Efforts Being Made to Spare Historical Warminster House from Demolition

Since 2003, retired electrician and avid archaeology enthusiast Ed Price has been telling anybody who would listen that the old house on York Road, hidden behind trees and shrubbery, belonged to one of Warminster's most famous residents, William Tennent.

He has written, called and met with township supervisors, committee members, state representatives and historical societies urging them to make efforts to acquire the site from Christ's Home, on whose property the house sits.

Price's lobbying kicked up a notch in mid-August when he noticed some increased activity around the house. He and his colleague, Sybil Johnson, were digging around the Log College Monument looking for artifacts, next to the new Learning Experience building, when he noticed it was a little easier to see the home.

"Some of the overgrown brush had been cleared," said Price. "All I could think was, 'uh oh.' The next week, we saw them remove the asbestos roofing, then PECO came out a few days later to disconnect the gas and electric. That's when I knew for sure that it was coming down."

His urgency might have finally worked, as the Warminster Board of Supervisors have agreed to discuss the situation during tonight's meeting. Township Manager Bob Tate could not confirm that any deals have been offered.

Price believes that Christ's Home has agreed to donate the house in return for Warminster to immediately place fencing around the house and better secure the doors and windows, then come up with a plan for its eventual restoration.

The reluctancy up until now has mainly sprung from doubts that the home actually belonged to Tennent. It's a point of contention that Christ's Home CEO Richard Smyth has brought up to the township, Price said. Every time the point is made, however, Price quickly points to a study he conducted in 2004 that he says conclusively shows the claims are authentic.

"I had an historic architect come out and he confirmed the house is from the 17th century," Price said. "All the research of written accounts and historic maps show this was the only house within miles. I am absolutely certain, and this question of proof keeps raising its ugly head."

According to an historic account created by Paul Bailey in 1986 as part of Warminster's 275th anniversary, William Tennent came to America from Ireland sometime around 1717-18. Dissatisfied with being a priest of the Episcopal Church of Ireland, Tennent applied to the Presbyterian Synod of Philadelphia and was later invited to become a pastor at the Neshaminy Church in 1726. 

Tennent was given the house and surrounding land in 1735 by James Logan, a distant cousin and secretary for William Penn who is credited with creating the layout for Philadelphia.

It is fairly certain that it is on this land, directly in the path of what is now York Road, that Tennent established the Log College, a two-story building that provided a source of higher education that was not readily available in the area.

It is Tennent's Log College that is considered the direct ancestor of many universities throughout the country, including Princeton, Lafayette College and Rocky Mountain College. The monument, erected in 1927 by the Presbyterian Historical Society, lists at least 60 different institutes that have William Tennent to thank for their creation.

Tennent lived in the house until his death in 1746. Since then, ownership had changed hands several times, with rooms getting added, windows remodeled and other renovations. Christ's Home acquired the house in the early 20th century and used it as a dwelling until closing its doors in 1998.

If the Tennent house is saved, Price, a member of the Millbrook Society, hopes the funds can be raised to fully restore it, making what he sees an invaluable historic resource for the community, right next to Craven Hall, the John Fitch Museum and the Moland House.

"There's not many of these places left around here," said Price.