Pattye Benson

Community Matters

Exciting News: No Demolition for the Covered Wagon Inn!

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What’s the saying, “If there’s a will, there’s a way”.

Late tonight, I learned from Tredyffrin Township supervisor Sean Moir that an agreement has been reached to save the Covered Wagon Inn from demolition.

Over the last couple of months, there has been much discussion about the saving the old field-stone building located on the corner of Lancaster Avenue and Old Eagle School Road in Strafford.

Meetings were held with the township staff, supervisors, planning commissioners, CVS pharmacy developer Summit Realty and owner John Zaharchuk and property owner John G. Hoopes. At one point, it was suggested that a nonprofit historic preservation organization needed to step in to save the building. As President of Tredyffrin Historic Preservation Trust and with a unanimous vote of support from our Board of Directors, the Trust stepped in and offered our help in saving the building!

But in the end, Hoopes and Summit were able to come up with an agreement. The new plan will allow the construction of the CVS pharmacy but also preserves the 18th century Covered Wagon Inn. Hoopes will retain control of the Covered Wagon Inn, handle the interior renovations and lease the space. Summit will restore the exterior of the Covered Wagon Inn as part of their CVS land development project.

The saving of the old Covered Wagon Inn is a home run for historic preservation in Tredyffrin Township! I am thrilled that the Covered Wagon Inn is to be saved and that local history will coexist with CVS.

Thank you John Zaharck, John Hoopes and CVS Pharmacy for listening to the community and saving an important part of our community’s history!

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  1. Thank-you Pattye, John Zaharck, John Hoopes and all who took part in preserving this historic building.

  2. I’m glad the building will be preserved. I’m not happy that there will be a cvs. There’s one right across the street. Landmark was great

  3. Chester County should open an interactive visitor’s center on the first floor to welcome people to the area and highlight business and historic interests of the County. Similar buildings may exist to do the same on Route 30 at Gap and on Route 1 near Herr’s Factory in Nottingham. Have our bases covered with support from local businesses who would receive publicity from materials distributed from the three sites. Just saying.

  4. If those of you hadn’t kept up the fight, this never would have happened. You have our thanks. CVS typically bulldozes everything in its path So this is near miraculous. Now it’s time to keep an eagle eye on construction and design plans and encourage TE to ensure the drugstore is in keeping with the architecture and history of the area

  5. All of us here at The Center Of Success which is across the street from the Covered Wagon Inn are THRILLED that it will be saved!
    Our building is of the same era and together both buildings stand as a testament to our rich history of the old taverns on the route from Philadelphia to Lancaster.
    To all of you who stepped in to save the Covered Wagon. THANK YOU SO MUCH!

  6. Happy Covered Wagon To be saved. Very unhappy that another drug store is being developed in that space. Old Eagle School Rd. at Lancaster Ave is already a traffic nightmare. I mean, really, another drug store??

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