Manor House gets facelift

The Manor House at is in the middle of a facelift. Whitpain Tonwship has agreed to a public/private partnership with Robert Fair Caterers that helps provide funding for the Manor House restorations and pond restoration.

Prophecy Creek Park has a total of 83 acres that has been preserved as open space and is open to the public’s use. The barn and Manor House were already on the property when the township purchased the property in 1999. While a few minor improvements have been done to the Manor House, according to Kurt Baker, Director of Whitpain Township Parks and Recreation Department.

The new public/private partnership covers three and a half acres that includes the Manor House, the barn and both ponds. Robert Fair Caterers has already begun improvements on the house and the site to begin Weddings by the Pond. The house was expected to need $500,000 in improvements, according to a new release released by the township.

The township Board of Supervisors recently approved Land Concepts to begin a planting plan to not exceed $6,000 that includes a planting and vegetation removal plan, details for the pump installation and a plan for application of herbicides.

According to Baker, the banks of the ponds are silted up and needs to be restored before it gets worse. However, the water quality of the ponds is good.

The township and Robert Fair Caterers were excited when a swan showed up in the one pond, as swans keep geese away.

However, the township and Robert Fair Caterers are looking to install a pump into the two ponds to circulate the water and help the pond stay healthy and beautiful.

The public/private partnership benefits the township in that 100 percent of the rentals of the site will go to the township. Manor House will be a revenue source for the township. “In this economy, it’s a good thing,” said Baker.

Robert Fair Caterers will be putting in paved walkways around the site that will also connect to trails already in Prophecy Creek Park. They are also adding a kitchen and more event specific parking to leave parking for residents using the park.

Baker said it took eight months of negotiations to develop a license agreement between Robert Fair Caterers and the township. The agreement is for 5 years with renewal options for Robert Fair Caterers based on performance. A big part of the agreement was to make sure the park could remain a park and that residents could still have access to the park during an event.

Robert Fair Caterers/Weddings by the Pond has already begun booking the site for later this year and the beginning of next.