Survey ran from October 1 to October 31, 2008.
Residents voted for Upper Dublin's top ten historic places.
The results of the survey will be posted in early November.

ABOUT THE HISTORICAL COMMISSION

Established
The Upper Dublin Historical Commission was established in 2006 by the Upper Dublin Board of Commissioners, under Ordinance #1175. Visit the documents web page to download the ordinance and the associated resource inventory referred to in the ordinance.

Meetings
Meetings take place the fourth Monday of each month, at 7:00 pm, at the Township Building. Meeting minutes are posted each month after approval at the next meeting.

Historic Preservation
Visit the Historic Preservation web page for more information about historic preservation in Upper Dublin and links to helpful web sites including preservation briefs provided by the National Park Service.

Local Event Calendar
The Historical Commission has compiled of list of local events related to historic preservation. Download event calendar.

Return to Top

CONTACT THE HISTORICAL COMMISSION

The Commission welcomes and encourages your suggestions for possible programming as well as your thoughts, ideas, or concerns about history and architecture and its role in our community. Please write to us at the Township address or send the Historical Commission an email.

MISSION STATEMENT

The Upper Dublin Historical Commission seeks to foster awareness and appreciation of our community’s history, encourage the preservation of local resources, and offer information and assistance to residents and owners of commercial and residential properties.

HISTORIC PRESERVATION IN THE NEWS

Update from Harrisburg - House Bill HB 221 (N 4000) - July 2008
Hopes were high that Pennsylvania, a state rich in historic resources, yet one of the few that lacks any historic preservation incentives, might finally take that step and pass House Bill HB 221 (N 4000). The Historic Preservation Incentive program would have provided tax credits for owners of commercial properties and grants for individual homeowners. Though there was widespread support for the bill, introduced by Rep. Tom Tangretti and passed unanimously in the House, the bill was not considered by the full Senate and the $15 million enabling funding was not included in the 2008-2009 budget.

Rick Taylor, state representative for Upper Dublin Township, shares:
"House Bill 221 would provide a great opportunity for homeowners and businesses to obtain assistance in preserving historic properties through tax credits and grant opportunities. The renovation of any historic property is always a sensitive and costly matter. To that end, I am glad that the legislature recognizes the economic importance of historic buildings and the role that they have in preserving our community's fabric. These tax incentives and grants should go a long way to help homeowners and businesses revitalize our communities by renewing the historic buildings that provide us with a link to our past. I voted in favor of this legislation and I look forward to the Senate's action on House Bill 221."

COMMISSION MEMBERS

Return to Top

Meet the Historical Commission

Glenn A. Griffin, MAI
Glenn is a real estate professional with over 30 years of experience. He holds the MAI designation of the Appraisal Institute, is a certified general appraiser in the states of Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and is a Pennsylvania real estate broker. He has been employed by several local and regional firms, and served as a regional vice president of a national appraisal and consulting firm with offices in major cities throughout the United States. His work encompasses commercial real estate with significant experience in complex office and retail properties, special-use properties, hotels, and large industrial properties. In 2003 he founded Griffin Consulting Services Inc. which provides appraisal and valuation consulting services to banks and financial institutions, corporations, municipalities, and private clients. Glenn has been a resident of Upper Dublin Township since 1991 and resides in the Dresher area.

Peg Johnston
Peg has lived in Upper Dublin Township for over twenty years, settling here after living in the Midwest, Europe, and South America. Her experiences in these locales help her appreciate the many challenges to the delicate balance between Upper Dublin's rich history and the region's rapid growth. Peg taught for 18 years in the Wissahickon School District. Her interest in local history has led her to volunteer work in archaeology at Wentz Farm, in education at the Wissahickon Watershed, and as curator of the collection at the Wissahickon Valley Historical Society. She recently completed a course in Historic Preservation at Montgomery County Community College. Peg is especially interested in the personal stories connected to buildings and neighborhoods.

