A centuries-old log house at 901 County Line Road in Bryn Mawr is advancing toward Lower Merion Township's highest level of historic protection.
The Building and Planning Committee voted to authorize advertising a public hearing to add the property as a Class I Historic Resource, Mainline Media News reported. Under township code, a Class I designation means the building cannot be demolished without approval from the Board of Commissioners. Exterior alterations and new construction must also be reviewed by the Historical Commission before work can begin, according to township preservation guidelines.
Greg Prichard, Lower Merion's historic preservation planner, told the committee the log house may date to the township's earliest days. He cautioned that pinning down an exact age is difficult because the township archives lack original building plans for structures that old. Prichard said a good deal of research has been done by several individuals, including the property's owner, who nominated the house for the designation.
The restoration itself is a striking story. Prichard said the owner purchased the house roughly 10 to 12 years ago when it "didn't look like much." Layers of stucco and other materials had been applied over the years, hiding what was underneath. When the owner stripped those layers away, the original log construction emerged.
Some logs had deteriorated and had to be replaced, Prichard said. The owners salvaged compatible materials from buildings of a similar age, and a contractor integrated them into the structure. Prichard, who toured the site, called the restoration "really quite a feat" for such a small building. The renovation earned an award at the 2017 Lower Merion Township Historic Preservation Awards.
Board of Commissioners President Todd Sinai praised the property at the committee meeting, calling it "a terrific resource" and commending the owner.
Earlier reporting adds historical depth. A 2017 Times Herald account identified the owner as Jude Plum, a Bryn Mawr resident who grew up next door on Mondella Avenue and runs the Jude Plum Salon. Plum bought the property from a bank after the previous owner's death, outbidding someone who planned to raze it and build two townhouses.
The house is built of oak logs and features two stone fireplaces connected to a single chimney in a design called a turkey breast. The Lower Merion Historical Society has described it as "one of the earliest" remaining log structures in the township. Historical accounts link the land to the Rees Thomas family, Welsh Quakers who arrived in the Philadelphia area in the 1680s, though sources differ on exact dates.
The public hearing date has not been announced. Residents can sign up for Historical Commission meeting updates through the township's website.
