Big boosts for Black Horse Inn, Bethlehem Pike

U.S. Rep. Allyson Schwartz said $950,000 in federal grants would help preserve history and spur economic development in Springfield Township

U.S. Rep. Allyson Schwartz addresses the crowd on a sweltering Thursday afternoon last week on the site of the historic Black Horse Inn. She is flanked by Springfield Township Commissioners Baird Standish, Kathleen Lunn and Marc Perry and Whitemarsh Township Board Chairman Joseph Corcoran III. (Photo by Michael J. Mishak)

 

by MICHAEL J. MISHAK

In the largest infusion of funds to the Black Horse Inn restoration effort, U.S. Rep. Allyson Schwartz, (D., Pa.) presented Springfield Township officials and inn advocates last week with an oversized check from Washington for $150,000.

The money, in the form of a matching grant, was secured by Schwartz under the federal Save America’s Treasures program. The historic inn in Flourtown, once a stop for stagecoach travelers, dates back to around 1744. It was the only structure in the state to receive the designation and the “hard to access” funds this year, Schwartz said.

But perhaps even more significant was the $800,000 in federal funds the lawmaker snared for the Flourtown-Erdenheim Enhancement Project, another effort seeking to revitalize the Bethlehem Pike corridor. The money is part of the six-year, $286.4 billion highway bill passed by Congress last month.

“This was on my list when I went to Washington,” Schwartz told the small crowd assembled on the site of the Black Horse Inn last Thursday. The first-term congresswoman is a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

In opening remarks at the brief ceremony, Springfield Township Manager Don Berger said the transportation grant provided “a huge kick-start” to the $3.6 million enhancement effort, which is headed by local business leaders. The project will span Springfield and Whitemarsh townships, Bethlehem Pike from Gordon Lane to Valley Green Road.

Schwartz linked both grants to future economic development, saying that both the restoration of the Black Horse Inn and the revitalization of Bethlehem Pike would ultimately create jobs.

“This is important, not just because it’s a historic building, but also because of what it means to the community,” she said of the inn. “We need to recognize our roots and incorporate history into new development.”

The lawmaker gave special recognition to the volunteer groups leading the restoration effort — the Friends of Historic Bethlehem Pike, the Springfield Township Historical Society and the township-appointed Black Horse Inn Advisory Committee — as well as to the township official who made it a priority in the first place — Commissioner Kathleen Lunn.

Schwartz said that Lunn had started lobbying her for federal funds for the Black Horse Inn during the 13th District Congressional campaign last year.

For Lunn, whose district includes the inn, the day was gratifying. “The people of this township have fought for this building for years,” she said. “Now we know someone is listening.”

Last week, the Friends of Historic Bethlehem Pike had $15,000 in its war chest, said Don Mitchell, the group’s president. The response to the Friends public appeal for donations, which began last month, has been heartening. The group received more than $5,000 in the first three weeks of the fundraising campaign, he said.

Also, the township has allocated $109,000 toward the inn restoration, Mitchell said. Still, the amount is $36,000 less than that pledged by the Board of Commissioners in January 2004. With a combined total of $124,000 in the bank, the Friends group is now just $26,000 short of matching the federal grant.

A partnership agreement between Springfield Township and the Friends has paved the way for progress, Mitchell said. “Before, it was a battle at every board meeting,” he said. “The agreement has set expectations for all sides and defined roles.” Moreover, the partnership lends legitimacy to the overall effort, Mitchell said.

In recent months, the Black Horse Inn has seen significant improvements, including the restoration of its chimneys and window sills, and the repair of a portion of the building that was accidentally demolished last year by contractors working on the site.

The Friends hope to finish the exterior phase of the $1.5 million project by next summer, at which point interior work will begin, Mitchell said.

Commissioner Lunn said the inn restoration was just one part of an overall strategy to revitalize the Bethlehem Pike corridor. While the Flourtown-Erdenheim Enhancement Association has drafted a redevelopment plan, Lunn said last week that she would push local officials to adopt a formal vision plan for Springfield Township, in addition to designating the corridor area an historic district.

For the Flourtown-Erdenheim group, the $800,000 federal grant advances a vision five years in making. Armed with a plan, the group hopes to install new street lighting, plant street trees, widen sidewalks and reconfigure traffic lanes along the main street, said Jack Williams, vice president of the association.

“We’re at the point of physical implementation,” Williams said. “This gives us an opportunity to show more than ideas.”