Bellefonte council rejects school district’s demolition permit for historic Beaver Farmhouse
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Summary
After more than an hour of public testimony and debate, the Bellefonte Borough Council voted down a Bellefonte Area School District request to demolish the Beaver Farmhouse at 1002 Airport Road, with councilors citing preservation interest and public offers to help secure the structure.
Bellefonte Borough Council on Monday declined a request from the Bellefonte Area School District to approve a demolition permit for the Beaver Farmhouse at 1002 Airport Road following extended public comment and council discussion. The motion to approve demolition failed on a roll-call vote, leaving the building in place for now.
School Superintendent Roy Wryczowski, speaking for the district, said demolition was driven by facility priorities and safety concerns: the farmhouse, he said, is not part of the district’s educational program, has no utilities, costs the district an estimated $2,100 a year in insurance, and is an active liability. He asked council to approve the permit so the district could proceed with its stormwater-management plan and avoid potential daily fines.
Preservation advocates and residents urged the opposite. Joseph Griffin of Bellefonte and others said the farmhouse is historically significant (PHMC staff had estimated an early‑19th‑century origin) and told council the community was already offering donations and volunteer support. Student speakers and a Penn State architecture student, Sadie Belsky, outlined adaptive‑reuse ideas — from educational programming to hands‑on trades training — and urged a stay to allow time for fundraising and professional assessment.
Walt Schneider, the borough’s building code official, told council that code enforcement had focused on making the structure weather‑tight, not on requiring full rehabilitation for occupancy; his office’s notice requires boarding broken windows and addressing open areas so the building does not deteriorate further, but he said future disposition remains a council decision.
Council members debated an amendment to delay demolition; that amendment failed. When council then voted on the school district’s demolition permit, the motion failed by roll call. The council did not adopt a demolition timeline; the building remains subject to code enforcement requirements to secure and weather‑tight it.
Councilors and public speakers said next steps would include monitoring any code‑compliance work and continuing public dialogue. The school district said it would remain willing to repurpose materials and work with the community if an alternative to demolition could be found.
The vote leaves the farmhouse standing while the parties consider preservation options and compliance with the borough’s weather‑tightening directives.