Lewis Keen
Love of all things Victorian and an outstanding Queen Anne-style house brought Lewis Keen and his wife to Upper Dublin in 1995. Co-directing a township-wide survey of historic resources in 2002 resulted in an understanding of the wealth of vintage structures in Upper Dublin and the need to document their existence, encourage their preservation while making them practical for modern life. Lew’s dedicated efforts on behalf of the Township historic preservation ordinance from its beginning were rewarded when it was adopted by the Upper Dublin Board of Commissioners in November 2006. In addition to involvement with the Historical Society of Fort Washington and The Philadelphia Chapter of the Victorian Society, Lew has been involved in publication of two books on local history and the preservation of an Ambler Gazette newspaper collection dating from 1897 which is now available to the public via internet.

Janet McLemore
Jan has been a resident of Upper Dublin Township since 1993. Raised in Michigan, Jan has also lived in Iowa, Texas and Virginia, and travels to the Czech Republic, where she has extended family. She has developed a deep appreciation for the beauty of historic structures and lands, and for the human histories connected with them. Jan was greatly moved by the destruction of the historic town square in her mother’s hometown, in which 500-year old structures were bulldozed by local authorities to make way for new concrete-block buildings. Jan thinks it is vital to balance individual rights with community and business needs, while maintaining a long term, historic perspective. Jan’s educational background includes a BS degree in Microbiology and in Russian and East European Studies from the University of Michigan, and an MBA degree from the University of Virginia. Professionally, she has worked in the Philadelphia area for 20 years, with responsibilities in strategic planning and industrial marketing and development. She has been an active volunteer with the Upper Dublin School District, Boy Scouts of America, and her church. In her leisure time Jan enjoys collecting, restoring and trading in antiques and singing in her church’s choir. In her work with the Upper Dublin Historical Commission she has a personal interest in educational programs to expand appreciation of local history, and in identifying and developing methods by which threatened historic structures may be saved.

Jill K. Shafer, RA, NCARB, PMP
Jill has been an Upper Dublin Township resident for nearly 25 years and in the 1990’s served on the Upper Dublin Planning Advisory Board. As a registered architect and professional project manager, Jill has experience in design, construction and management of various building types, including historic structures. For 22 years in the private sector, Jill worked on a wide range of projects from Philadelphia’s Brewerytown renovations to corporate headquarters design and construction. As a federal government employee for the last 16 years, Jill has spent much of her time managing multi-million dollar design and construction projects for the U.S. Courthouse Program with projects in Tennessee, Florida, and Pennsylvania.

Sabra Smith
Sabra moved to Upper Dublin Township more than a decade ago, drawn by the distinctive architecture clearly expressive of local history and community. After a twenty-year career in public relations and freelance writing, she recently received her M.S. in Historic Preservation from the University of Pennsylvania where her Studio Project examined the history and significance of the architecture on Philadelphia’s Chestnut Street and made long-range planning recommendations to strike a balance between preservation and new construction. She worked as an Historian in the Preservation Assistance Office of the National Park Service and as an historic preservation intern at the Lower Merion Conservancy. She served as a member of the team that documented Tinicum Township’s nationally-significant Lazaretto structure and organized a charette of national experts to develop a strategic plan for the National Historic Landmark Abel & Mary Nicholson House in Salem Township, New Jersey.

Wendy Weber
Wendy moved to Upper Dublin Township 28 years ago into a house built by her father; a residential home builder who began his career in Upper Dublin in 1958. Wendy has many childhood memories of rural Upper Dublin Township including the purchase of her first horse from Bill Bennet at the Jarrettown Inn barn. She is stimulated by the history of the area, and enjoys collecting period antique furniture and local artwork. Wendy’s most recent employment as project manager of a 55-acre farm in Worcester Township has furthered her knowledge in construction. She was involved in the three-year project of designing and restoring the circa 1890 Victorian house and large stone bank barn. Currently, she is working with Township officials for conditional use of property, land conservation easements, and open space dedication. Wendy has been a licensed real estate agent since 2004.

Return to Top