Lower Makefield Township recently started implementing the Patterson Farm Master Plan Project, a multi-year effort to preserve the 234-acre historic property, writes Greg Vellner for The Reporter.

The township recently unveiled Stage One of the project. The three-year effort will include several improvements for the farm located between I-295 and Mirror Lake Road which is currently in dire condition.

The property was acquired by the township for $7 million in 1998. Stage One of the project, which is also being funded by the township, will cost between $500,000 and $800,000. The 15 buildings that are part of the property are mostly not open to the public due to active farming and poor conditions.

The Stage One was drafted by an Ad Hoc Property Committee consisting of seven community volunteers. Segments of the first stage include the management of Patterson Farm as a non-profit enterprise as well as its entry onto the National Register of Historical Places.

Other planned efforts for the initial stage include management of on-site water to ensure the buildings remain dry along with carpentry work and painting, environmental clean-up of the property, implementation of new access ways for farming operations, and design of a of a nature trail for the public.

Read more about the Patterson Farm Master Plan Project in The Reporter.