Neighbors fight mansion’s demolition

The 1897 Dearnley Mansion, located on Flamingo Street in Upper Roxborough, is slated for demolition this month. (Photo by Scott R. Alloway

by CORIE TRACEY

Last month at a meeting in Roxborough, the historic Dearnley Mansion was given a 30-day reprieve from being demolished by the Marathon Design and Construction Company. The sale and planned demolition to make way for new property has been a hot topic in the Dearnley Park area of Roxborough for the past several weeks.

“They actually gave the 30-day reprieve to the councilman, but we have nothing in writing,” said Helene Rodgers, interim president of the Dearnley Park Civic Association, of the assurance given to Councilman Michael Nutter.

Rodgers had mixed emotions about the reprieve.

“I feel great about it, but what’s going to happen in 30 days,” she asked.

Rodgers worked with John Johnstone, former president of the Roxborough, Manayunk and Wissahickon Historical Society, on a proposal to the Philadelphia Historical Commission (PHC) to get protective custody for the Dearnley Mansion.

On March 24, the pair faxed their proposal to the PHC, but had to wait until March 31 to find out the name of the buyer of the mansion and their plans for it. On April 4, Rodgers received a fax and Johnstone an e-mail of a standardized letter from the PHC’s Laura Spina. Their stories of events slightly differ, but the end result of both is their impression that the PHC did not do enough.

According to Rodgers, they both read the letter and were under the impression that the mansion had been placed in protective custody.

According to Johnstone, Spina had not looked at their submission, and the April 4 letter was a form letter outlining the basic process of getting a building under protective custody. Johnstone said that previous to that date he had contacted Spina twice through e-mail without a response.

“If there’s anything I need to do please let me know,” Johnstone said he wrote to Spina.

According to Rodgers, Ronald J. Patterson, the attorney for the Marathon company, filed for demolition on March 31, the same day they closed on the property, and was granted the permit to demolish on April 14.

On April 18, demolition notices were posted and local neighbors were notified. Rodgers said neighbors began to call her about the signs.

“I started on the phone and I haven’t stopped since,” she said.

A neighborhood meeting on April 27 with 4th District Councilman Michael Nutter had at least 80 in attendance. According to Rodgers there were more people there that did not sign in.

“There are concerned citizens,” Rodgers said.

Rodgers said that one of the developers said he did not realize it was the Dearnley Mansion, an answer she finds unsatisfactory.

“His realtor did,” Rodgers said of the developers claim, referring to John Krause, the realtor in charge of selling the mansion.

Rodgers said that neighbors became aware that the property was sold after a blanket mailing was done to neighbors announcing the transaction. 

Johnstone said he called Spina’s supervisor, Richard Tyler, at the Philadelphia Historical Commission and was told that he had not looked at the submission. Johnstone says that Tyler told him “you win some, you lose some. “

Johnstone is angered that tax dollars are paying for the work of the PHC and that there is not more of an effort to place the mansion in protective custody.

“We don’t know what happened. We know what didn’t happen,” Johnstone said.

Tyler told the Local that the PHC has a process for reviewing nominations to protect buildings. This process involves staff review, a meeting scheduled with the applicants, letters to the owner and a hearing. Tyler said that before they could get the process going, the developers secured the permit.

“They secured the (demolition) permit before we could do anything,” Tyler said.

The 30-day reprieve does not help the PHC’s chances either.

“They still have that permit, it’s still valid. There is no basis for it to be revoked,” Tyler said.

Dolores Volker, from the Roxborough Green Space Project, indicated that her group is fully supporting the DPCA in their quest to preserve Dearnley Mansion. As far as finding a buyer in the next 30 days, Volker is optimistic; however, she knows the price is going up.

“There are already a few people interested … I know they will up the asking price, bringing it over a million,” Volker said.

The Preservation Alliance of Greater Philadelphia supports the groups working to save the mansion. “[Dearnley Mansion] is a great building,” said John Gallery, executive director of the Preservation Alliance. According to Gallery, the alliance is working to identify possible purchasers.

Reporter Mike Mishak contributed to this story.