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Bolton Mansion’s demolitionalIinf;ligiplans to be discussed OctbvBy PATRICK J SWEENEY Courier Times Special WriterWhether Bolton Mansion needsa face lift or to face reality will be decided on Oct 9. according to plans revealed last night by Bristol Township Commissioner Anthony Melio Melio. whose Ninth Ward includes the historical site, disclosed plans to place demolition of the mansion up for bid on Oct 9 The commissioner added he hasItmuch respect for the dedicated people who have tried to maintain the 287-year-old mansion, but his concern “l«es more with preserving life and limb than with preserving tradition Bolton Mansion is the only officially registered national monument in Bristol Township, as well as one of the oldest buildings in the country, but for the past decade attempts have been unsuccessfully to preserve the structureVincent Latronica, chief of Lev-ittown Fire Co No 2 has issuedorders that, because of the building's condition, he will no longer send any of his men inside the mansion to fight fires The historical site has beenthe past 10 years, and one of thevolunteer firemen has vet to fullv recover from a fire that occurredin the mansion over 10 monthsagoSeveral members of The Committee to Save the Bolton Mansionlast night asked the commissioners for an extension of the demolition orders Although no sources are defi-nate, a committee member saidthe money might soon be available to restore the building in accordance with its historical design At least $200,000 would be necessary for such renovations In an effort to avoid the demolition, several members of the committee offered to board up and secure access to the mansion.while foundations and patrons were being sought out to fund the restoration project.The commissioners stipulated, however, that their main concernis the building’s restoration must concur with the specified township fire code Merely sheltering the building would not fulltill these requirements, according toMelio.Edmund Elliott, a neighbor of the historical site, did not sharevandalized and fire-plagued for the committee’s sentirtients concerning Bolton Mansion’s aesthetic value Instead. Elliott called thewehoFrexisting structure “nothing more than a shambles, that cannot possibly be restored ’’pnBolton Mansion was originally the home of Phmeas Pemberton, who was an associate of William Penn Then it served as the town-ofbeasltiohgthlt;ship’s building until 1964 Whether it wall have a future or not will befuilargely determined by the amount of funds The Committee to Savehaanthe Bolton Mansion can acquire by Oct 9caafl11 halen fo uin N'hamptBail of $25,000 has been set for w.Stephen R Whalen, formerly of Northampton Township, who was found guilty on over 20 counts of rape, kidnaping, robbery and weapon charges.The eight-man four-woman jury deliberated for five hours beforetaiapmibnentering their verdict of guilty for the 25-vear old Whalen The defendant currently is being held at Bucks County Prison pending sen-fOriPinfl U lien f OOftC rlnfomni*nethlt;Athlt;thlt;
Newspaper Details
Bucks County Courier Times
Levittown, Pennsylvania, US
Thu, Sep 19, 1974
Page 126
Full Page
Clipped by
Margaret R.
PA, USA 18 Apr 2022
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