Bill of Rights ‘birthplace’ partially demolished after locals forget house’s history

[bluedigger]

Officials in Silver Spring Township, Pennsylvania are scrambling to save face after they inadvertently allowed a local developer to begin demolition on the reputed birthplace of the U.S. Bill of Rights.

Triple Crown Corporation secured the necessary permits and followed the proper protocols to demolish a two-story stone house along Carlisle Pike that was most recently used as Stone House Auto Sales. But it wasn’t until the company started demolition Jan. 6 that local officials realized its historical significance, The Sentinel reports.

Christine Musser, a member of the township Conservation and Preservation Committee, told the news site an outside source pointed out the building formally known as the James Bell Tavern was built in 1780, and hosted the Stony Ridge Convention in 1788. At the Convention, Anti-Federalists opposed to the U.S. Constitution laid the groundwork for the Bill of Rights, according to news site.

“It was at the tavern on July 3, 1788, with pending ratification of the new federal constitution at hand, that a band of Cumberland Countians led by Robert Whitehall, Benjamin Blythe and others declared the need for changes in the document before they could accept it,” PennLive.com reports.

...

“Whether intentional or by error in 1995, the Bell Tavern was not listed as an (sic) historic, protected building on the Township’s Cultural Features Map and Historic Buildings List referred to in our zoning ordinance,” officials said. “Based on that, the Township had to lift the stop-work order. Despite the lifting of the order, the developer has continued to suspend demolition, affording us the opportunity to engage in discussions about the preservation of the building.”
http://www.theamericanmirror.com/developer-demolishes-birthplace-of-the-bill-of-rights/

This site seems to be getting passed off from the architectural historians to the archaeologists due to clerical error/oversight. I forget the definition of "'ruin" but I think it hinges on three walls and no roof, or two walls and a roof. Not sure about two and a half walls and half a roof...

[valerief]

1. How symbolic of our rights. nt

[malthaussen]

2. No kidding.

Truth is always weirder than anything the fiction writers can come up with.

But perhaps the fact that the house is only half-demolished is a hopeful omen.

-- Mal

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

3. It's right in the sweet spot of Pennsyltuckey

Between Philly and Pittsburgh.

All you need to know.

[haele]

4. Well, it had been a privately owned auto dealership. Previous owners didn't care about the history.

They just cared about the business, and everyone probably forgot until someone saw notice of the property sale and raised the alert.

Just from some of the interior, it looks as if it had been renovated several times in the past, if it is the original building to begin with (honestly looks as if could be a mid/late 1800's re-build on the original footprint). And if Post WWII Europe is any measure, the building can be rebuilt to whatever version they want it to look like. That is, if they get the funding to do so.

Haele