Ambler's Freight House may be saved, one piece at a time

A solution for the historic 1855 Freight House near the Ambler Train Station has been quite the puzzle for the Wissahickon Valley Historical Society and its members, which have been trying to save it for the last few years. In the utmost of irony, it may be in converting the building INTO a puzzle itself that the society will find its solution.

As previously reported by Wissahickon Now, the historical society recently came to the township, asking to possibly rest the Freight House on a moving trailer until it could find a new home. Last October, the society learned of SEPTA’s plans to demolish the building as it works on repairing the Tannery Run Culvert.

This request came after the WVHS heard in October of 2023 that the mitigation they were in with the transportation giant was over, and that the building was instead set to be demolished immediately. Thanks to the fast work of the society’s members, and 1,200 signatures obtained in just a few days, the team was able to postpone the demo.

A new date of Aug. 1, 2024, was put into motion as the day SEPTA aimed to destroy the Freight House. At the June meeting of the Ambler Borough Council, the request was withdrawn by the WVHS. It was no longer requesting the use of the parking area to house the historic building while they searched for its new home.

At the time, it left many residents scratching their heads, wondering what the fate of the building would really be. As it stands, WVHS has gotten a grace period “exception” of sorts to finalize a plan to save it or lose it by the month’s end.

Bernadette Dougherty is a member of the WVHS. She’s worked closely with Carol Kalos, the society’s president who’d previously reported to council, to work on a solution.

After considering many possibilities, the WVHS thought it had its solution without the help of the Borough’s lot. An new space was agreed upon, but as the demands became clear, including a temporary foundation, the society realized it did not have the material or manpower to get this done.

It was back to the drawing board for Dougherty.

“We needed somewhere to park this for at least two years to have time to write grants, to fix it up,” said Dougherty. “Where do we put this now?”

Dougherty admitted that this led to “a lot of scrambling,” but a new plan was soon in the works. The WVHS would simply have to take it all apart.

The solution may sound a bit strange, given the society is whole-heartedly attempting to preserve the Freight House. Taking it down, piece-by-piece, sounds almost counterintuitive. But, there is a plan.

“We have to disassemble it,” said Dougherty. “We will document every piece. Photograph it. And put it away until we can find a permanent location.”

Dougherty said the challenge of where it will live long-term is still up for debate.

“That’s the hardest part, to find a lot where we can put it permanently,” said Dougherty. “We’ve had plenty of ideas for reuse of the building, and plenty calling me have a business in there.”

Dougherty jokes that the poor Freight House simply must find its home first.

“It can be anything it wants to be when it grows up,” she said. “It’s just a matter of finding the spot.”

Until then, the building will be delicately and carefully taken apart, once piece at a time by Heartland Restoration.

“It is a company that knows what they are doing, and we feel confident they can do this,” she said. “They take barns apart and reassemble them some other place.”

The “pieces” will be stored until such a time they can be reassembled back into the historic Freight House of 1855 many have come to love.

“We, the historical society have been very busy since last October to save the building,” Dougherty said. “We found out through a back door of SEPTA plans.”

Dougherty said she was happy that, at the time, they could save the Freight House to give the WVHS time to create these plans.

“It made me so happy,” she said, as SEPTA agreed to delay demolition.  Now, we are back on their schedule, and on ours, so we can take it apart very carefully and put away for another day.”

Where will the Freight House be stored in that time? In the event that anyone doubted Dougherty’s care and compassion for a historic building, question her no more. She’ll be housing the “pieces” in her own, two-car garage.

“Well, this way, it is not going to cost anybody anything,” she said. “And it’ll be out of the weather.”

Since the formation of the last plan, SEPTA has started fixing the culvert in question. In July, the company awarded the bid for work at Tannery Run to begin, having since begun to “even up” the area.

How much time does the society have to take down the Freight House?

“They still like the Aug. 1 deadline,” joked Dougherty, knowing they were past their tentative grace period. “But, I think we are good until the end of August.”

