Historic Preservation

Springfield Township has repeatedly suffered because we haven't amended our zoning ordinance to allow for historic preservation. We have lost important buildings, most notably, Whitemarsh Hall (see Recommended Books). With such an amendment, the heroic and tireless efforts to save the Black Horse Inn would have been eased and greater control may have even resulted in a proper town center anchored by the inn, across from the war memorial, and fronting the athletic fields on Bysher. Instead, as you know, we have stores selling drugs and liquor.

Today we are struggling with whether to preserve the Hillcrest Hotel at 9425 Stenton Avenue, which was a hotel, a speakeasy, several restaurants, a spa, among other functions. It dates to the early 20th Century. Lacking a historic preservation section in our zoning code, there is no legal standing for protecting the building on its historic merits.

An inventory has been created identifying buildings and corridors that are historically vital to preserving our community. The list needs to be revisited periodically.

Currently, zoning amendments are being reviewed by the Planning Commission for waiting-periods prior to demolition of historic assets, for historic preservation, and for creating guidelines for our Village Center District.