2006 News

October 23, 2006

Bucks County Commissioners Announce $85,000 Keystone Historic Preservation Grant
Funding to Continue Exterior Restoration of Erwin-Stover House

The Bucks County Commissioners announced the Department of Parks and Recreation has been awarded an $85,000 Keystone Historic Preservation Grant from the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission.

William Mitchell, director of parks and recreation, says the grant will be used for ongoing exterior restoration of the historic Erwin-Stover House, which is located in Erwinna’s scenic Tinicum Park. The Erwin-Stover House, a noted landmark that dates back to 1810, is administered as a museum by the Bucks County Department of Parks and Recreation.

According to Charles J. Yeske, the department’s historic properties manager, phase one of the restoration project includes replacement of the main roofs, gutters and trim work. The Keystone Historic Preservation Grant will provide funding for phase two of the project. Slated to begin next year, it will include restoration of the facility’s windows, doors, shutters and privy, as well as reconstruction of its porch and the addition of a handicap-access walk.

Bucks County took ownership of the Erwin-Stover House and its surrounding 126-acre farm in 1957 as a gift from John Stover. The property became the county’s first official park, serving as a precursor for the commissioners’ current open-space program.

Open seasonally for tours, the Erwin-Stover House is slated for additional expansion, including historic landscaping and interior restoration that will lead to themed interpretive programs and rental availability for the public. It is located on River Rd. in Erwinna, PA 18920. For more information about the facility, call 215-489-5133.