Saving Hood Mansion: Free historic site still waiting for someone to move it
LIMERICK TOWNSHIP, Pa. - Just looking at Hood Mansion today, it appears to be just an abandoned house. But, dive a little deeper, and you'll find a piece of true American history.
The 5,000-square foot mansion was built in Limerick, Pennsylvania, in 1834, and was used as part of the Underground Railroad.
It was home to generations of families until the owners walked away in 2008, then abandoned by a development company when plans for a casino fell through.
Now the nearly 200-year-old mansion could be reduced to rubble if no one steps up to save it - free of charge.
That's right, it's free for anyone who wants it - you just have to be able to pick it up and move it off the property!
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So, can Hood Mansion be rescued? FOX 29's Hank Flynn decided to check it out.
Making his way through rooms littered with graffiti and trash, Hank spoke with Eugene, a man who spent part of his childhood at the mansion.
"It was scary," he said, describing games of hide and seek in the dark, massive home.
And it's the sheer size of the 17-room mansion that makes it so hard to save: it can't be dismantled, and could cost more than $1 million to move!
However, Tyler, who created the Eastern Pennsylvania Preservation Society just for Hood Mansion, isn't giving up hope.
"This is a legacy home," he said. "Tear it down, and you can never rebuild it again."