Tucked away across the bridge along Little Neshaminy Creek at Windlestrae Park lies a farmhouse that has been abandoned for more than 15 years. But for the Montgomery Township Park and Recreation Board, it’s an opportunity to turn it into something useful for community members coming to the park.
During Monday evening’s Montgomery Township Board of Supervisors meeting, the Park and Recreation Board committee members proposed plans for their farmhouse project, in an effort to better highlight the farmhouse and make it available to visitors for educational purposes and community events.
“I notice that when you Google Windlestrae and go to the Montgomery Township website, this building is the main picture for Windlestrae Park,” said Parks and Recreation Board Member Moira Giordano. “What I find very interesting about that is it’s not currently the highlight of the park, but I think that [the project] could really make it the highlight.”
The farmhouse previously had residents nearly 15 years ago, said Parks and Recreation Committee Chairman Jeremy Dombroski, who added that the board has not found any historical significance yet. According to Metrotrails on Facebook, the farmhouse was built in the 1700s.
One of the prominent owners of the home was Joshua Jones, a Baptist minister who splintered from the older congregations.
“It's a great property that has some unique value to it, and the inside has some unique architectural components to it as well that we'd like to take advantage of,” said Dombroski.
The farmhouse could be a space for art shows to highlight local artists, a place for toddler tea parties, or a baby shower venue, among other events, said Lynn Reamer, vice chair of the parks and recreation committee.
The space would be open to all community members who would like to utilize the property. The board said the township could also invest in making the property handicap accessible.
On the exterior side of the property, the board proposed a physical gateway to educate park visitors as they enter the natural areas and trails. Windlestrae is made up of 172 acres of primarily natural space, not the fields and playgrounds, said Giordano.
By bringing awareness to invasive species and areas of the park that need more attention before people step onto the trails, it “elevates the experience in a way that we are taking care of things, we're letting them know that this is a problem or that this is something that we want to preserve,” said Giordano.
After restoration, the board also suggested putting signage up and transforming the porch into a patio area.
There is no concrete plan in terms of funding for the project. The board proposed a feasibility study to see what needs to be done and what can be done with the building and the area that surrounds it, as well as to see how much the project would cost.
Dombroski mentioned several grants that can be used, including national land grants, greenways and trails recreation programs, and Pennsylvanian arts programs.
“There's a lot of money out there for projects like this in townships similar to ours,” Dombroski said.
If the township supervisors agree to follow through with the farmhouse project, they can determine if it will be included in the 2024 budget and eventually move forward with the plan that year.
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