The Corson Homestead In Whitemarsh Will Be Preserved With Help Of Private Donation

WHITEMARSH, PA — A piece of property that was once a stop along the Underground Railroad during America's slavery period will be preserved thanks to a forthcoming private donor gift, the long-anticipated news coming years after previous controversial discussions about developing the tract of land into townhomes.

The historic George Corson Homestead, which dates back to the 1700s, is expected to soon be preserved thanks to some private funding that will help secure the property, according to local grassroots association Friends of Abolition Hall.

Sydelle Zove, who helped found the group, told Patch that the Whitemarsh Township Board of Supervisors are expected to address the matter during its regularly scheduled meeting this Thursday beginning at 7 p.m.

Township documents show that officials will be voting on an amendment to the agreement of sale for the property that was signed a year ago. The amendment extends the deadline by which the private donation must be received for the property.

Settlement on the property, which is located at 4006 Butler Pike, is expected to take place within 60 days of receiving the proceeds.

The property has a long history. Its origins date back to 1734, and eventually became a station along the Underground Railroad, with the site operated by the Corson family, famous local abolitionists.

The property is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Back in 2016, national developer K. Hovnanian Homes came forward with a plan to put 67 townhomes on the property, but the proposal was met with local resistance.

"We had to find a way to stop this," Zove, of the Friends of Abolition Hall, recalled to Patch.

Zove said the battled played out for the better part of five years, and that eventually the developer pulled its plans to construct the townhouse development.

She said K. Hovnanian ultimately terminated its agreement of sale, "packed up and left town, which was a joyful moment."

"It's a complicated site that includes not only historic structures but also wetlands and sinkholes and the fields are also host to many, many trees, mature plant trees," Zove said.

Zove said Whitemarsh Township initially discussed eminent domain as a possible avenue by which to preserve the property, but that idea was eventually scrapped.

The township wanted to purchase the property, but it simply couldn't match offers that were being made by developers.

The latest news of private donor funding was met with much joy, with Zove saying it will help fill the gap between what the township can legally pay for the property and what the sellers are willing to accept.

The portion of the property that will make up the sale is about a 10-and-a-half-acre site, Zove said, although it was once a much larger property. Individual parcels had been sold off throughout the years.

The biggest mystery now is the identity of the individual or individuals who are making the donation to help preserve the property.

"This is one of the best kept secrets," Zove said. "It has to be someone with capacity and inclination. They have to have the deep pockets and they have to have the interest."

Zove said it was unclear whether the donor or donors would ever want their names revealed publicly.

The sellers names, however, are publicly listed. They are Ann Wilson, Margaret Stevens and Thomas Hopkins.

Zove said that the three siblings are heirs to the Corson estate.

The agreement of sales lists the buyers as Whitemarsh Township and the Whitemarsh Community Art Center.

The agreement of sale shows that the sellers have already signed off on the land deal in advance of Thursday's township meeting.

Whitemarsh Township Manager Richard Mellor is recommending that the board of supervisors sign the agreement, according to township documents.