Historic Clayton Ingersoll House - Spring House, PA
I have had an urge to place a cache for a while so here it is! This cache is located near the historic Clayton Ingersoll House, in Spring House, PA
back of the house
When I started caching, I always wanted to place a cache here, as it is a beautiful and historic estate, both things cachers typically enjoy. I have lived near here for most of my life, and I always wondered what the history/story was behind it. When I went online, I could not find anything about it! I even walked to the township building to investigate. They had very little information on it, so they directed me to the Wissahickon Valley Historical Society.The earliest part of this house was built ~1700. The Cleaver family owned it for over 125 years and it has been in the possession of the present family for over 80 years. (I'm guessing that refers to the Ingersoll family.) The original stone house over the spring, which is still in existence, is believed to be the origin of the name SpringHouse. In 1968, a special cachet commemorating the 50th anniversary of the U.S. Air Mail Service featured this spring house. The stable bears a datestone of 1727..
The house is beautiful, with a farm to the right and a pond in the back. Unfortunately, the house is of mixed quality, as over time, youth broke windows, paint is chipping, and the foundation is steadily getting weaker. When I was little, I used to play with friends by the pond and explore around the home. The township bought the property a few years ago, and ever since, it has become private property. Unfortunately it is no longer available to the public, but it is able to be viewed from the neighborhood in the front and Old Bethlehem Pike in the back, where this cache is located. I do not believe the township is going to work towards restoring it.
Here are some images I took of the home today, (3/26/18)
sign
front of house
farm to the right
This cache is located on Old Bethlehem Pike, away from private property, so you are able to view the back of the house. For your convenience, I provided parking coordinates and coordinates to the entrance of Old Bethlehem Pike. Do not come at night and please use stealth, as muggles and their puggles are usually around. You can park in the township lot close to the cache. Please rehide the cache well in the same spot after you find it. I was artistic on the log sheet for this cache but for the stake of saving the original, I used a copy. No credit without your signature. I really hope you enjoy the view and enjoy coming to (or back) to Spring House!