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Wednesday
December 12, 2001
Bucks County Courier Times
Northampton
Spread Eagle's Move Went Well
Donations from developers and payments from a new entrepreneur should
cover the township's expenses in the inn's relocation plan.
The
Spread Eagle Inn project will cost about $1 million, but taxpayers won't
be footing the bill.
Thanks to donations from two developers
and the prospect of future income, the project is most likely to end
up "a wash," according to township manager Bruce Townsend.
Townsend said the township supervisors
have reached an agreement with the Giaimo Brothers to pay the township
$825,000 over the next 10 years for the Spread Eagle.
He noted that earlier this year; Toll Brothers donated
$400,000 toward preservation of the inn, and Hovnanian Builders donated
$25,000 for the same purpose.
Last week, the inn was moved about 120
feet from its old location on the southwest corner of routes 332 and
232 to ground owned by the Giaimos. The brothers operate Guiseppe's
Pizza and Family Restaurant now almost directly behind the inn.
The township acquired the land through condemnation
about two years ago. It is already in the process of widening the intersection
to relieve a long-standing traffic bottleneck.
"I'm extremely relieved that is about
over," Townsend said yesterday. "It [the inn] was a bone of
contention for many residents, but everybody should be happy it was
resolved because this will help traffic."
Betty Luff, a member of both the Northampton
Historical Commission and Historical Society, said she was happy with
the move.
She and a group residents campaigned to preserve
the inn after the supervisors considered razing it. Residents were divided
over whether to preserve the 200-year-old structure, once a stagecoach
stop. Some called it "an eyesore" while others say it is "the
heart" of Richboro.
"I've heard a lot of good remarks
about the move," said Luff, who had her wedding reception in the
inn 58 years ago. "I'm not bothered by the new location - I think
it looks good there."
Townsend estimated it will cost about
$150,000 to refurbish the building before turning it over to the Giaimos
and another $150,000 for building a right-turn traffic lane at that
corner.
The inn sits high on Trusses until a foundation
and basement are installed. Townsend said he expected the new traffic
lane and the remodeling to be finished in late spring.
Click
any link below to read Historical
articles
from the Bucks County Courier Times
Group
wants to preserve
86-year-old school building
Wednesday, March 31, 1999
Home
Sweet Home
Sunday, April 18, 1999
The
Pleasant Plains Public School
Built
in 1871
People
Are Flocking to Northampton
Living with Past Choices
Monday,
May 24, 1999
Cornerstone
Reveals Old Memories
Friday,
July 23, 1999
History
Set In Stone
Sunday,
September 12, 1999
Landmark
Restaurant to Make a Move
Friday, August 10, 2001
A
Tale of Two Buildings
Monday, September 3, 2001
A
Lightning Move for the Spread Eagle
Thursday, December 6, 2001
'Citizen
of the Month' Knows Her Town's History
Monday, April 8, 2002
Supervisors Preserve Spread Eagle, School
Thursday, April 11, 2002
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