amendment, enabled the thoughtful preservation of two empty buildings in need of sustainable new uses – the United Methodist Church of Narberth (a former WatchList property) and the original parish school of St. Margaret Church.The amendment permits the conversion of certain older institutional properties to residential use, under the following conditions: rehabilitation work must be sensitive to and compatible with the historic property and the property must be permanently protected with a conservation easement. In 2016, the Borough further demonstrated its commitment to “keeping Narberth, Narberth” by adopting a form-based zoning code to “preserve, maintain, and enhance the early twentieth-century urban form” of the community. One aim of the new code is to de-incentivize demolition, the single greatest threat to Narberth’s historic building stock. Finally, the Conservancy is pleased to be part of a Borough initiative (led by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission and the Lower Merion Conservancy) to create a “Heritage Plan” for Narberth. The Plan, which is being drafted with the input of a dedicated group of neighborhood volunteers, will inventory the borough’s current building stock (pictured on front page), identify the preservation goals of the community, and provide recommendations for strategies that will assist residents and officials in their efforts to preserve Narberth’s architectural heritage.
Celebrating Victories
The objective of the WatchList has always been to generate positive awareness about vulnerable historic resources. This year, however, the WatchList also celebrates recent preservation victories. We owe these victories to stakeholders in the community who appreciate that historic preservation is good public policy. The Lower Merion Board of Commissioners recently underscored this truth when it adopted an ordinance amendment to protect the following historic properties, including several previously named to the WatchList:
- Ashbridge Memorial Park: Class I
- The Barnes Foundation: Class I
- St. Charles Borromeo Seminary: Class I
- Merion’s century-old cast iron street signs: Class II
As a proactive measure, the ordinance amendment also designated multiple historic properties that have never been named to the WatchList, but that strongly warrant preservation protections. These properties are:
- Erdman Hall, Bryn Mawr College: Class I
- Gladwyne Jewish Cemetery: Class II
- Merion Station Train Station Complex: Class I
- Stone Mile Markers (Township wide): Class I
- Wynnewood Train Station Complex: Class II