A landmark Fairview Township home built more than 150 years ago is for sale, probably at a bargain price.
But there will be a hefty additional cost — to move it.
The Joshua C. Thornton house on the grounds of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission’s fish hatchery along West Lake Road is being auctioned on the state’s surplus property website. A condition of the sale is that the house must be moved to a new location.
The house
The Italianate-style home is being sold as is. And it’s going to need work, including repairs or replacement of the front porch roof and some 21st century updates.
But 19th century charm remains.
The two-story house is topped by a tiny cupola offering 360-degree views — currently of the hatchery grounds, surrounding farmland, neighboring homes and the Koehler barn on the other side of West Lake Road.
The home’s woodwork and bannisters were said to have been made from trees on the property. Removed some years ago to accommodate interior renovations by the Fish and Boat Commission, the woodwork and bannisters were afterward reinstalled.