[Author: Carl LaVO: carllavo0@gmail.com]
The story revolves around William and Helen Shull, who since the 1930s owned a 113-acre farm off Wrights Road at the headwaters of Newtown Creek.
Everything changed in the 1960s. County government realized something had to be done to harness tributaries to Neshaminy Creek, the county’s central river. Big rains brought big floods to places like Hilltown, New Britain, Chalfont, Doylestown Township, Newtown, Northampton, Middletown, Penndel, Bensalem, Bristol Township and Hulmeville.
Bucks initially condemned a 27-acre chunk of the Shull farm, ending the family’s dairy operation. The Shulls sought a better financial offer. Bucks resisted. Faced with a protracted legal fight, according to Walt, the family decided to sell the entire farm to the county and leave in April 1972. Bucks set aside 86 acres as open space including the rare Shull home and barn.
Meanwhile, the county completed work on the Newtown dam in the late 1970s. “Hidden Lake” formed behind it, inaccessible to the public. (see aerial view)
In 1989, a local homeowners association got the farm added to the National Registry of Historic Places. Research revealed Robert Hillborn founded the farm in 1715 by clearing land and building a cabin. In 1750 Peter Taylor bought the property and enlarged the cabin into a two-story, sandstone farmhouse. A barn was added in 1750.
…there’s been little maintenance [of the property] the past 10-15 years. The barn with its wood peg construction was in a state of collapse. He wishes the county would invest some money in the home or sell it to someone who would better care for it. He and Rich hope the county posts a marker on Wrights Road to note the farm’s preservation and age. So far no action.
James O’Malley, deputy director of the county department of communications, told me last week land preservation “remains a priority” and Bucks “will continue to look for new ways to improve and maintain the land it owns.” He noted there have been no requests for historical signage.
Stay tuned...
How to Fix Newtown's Budget Deficit: Cut Spending, Increase Productivity, Raise Taxes or All of the Above?
The Newtown Township Board of Supervisors (BOS) engaged Econsult Solutions, Inc. (ESI Solutions) to develop a comprehensive multi-year financial management plan. This effort is partially funded by a Strategic Management Planning Program grant awarded by the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (read "Newtown Applies for DCED Grant to Assess the Township's Financial Condition"). A five-year plan, including recommendations to improve operational efficiency and promote fiscal stability in Newtown Township, will be publicly released later this year.
UPDATE (9/8/20): At the August 31, 2020, [Act32Bucks] Bucks County Tax Collection Committee meeting, Joseph W. Lazzaro, who represented Keystone, which collects EIT, reported that for Bucks County as a whole EIT collections are down by only $13,000 compared to 2019 which was a banner year. Mr. Lazzaro anticipates that by end of that today all this and more will be collected.
Obviously, results depend on local residents. Mr. Lazzaro pointed out that if a collector area (e.g., school district or township) has a lot of employees who work in the restaurant industry then EIT will be impacted more than if residents worked in healthcare and the pharma industry (which is more like Newtown). He even suggested that the latter type of employee may be making more money this year than last year and thus be paying more EIT offsetting any loses from other more vulnerable employees.
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