Reed's Country Store and Barn

This is about the Reed’s property on the corner, NOT the former-nightclub-wanna-be-assisted-living-center.

In their May meeting, the Whitpain Board of Supervisors read a statement on the status of the corner property.

Click here for the full statement.

In a nutshell:

• The owner has submitted for a permit to tear down the buildings

• The permit had some miscellaneous issues and needs to be resubmitted

• The buildings are not historic, so the owner has the right to raze them

• At the same time, a prospective buyer came to the Township expressing interest in renovating the existing buildings

As of today, the permit has not been resubmitted, so it is unclear what happens next.

Based on a small sample size of random feedback, there are mixed opinions across the Township. Some people think the store and barn are an iconic symbol of the intersection, represented by the cover of the Saturday Evening Post in 1949. Others think they are an eyesore and would welcome something else there.

Ironically, the PennDOT plans for the intersection improvements (currently underway) have taken great lengths to shift the new road so it goes around those buildings. The properties on the other side of the street were significantly impacted because of it. Strange to have them torn down AFTER all that trouble.

In theory, it could be an option for the Township to buy the property or move the buildings to preserve them, but with the yet-to-be-determined impact to Township funding from the pandemic PLUS the ongoing attempt to acquire “some or all” of Mermaid, don’t expect the Township to have an extra dollar for this site.

We will try to stay on top of this. It could happen slowly with alternatives in discussion or might happen in the blink of an eye (remember Mr. Ron's restaurant?).