Planning Commission Okays Tennent House Subdivision

By James Boyle

Taking students from William Tennent High School to the final home of the man the school is named after would be a valuable teaching tool, says the group of volunteers trying to make that scenario a reality.

The efforts of the William Tennent House Association to restore the Colonial-era building located on York Road next to the Learning Experience took another step forward when the Warminster Planning Committee approved the request to subdivide two parcels from Christ's Home and transfer ownership to the organization.

One of the conditions of the approval is that the William Tennent House Association provide an accurate count of the number of trees on the York Road side of the property, said committee chairman Wayne McCulloch. It will be up to the board of supervisors to grant final approval of the request, granting property rights to the association for two parcels totaling approximately 1.8 acres.

Christ's Home granted access to the historical home to the William Tennent House Association in 2011. Since then, volunteers have been hard at work fixing up the structure and surrounding property, digging up interesting artifacts in the process.

During the planning commission meeting, association President Wendy Wirsch displayed a small sample of the pots, utensils and other items uncovered near the house.

"These are artifacts we found just under the surface," said Wirsch. "Imagine what we could discover with a full archeological dig."

Wirsch told committee members that an unrecorded deed dates the home to at least 1708. The property was deeded to William Tennent in 1735 by his cousin, James Logan, William Penn's right-hand man. Tennent lived there until his death in 1746, and the property was sold shortly after by his wife.

While an active member of the Neshaminy-Warwick Presbyterian Church, William Tennent established the Log College in 1727. It's location is marked by a monument that sits on York Road, in front of the Tennent house. His educational institution is credited as the predecessor to Princeton University, as well as 63 other colleges and universities throughout the country.