Does anyone care what happens to Loch Aerie? I was alerted to this today and couldn’t believe it, but it’s true! Max Spann Auctions are selling the old gal off April 21st in an auction.
I am so sad. East Whiteland always seems to want to seek it’s own identity as a community but here we go again – one of the other most iconic structures, Loch Aerie is seriously at risk. Do you really think anyone preservation minded will step up in the 11th hour? It is a nice thought but folks like the ones saving the iconic Farmers and Mechanic Building in West Chester are few and far between.
East Whiteland, are you ever going to wake the heck up and save part of the history that surrounds us? Is everything supposed to become a strip mall or housing development or office park?
Linden Hall is classic demolition by neglect at this point. And oh yes there is that demolition by neglect ordinance brewing but what will it accomplish? As one of my readers said just today:
The ordinance is ONLY a start. A 5 year period of no building permit as part of enforcement would be better than one year. One year is a “blink” in development. You are absolutely right- a monetary fine is useless. The supervisors need to recognize the urgency of this ordinance or it will be too little too late as usual. Thanks for staying on this story!
But what good is staying on a story no one seems to be paying attention to? I hear the new supervisors are all into affordable housing but the joke of it is none of the approved, planned, being built, and yet to be built living units are truly affordable housing are they? People are snide and say East Whiteland’s idea of affordable housing are trailer parks, but other that the William Henry Apartments and the trailer parks, what is actually something that even falls into the category of affordable housing that is being proposed?
HOW ABOUT SOME ACTUAL HISTORIC PRESERVATION?
Never mind. Everything has a high price tag and none of it seems to include conservation buying or active historic preservation.
If there is a preservation minded buyer out there interested in Loch Aerie, carpe diem….Sadly I just do not think such a buyer exists. And here is the page for the East Whiteland Historic Commission:
That screen shot was taken a few minutes ago. What do you see? NADA. Nothing. Zilch.
I really hope someone will step in and save Loch Aerie. Realistically (again) I just don’t see it happening. But cheer up, someone will build some more “carriage homes” or “luxury singles” somewhere.
This same auction company tried to auction it 3-4 years ago and was unsuccessful. Had an open house for tours and house certainly need a lot of repair. In this location only suitable for an office if some wealthy law firm wanted to share the parking lot with Home Depot. There used to be a lake/pond behind the house which worked through pipes as early air conditioning a century ago. I remember when they cleared the woods to build the Home Depot. Sad to see but happens all the time.
Even PennDOT cared enough about the Lockwood to move the Rt 30 Bypass ramp (ever notice the sharp turn coming off 202 onto 30? ) Sad to think it could be leveled. The family refused to accept the auction offer the first time…the bid was $800,000 or thereabouts. We appreciate your efforts—most people will shrug and say “oh well”…..