Maulsby Barn in Whitemarsh Township, which occupies the same property as Abolition Hall.

by Brendan Sample

UPDATE: The July 19 court date has been delayed after Montgomery County judge Thomas Branca granted a continuance request filed by the Friends of Abolition Hall. The Local will continue to monitor the ongoing situation and will provide a further update when a new date has been determined.

After more than six months of waiting, Friends of Abolition Hall is set to take the next step in its fight to preserve a historic Whitemarsh property. On Friday, July 19, the Friends will go before the Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas to state its case in its appeal against the Whitemarsh Township Board of Supervisors.

In November, the Friends appealed the decision of the Board of Supervisors to allow for the construction of a townhouse complex on the grounds of Abolition Hall. While the group is not opposed to any new construction, its members remain concerned that the proposed plans will compromise the historic integrity of the building and its surrounding properties.

While the development plan preserves both Abolition Hall and the Germantown Avenue home called The Hovenden House, named for the painter Thomas Hovenden who lived there in the late 1800s, preservationists have said the development of the surrounding land will destroy the historic sites context.

The townhouse developer, K. Hovnanian Homes, meanwhile, is moving forward with its proposal, having already submitted preliminary plans to Whitemarsh Township in April. Though the Board of Supervisors has approved the plans, they are being further reviewed by both the director of planning and the township engineer.

According to Friends convener Sydelle Zove, FAH submitted a right-to-know request to view the plans outside of Whitemarsh Township business hours, but were denied on the basis of the plans being protected by copyright. Despite filing an appeal with the Commonwealth's Office of Open Records, they were denied once again. Though they have suffered continuous setbacks, the Friends remain determined to press on.

“We are convinced that this historic homestead deserves something better,” Zove said. “Despite the many challenges, the Friends will continue to oppose the current plan and press for one that reduces the density, protects natural and historic resources, provides for permanently protected open space and addresses the fate of the historic structures.”

The overall conflict between the Friends and Hovnanian has continued for more than three years, and this current stage has been ongoing since July 2018. From July through October last year, official hearings were held on the matter, one of which lasted over five hours, until the Board of Supervisors reached a decision to grant a conditional permit to the developers.

For the appeal, the FAH is focusing its argument on its belief that the Board of Supervisors did not provide its witnesses enough of an opportunity to prove that the townhouse plan does not comply with the township zoning code. Had they been able to do so, the board could not have provided Hovnanian with a conditional use permit.

Brendan Sample can be reached at brendan@chestnuthilllocal.com or 215-248-8819.