Patterson Farm's Future Under Review In Lower Makefield

LOWER MAKEFIELD TOWNSHIP, PA —Patterson Farm, considered one of the most photographed sites in the township, has a consultant that will come up with a plan for the historic property's future.

Lower Makefield Township Supervisors awarded a $114,000 contract to Seiler and Drury of Norristown at its Feb. 15 meeting to develop a master plan for the 234-acre township-owned property located between Route 295 and Mirror Lake Road.

The consultant will lead the township through architectural, engineering, and site planning for the farm, developing a long-range comprehensive master plan, Township Manager David Kratzer said.

"It's been an ongoing topic of conversation," Kratzer told Patch Thursday. "We want to determine potential uses for the farm and get a better management of the property."

He said the farm's structures have not been maintained but that there may be some potential use for them.

Kratzer said there is no timetable for the project. He said the consultant will hold a meeting in the next few weeks to determine the next steps.

Bringing in a consultant was based on the recommendation of the Ad Hoc Property Committee in March 2022. The committee, which consists of volunteers from the community, carefully reviewed and vetted all candidates and proposals with guidance from historical architect Jennifer Stark, according to information on the township's website.

The farm was purchased for $7.2 million by the township in 1998 as open space from Tom and Alice Patterson. It consists of 234 acres and 15 buildings, some of which are historical and in need of repair, officials said.

A year later, a Bucks County Municipal Open Space easement was granted on 71 acres. In 2004, PennDOT condemned 7.57 acres of the farm for construction of the Route 95/332 off-ramp.

Supervisors voted in October 2016 to grant an agricultural conservation easement to Bucks County over additional lands, for a total of 183 acres of preserved farmland, Kratzer said.

Sam Stewart of Charlann Farms farms 173 acres of the land under a lease with the township, officials said.

Patterson Farm includes the historic Janney-Brown Farmstead that contains a Georgian-style stone house, stone/frame cottage, bank barn, and six outbuildings.

The non-profit Artists of Yardley (AOY), an art center that has more than 100 artists, leases the stone house from the township and offers art classes, camps, exhibits, and shows.

Patterson Farm also includes the 5.6-acre Satterthwaite Farmstead that contains a Federal-style frame house, bank barn, and four outbuildings. A portion of that land is used for mulching leaves that are collected by the township.