This story originally appeared in The Centre County Gazette.
BELLEFONTE — Bellefonte Borough Council on Monday declined to approve a demolition permit for the Beaver Farmhouse at 1002 Airport Road, signaling that the borough is not prepared to allow its removal.
The demolition request, submitted by the Bellefonte Area School District, was the final item of a long meeting that included extensive budget discussions and routine approvals. Before council voted on the farmhouse, members reopened the tabled item and invited public comment. More than a dozen letters had been previously submitted urging preservation, and several residents, students and local historians attended in person to speak.
Superintendent Roy Rakszawski told council the district’s position remained unchanged. He said the farmhouse is not part of the educational program, has no utilities and costs the district roughly $2,100 per year in insurance premiums. He noted that the district faces potential daily fines for failing to address outstanding code violations and said the building’s location is needed for stormwater management associated with the elementary school campus.
“The district is not and cannot be in the business of historical preservation,” Rakszawski said, adding that the structure poses an ongoing liability and is not feasible to maintain. He said the district was willing to repurpose materials into a commemorative feature after demolition.
“Every dollar we spend must be justifiable in its support of our educational program,” Rakszawski said. “The farmhouse is not part of our educational program.”
Several speakers urged council to deny the permit. Residents argued the building is among the oldest surviving structures in the Bellefonte area and could be repurposed for agricultural education, vocational training or historic interpretation. Others said community members are willing to raise funds or volunteer labor for stabilization and repairs.
“BHCA has received three pledges of $1,000 today to preserve the building. And we haven’t even asked for money,” President of the Bellefonte Historical and Cultural Association Joseph Griffin said at the meeting. “Counting Congressman (Glenn) Thompson’s offer of support, these three pledges and Bellefonte Building Supply’s offer to secure the building — putting plywood over the windows and tidying it up — the community is already offering more money to save the building than it will cost the district to demolish it,” Griffin said.
Penn State architecture student Sadie Belski told council that the building represented a chance for cross-disciplinary learning and could serve as a site for partnerships with vocational programs.
“This building is not just history. It’s a learning tool across disciplines,” Belski said. “Agriculture students can learn from farm to table systems and sustainable food production. History students can explore Pennsylvania’s agricultural heritage. Science classes can study soil composition, water systems and climate science. Math students can calculate structural loads. Art students can document traditional craftsmanship.”
Center Region Code Administration Director Walter Schneider explained that the borough had issued a violation notice requiring the building to be weather-tight but had not required it to be made occupiable. Those requirements, he said, were intended to prevent deterioration, not to force major renovations. He noted that basic measures such as boarding windows, patching openings and applying temporary sealant would meet the borough’s expectations.
Council members discussed whether to grant a one-year delay to allow time for fundraising and further study, but that amendment failed 7-2.
During the final vote on the demolition itself, council members cited public interest, historical value and potential educational uses as reasons to deny the request. Several members said Bellefonte’s identity as a historic community should weigh heavily in decisions affecting older structures, even when those structures fall outside the formal historic district.
“Considering that our borough is known by the name Historic Bellefonte, as can be seen in the logo behind us, how can we explain to our residents that we voted to demolish this obviously historic property,” Council President Barbara Dann said. “Especially since there are parties interested in its preservation and willing to donate time, money and services to do so.”
The motion to approve demolition failed with seven council members opposed and two in favor, leaving the farmhouse standing and the property’s future undecided. Under borough regulations, the building must still be kept weather-tight, and the district will be required to work with code officials on addressing the outstanding maintenance items.
The district did not indicate whether it plans to resubmit a revised request, pursue alternative uses or consider other options for the parcel.
