My name is Patricia Rieker. ... Tonight I’m speaking not only as a lifelong resident of Lansdale, but also as the president of the Lansdale Historical Society.
When we learned a few weeks ago that the Wells Fargo Bank on West Main Street is to be closed and the building sold in August, we were surprised and concerned.
For nearly 160 years, a bank has anchored the 200 block of West Main Street. The building, as we know it today, was constructed in 1911. The interior and facade were updated in the 1930’s in the art deco style we’ve come to recognize as a Main Street landmark. For most of the bank’s first century, it was known as the First National Bank of Lansdale, the name that’s still engraved above the front doors.
The departure of this major Main Street business is a loss to Lansdale’s downtown district. However, of even greater concern to us is the possible loss of one of the most beautiful and notable buildings on Main Street. History proves that we haven’t always shown forethought in deciding the fate of our older properties. Our town has come to regret the hasty demolition of historic buildings in the past. For example, the Lansdale Theatre, once thought to be tired and outdated, might have been redesigned as the star attraction on a revitalized Main Street.
To be fair, Lansdale has had a better track record in preserving historic buildings in recent years. When our local government, private businesses, and concerned citizens have combined their efforts, we’ve seen important old buildings — the Passenger Station, Freight House, Turbo Lofts, Silk Factory Lofts, this Borough Hall— all are old buildings that have been given new lives, redesigned to meet our changing needs.
We’re here tonight to encourage you, the members of Borough Council, to take action now to ensure the preservation of the First National Bank building, retaining the appearance of the exterior while repurposing the interior. To that end, we propose that you take these actions:
- First, that you act soon to change the wording of the Borough’s demolition permit to give Borough officials greater control over changes made to buildings of historic significance.
- Also, that a letter be sent to the Realtor who is handling the sale of the building to express the Borough's concern for the future of this property.
- Finally, that the Borough of Lansdale begin the process of establishing a historic district to be administered by a Historical Architectural Review Board as defined by PA state law. Some of our neighboring boroughs, such as North Wales, Ambler, Souderton, and Doylestown have established historic districts in order to preserve their landmark buildings. The historical society would welcome the opportunity to work with the Borough to define a historic district for Lansdale.
More than 50 years ago, this Borough Council made a visionary decision to save the oldest house in Lansdale, the Jenkins Homestead. That one wise decision not only saved an old house, but enabled the historical society to preserve the history and heritage of the North Penn area for future generations.
Now is the time to once again move ahead with a vision to the future as we seek to preserve a treasure from our past.
