The Marple Commissioners voted unanimously, Nov. 14, to grant permission to Delaware County Community College to demolish an early 19th century home and adjacent barn on the 123-acre campus. The decision followed a tabling of the motion in October.

Identified in the township’s Historic Resources Survey as the Pond House, the property is composed of the main house, barn and spring house. The buildings, likely constructed by Jonathan Morris, were incorporated into the Stull Mansion estate in 1892, then sold to the college in 1969.

DCCC initially hoped to repurpose the home or rent it to an outside concern, but ultimately determined it did not have use for the building, said Tony DeLuca, Director of Plant Operations and Construction Services. The need to allocate funds to repair and maintain portions of the more than 40-year-old infrastructure of the campus resulted in the inability to designate monies for the house, causing its deterioration.

“The most important thing for the college is to insure we are spending in ways that are most beneficial to our students and keeping costs affordable without raising tuition,” added DeLuca. “We did not anticipate the changes in the status of the plant and consequently have no funding for the house.”

The buildings, along Route 252, are adjacent to baseball fields. DCCC would anticipate converting the site into a gravel lot to help alleviate parking on the highway during practices and games. The razing would include salvaging the wood from the barn and installing historic markers.

The Historical Commission, which met with college representatives and reviewed the request, unanimously voted to reject the application. Its report stated the building “is a highly visible piece of our heritage, and its siting in a large, open area helps to give a sense of its historic farming context.” While the lack of timely roof repairs and other maintenance resulted in ongoing issues with a wet basement and resultant mold, the commission noted the house “is particularly worthy of efforts to save it . . . allowing demolition of a property that is deteriorating due to neglect would be inappropriate.”

“We do not want to see it demolished,” said Rich Paul, of the Historical Commission. “The buildings could have been encapsulated and protected and we know the college attempted to find someone who could have adaptively reused the house.”

The motion included the following conditions – demolition granted only for the main house and barn, documentation provided for the buildings, installation of historic markers for each razed property and continued maintenance of the spring house in good condition in accordance with township code.

The Marple Commissioners voted unanimously, Nov. 14, to grant permission to Delaware County Community College to demolish an early 19th century home and adjacent barn on the 123-acre campus. The decision followed a tabling of the motion in October.

Identified in the township’s Historic Resources Survey as the Pond House, the property is composed of the main house, barn and spring house. The buildings, likely constructed by Jonathan Morris, were incorporated into the Stull Mansion estate in 1892, then sold to the college in 1969.

DCCC initially hoped to repurpose the home or rent it to an outside concern, but ultimately determined it did not have use for the building, said Tony DeLuca, Director of Plant Operations and Construction Services. The need to allocate funds to repair and maintain portions of the more than 40-year-old infrastructure of the campus resulted in the inability to designate monies for the house, causing its deterioration.

“The most important thing for the college is to insure we are spending in ways that are most beneficial to our students and keeping costs affordable without raising tuition,” added DeLuca. “We did not anticipate the changes in the status of the plant and consequently have no funding for the house.”

The buildings, along Route 252, are adjacent to baseball fields. DCCC would anticipate converting the site into a gravel lot to help alleviate parking on the highway during practices and games. The razing would include salvaging the wood from the barn and installing historic markers.

The Historical Commission, which met with college representatives and reviewed the request, unanimously voted to reject the application. Its report stated the building “is a highly visible piece of our heritage, and its siting in a large, open area helps to give a sense of its historic farming context.” While the lack of timely roof repairs and other maintenance resulted in ongoing issues with a wet basement and resultant mold, the commission noted the house “is particularly worthy of efforts to save it . . . allowing demolition of a property that is deteriorating due to neglect would be inappropriate.”

“We do not want to see it demolished,” said Rich Paul, of the Historical Commission. “The buildings could have been encapsulated and protected and we know the college attempted to find someone who could have adaptively reused the house.”

The motion included the following conditions – demolition granted only for the main house and barn, documentation provided for the buildings, installation of historic markers for each razed property and continued maintenance of the spring house in good condition in accordance with township code.