Upper Moreland Officials Host Upcoming Meeting To Discuss Grants For Farmstead Park

UPPER MORELAND, PA — Members of the public are invited to a meeting next week to learn about various grants that have been awarded to help with renovation to a local historical farmstead.

Upper Moreland officials announced that the meeting, scheduled for April 5 at 6:30 p.m., will be held to review grants from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, and Montgomery County.

The grant money will be used to improve Upper Moreland's Farmstead Park, which is a 10.4-acre parcel that includes a historic barn, carriage house, farmhouse, multipurpose field and other amenities.

The township says that the grant dollars will help to fund improvements to the park that address environmental concerns, creek way issues, parking lot upgrades, structural building repairs and other renovations.

According to a nonprofit advocacy group called The Farmstead Alliance, which works to preserve and maintain Farmstead Park, the historic property dates back to the 1680s, when William Penn first deeded ownership to Dr. Nicholas More.

Throughout the centuries, the property fell under the ownership of four distinct family dynasties, according to the nonprofit group.

The Farmstead is currently owned by Upper Moreland Township and is part of the municipality's local park system.

The property is located at 2668 Byberry Road.

The Farmstead Alliance says that the structures at Farmstead Park — the farmhouse, carriage house, barn and spring house — make up what is considered to be one of the few, nearly complete, 18th-century farmsteads in the area.