08/19/2026
Your community fighting for your rights. Last night Save Forsythe Farm (905 Westtown Rd. West Chester, PA 19382) showed up to the West Goshen Township Board of Supervisors meeting as we have since June of 2025 highlighting our concerns about a potential demolition of this historic site. Aside from the potential demolition of this historic asset of National Significance the fundamental rights of the community are being neglected in much the same way this historic property has been allowed to rot for 23 years by the present owner.
Under our Pennsylvania State Constitution, Article I, Section 27 clearly states:
“The people have a right to clean air, pure water, and to the preservation of the natural, scenic, historic and esthetic values of the environment. Pennsylvania’s public natural resources are the common property of all the people, including generations yet to come. As trustee of these resources, the Commonwealth shall conserve and maintain them for the benefit of all the people.”
Any potential demolition of this historic property will mean destruction of Federally protected wetlands, disturbance of Federally and State protected habitat of bog turtle as well as asbestos, black mold, lead remediation and the destruction of a historic resource of National Significance. Currently our community is not party to these discussions. Here’s why…
The Blight Act (PA Act 135) was enacted by the Township in September of last year to address a public safety concern regarding historic Forsythe Farm (905 Westtown Rd) caused by 23 years of willful neglect by the current owner. For over two decades this owner has claimed in Court and to members of our community he wants to build 10 homes on 8.5 acres of land, half of which includes wetlands, and evidence of Federally protected species of bog turtle as well as a Native Lenni Lenape burial site. No formal plans for development have ever been presented to Township. The current owner has faced a litany of outstanding fines for code violations and court filings for failure to maintain the property.
Judge Verwey issued an arbitrary 30 day timeline for the community to file as “parties of interest”. This placed an unreasonable burden on our community to have our rights represented. We had to scramble to raise money, find a lawyer in our community in which nearly all lawyers have “conflicts of interest” with municipalities and developer interests all within 30 days. We did not meet that goal. I attempted to personal intervene in filing a ‘pro se’ which was rejected by Judge Verwey because of our late filing. We finally found a lawyer, Chadwick Schnee based in Lancaster County. This has forced an issue of standing.
There are a range of public safety, environmental and historic preservation concerns our community has. Currently Judge Verwey has blocked us from participating based on his original order. It should also be noted Judge Verwey further ruled to overturn Willistown Township’s protections of Rockhill Farm. See today’s Philadelphia Inquirer article in the comments below. This is a pattern. We strenuously argue citizens rights are violated when unreasonable timelines are placed upon the community which should already have standing per Article I, Section 27 of the State’s Constitution.
Currently Save Forsythe Farm is appealing to the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania to gain standing. In the meantime as of July 31, the court appointed Conservator Carl Ewald projects he can secure all permitting in 6 – 8 weeks. We are seeking a pause on a full demolition of the buildings.
This property is not conducive to development. This property holds over 220 years of American and Lenni Lenape history. If the buildings are destroyed it undermines the reasons are group is fighting to protect these historic resources.
It is a parallel argument playing out with the recent destruction of the East Wing of the White House and construction of a new ballroom as the Trump administration seeks to build a Nuclear proof bomb shelter beneath the East Wing. Yesterday, Brent Leggs, the new President and CEO of the National Trust for Historic Preservation issued a statement responding to the Trump Administrations assertions:
“First, that no court in the land has the authority to stop them. And second, that because they are using the same indestructible concrete used in nuclear power plants, it would be impossible to remove the Ballroom even if ordered to do so.
They are working around the clock in an attempt to outrace judicial review. Today, the National Trust for Historic Preservation filed its response with the Supreme Court. We reiterated that the Administration has no unilateral legal authority—constitutional, statutory, or otherwise—to build a Ballroom on the site of the now-demolished East Wing, unless and until Congress expressly approves.”
We see a similar tactic playing out here in the Conservatorship process here in West Goshen, a race to erase a public safety issue while shutting the public out of their constitutionally protected rights to protect our environment and historic spaces.
The unique story of the White House is rooted in the idea it is “the People’s House” and all who occupy it are “tenants”. Oversight of its care is a contract between the American People, the Executive Branch and the Congress. It is reflective of our participatory values of Government.
Participatory democracy means not one individual gets to make unilateral decisions. As we celebrate the 250th year of the Declaration of Independence it calls into serious question at all levels of Federal, State and local Governments how the rights of all citizens are protected.
Save Forsythe Farm is now a 501c3 organization. We welcome your support as we manage legal fess and administrative costs. Please consider donating to our fundraising cites in the comments below…