Dougherty said that Hartland is already working with contractors that are assigned to fix the culvert, “to synch schedules, so everything moves along very efficiently.”

Money Makes It Move

In the meantime, the WVHS continues to raise funds to help with its relocation.

“We’ve gotten very creative to raise money,” said Dougherty. Engineering studies alone, geared at discovering options for the Freight House, have cost the society several thousand dollars, and most of those funds came thanks to a move by Tannery Run Brew Works, which made a beer named for its beneficiary.

    Photo courtesy of Wissahickon Valley Historical Society
 

“[Tannery Run] created beer called Freight House Red, for us,” said Dougherty. The beer is sold at Tannery Run Brew Works, located at 131 E. Butler Ave., in Ambler, as well as 31 Main and Harry’s Taproom.

“We can’t say enough about the support of the businesses in our area on this project,” said Dougherty. “We haven’t gone to anybody who said ‘no’ at all.”

In addition to beer sales (which, while supplies lasted could even come in a commemorative glass), the WVHS also sold holiday ornaments, which could be hung on the tree. The white ball had an image of the Freight House on one side, with “Save the Ambler Freight House” written on the other.

Currently, the WVHS is also selling chocolates to continue to raise funds. Any donation of $10 or more can get donors a chocolate bar at The Ambler Theater, Studio Ambler, and Pie and Plate Café.

In August, the WVHS will hold a dine and donate at Tannery Run, Geronimos, Dettera and Harry’s Taproom.

“It’s nice because the restaurant doesn’t have to give a percent of their earnings,” said Dougherty. “As people get their bill, there will be a card inside, with a story about the Freight House, and a QR code so they can donate directly.”

The History of the Freight House

“A lot of people don’t know what Freight means, or have no clue where it is,” said Dougherty of the House she’s attempting to save alongside the WVHS. “It is important to me that we educate along with saving it.”

The building was once the Ambler train station, back in 1855.

“It was a single track into our neck of the woods,” said Dougherty. “There was a terrible train accident in 1856.”

For those missing out on the lore of Ambler, it is this famed accident that got the community its name. Mary Ambler, a local civic-minded woman made hero, saved the lives of many injured in the accident.

Walking three miles to assist, the mother of seven sons and one daughter, helped handle the aftermath of the “Great Train Wreck of 1856.” And, as they say, the rest is history. Thanks to her dedication, her name was used to change what was a “Wissahickon” station and town were later renamed Ambler.

“Later Philadelphia and Reading rail added a double track,” said the historian. “Then, we had two train station buildings built. One is now La Provence, and the other little building across the tracks.” Each station handled the riders in each direction.

These two buildings, established in 1879, became the space for people riding the rails. But, the small outpost, then moved across Butler Avenue, became a freight house, holding the freight (goods, materials, etc.) that the trains held.

At the time, the builders opted to construct the Freight House to “straddle the creek,” said Dougherty. “They believed it would be strong enough.” And, for nearly 145 years, it was. Whatever its location, or its final “resting place,” the building holds a dear place in the WVHS’s devoted member’s heart.

“That’s why it’s even more important,” said Doughterty. “It’s our original train station in 1855. I can just see Mary Ambler taking the train to Philadelphia for supplies.”

Some may look at the Freight House today and be surprised it has such value.

“They may think it is junk, or figure ‘why bother?’” said Dougherty. But its deep-rooted history is a story all of its own, awaiting its chance to be preserved.

“Wait until we take the hardy board siding off,” she said. “That wooden siding underneath there? It is such an adorable little place, once we find a permanent home for it.”

How You Can Help

Those wishing to donate to help to preserve the pre-Civil War, Ambler-based Freight House can click here, where you will find ways to pay by card, PayPal, or Venmo (@WissahickonValleyHistorical). Alternatively, those that wish may send a check to P.O. Box 96, Ambler, PA 19002.

    Donate to save the Freight House with this QR code.