The future of the historic Three Arches property in Falls Township is up in the air.
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On Tuesday, Falls Township officials announced they were seeking to offload the property along Trenton Road in Fairless Hills.
“Even with the township’s penchant for historical preservation over the last five decades, officials are wondering if it might be time for new ownership of Three Arches. A new owner could potentially open the home – and its beautiful grounds – to tours, school field trips and hold local history events there,” a statement from the township read.
The Three Arches home has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977.
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Falls Township has owned the property since 1971.
Over the years, the township has used the property for municipal events and rented it out for small events. However, the property has a small parking area and the size of the home has limited the scale of the events.
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“It’s a shame to see a piece of our township’s history essentially closed to the public,” Falls Township Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff Dence said.
Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com
Township officials said they are seeking interest from nonprofit groups and organizations to acquire the property. The township was willing to discuss making a donation to help with future preservation efforts.
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The township said they have “meticulously preserved and maintained the residence.” The township recently upgraded windows, doors, shutters, and a bulkhead basement door. This year, the township will replace the roof of the structure.
Below is the history of the property, as provided by the township:
The homestead dates to 1684 when the first owner of record was granted the land from William Penn’s commissioners. The historical importance of the property centers on owners John and Mary Sotcher, who were believed to have built the first stone section around 1712, with substantial additions around 1760 and 1806. At the outset, the Sotcher Farmhouse was a one-story stone structure. Future additions morphed it into a 2 ½ story, four bay fieldstone structure incorporating the home’s unique three arches.
The Sotchers were trusted friends of William Penn and worked as steward and housekeeper for him at Penn’s estate in Pennsbury in the early 1700s. Penn attended the Sotcher marriage in 1701 at the Falls Meeting. Penn signed the marriage certificate, as well as Phineas Pemberton and James Logan and other notable Bucks County figures.
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After World War II, much of the land was used to construct the Danherst Corporation’s Fairless Hills development. The Three Arches homestead was used as an office for the developer and then turned over to Bucks County in 1967. A plan to use the building as a public library fell through, and the site was handed over to the township in the 1970s.
Christine Buzzattto and Three Arches Inc. worked with the township in the 1970s to preserve the property. The federal government awarded a grant that led to the early 1980s complete restoration of the home, according to a Philadelphia Inquirer article from 1982.
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Those interested in acquiring the Three Arches property are asked to contact Falls Township Parks and Recreation Director Brian Andrews at 215-949-9000 ext. 220 or email b.andrews@fallstwp.com.
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