N. Cornwall supes punt on Patch mansion vote amid unclear funding and timeline

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The North Cornwall Board of Supervisors heard a request Tuesday from the Historic Preservation Trust of Lebanon County to allow the Patch Mansion, now located on the former Lebanon Catholic property (owned by Lebanon School District), to be relocated to township property.

Jan Morrissey of the Historic Preservation Trust explained that the district has made plans to demolish the property, but said school administrators expressed willingness for the historic building to be relocated if the trust can find a new location and pay associated costs.

The school board awarded B.L. Martin Service with a $298,080 contract for the demolition at 1400 Chestnut St. at its meeting Monday, which Morrissey attended.

As the contract has already been awarded, Morrissey says they are on a tight timeline to have to move the property. The Union Canal Tunnel Park, owned by the Lebanon County Historical Society, and city officials have already said they are not interested, Morrissey said, so the trust is checking if Gloninger Woods Park or another township-owned property could house the mansion.

Read More: John Gloninger and his lasting legacy in North Cornwall Township

In addition to concerns about the short timeline, board chairman Mike Wahmann also asked about the trust’s funding and the future of the project. He said he worried that the mansion could fall into disrepair on township property.

Morrissey confirmed that the trust has the funds available to move and place the mansion, including setting a new base. She said a stretch goal of the project would be to establish a museum with rentable space in the mansion, adding that a descendant of the Patch family has shown interest in partially funding initial costs for the mansion’s preservation.

Wahmann said he did not want to reject the request outright, but said he did not think the board should make a decision without vice chairman William Yeagley, who wasn’t present Tuesday. He asked that Morrissey return at the supervisors’ next meeting Dec. 2 for them to make a decision.

“I’m gonna be quite frank with you, our third supervisor is not here,” said Wahmann. “This is a major consideration, I don’t think it would be fair to him to exclude him from the discussion and/or I’d like to get some community feedback before we make any commitment.”

The Dec. 2 meeting will also see discussion and possible adoption of the township’s drafted 2026 budget, which does not include any tax increases for the new year.

In response to a question about fire company regionalization, Wahmann explained that Yeagley has been taking a leading role in organizing talks with other municipalities. Supervisor Ronald Sell said that all supervisors were agreeable to further discussion with the other municipalities involved in a recent study.

Read More: Study recommends consolidation of fire departments across six municipalities

“I think we’re planning on trying to host a meeting with all the other municipalities and/or fire companies,” explained Wahmann, with township manager Justin Thompson noting that the only municipality they haven’t heard from yet is West Lebanon Township.

In other news, supervisors unanimously:

• Agreed to a resolution accepting the North Cornwall Township Municipal Authority’s decision to issue a tax exempt revenue note not to exceed $8,500,000 for the Lebanon Valley Expo Center’s 14,700-square-foot addition.
• Said they are willing to correct an inadvertent error in a boundary with South Lebanon Township after South Lebanon surveys the line. The alleged discrepancy ranges from a few feet to close to 100 feet, Thompson said, with only already-split properties set to be affected by the change. Changes will not be made without opportunity for public comment.
• Unanimously agreed to accept a resolution accepting portions of Springwood Drive, Expo Road, and Blackford Boulevard within the North Cornwall Commons development, and accept liquid fuels reimbursement from the developer.
• Unanimously approved pay application #8 to JEV Construction and pay application #1 to Garden Spot Electric for the Dairy Road Pump Station project.

Read More: North Cornwall Township accepts Dairy Road Pump Station Replacement bids

• Unanimously approved a time extension letter for a land development plan for 700 E. Penn Ave. until March 10.
• Unanimously approved minutes and reports.

North Cornwall Township meets the first and third Tuesdays of the month. Meetings are open to the public and do not require prior registration.