250-Year-Old Covered Wagon Inn Safe from Demolition
By Carla J Zambelli,
Although the Covered Wagon Inn has stood in Tredyffrin Township for over 250 years, its future was jeopardized at the beginning of the year when developers submitted plans to raze and replace the inn with a CVS Pharmacy.
The developer, Summit Realty Advisors, could not have anticipated what followed.
As news broke that the Covered Wagon Inn was facing demolition a Facebook page went up and a petition quickly followed.
The old building, as it turned out, matters to people.
Pattye Benson, president of the Tredyffrin Historic Preservation Trust, led the charge from her Community Matters blog. And she was the perfect candidate to do so. According to one blog post, Benson “immediately launched into an impassioned plea to the Planning Commissioners to save the old Covered Wagon Inn” after hearing the plans to raze the old inn.
Benson’s blog quickly became a rallying point for fellow preservationists ready to dig in for a long fight.
Months passed. Then something amazing happened.
“Late tonight, I learned from Tredyffrin Township supervisor Sean Moir that an agreement has been reached to save the Covered Wagon Inn from demolition.” Pattye blogged on April 25.
The Covered Wagon Inn was safe.
After a lot of work, the developer and the property owner were reportedly able to come up with an alternative plan. A CVS Pharmacy will be built nearby, and the Old Covered Wagon will remain where it is.
Is if that wasn’t good enough, the developer also agreed to restore the exterior of the inn. That must have made Pattye Benson extra happy.
“Thank you, John Zaharck, John Hoopes and CVS Pharmacy for listening to the community and saving an important part of our community’s history!”
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