Girard Estate demolition program to take down several abandoned homes in William Penn
KAYLEE LINDENMUTH / SHENANDOAH SENTINEL - An abandoned double-block home on Mount Olive Boulevard in William Penn is seen on May 24, 2023.
SHENANDOAH HEIGHTS – West Mahanoy Township Supervisors approved an agreement with the Philadelphia-based trust that owns most of the land in the township to have five abandoned homes on that land demolished.
The approval came at Tuesday’s regular meeting, allowing the Girard Estate to demolish several more abandoned homes.
Since around 2010, the Girard Estate has demolished dozens of abandoned structures on leased land owned by the company in William Penn and Lost Creek, and they cover the demolition costs.
This year, five homes will be demolished in William Penn as part of the program.
The homes are:
- 193-195 Mount Olive Boulevard;
- 17 Saint Paul Street;
- 21 Chelton Street;
- and 37 Chelton Street.
An alternative structure of 43 Elliot Street was also approved.
These homes are on land leased from the Girard Estate and the taxes and leases have not been paid.
Half of the duplex on Mount Olive Boulevard is owned by West Mahanoy Township, so supervisors approved a memorandum of understanding to cover that.
The Girard Estate was established in the will of the late Stephen Girard, who owned large sections of land in the coal region.
He established the trust with the City of Philadelphia to start and maintain a school for orphaned children, Girard College, and the estate owns much of the land in the northern section of West Mahanoy Township.
Most of that land is leased to coal companies and, in 2021 the land holdings in our area brought in $1.8 Million for the estate, according to their annual financial report that year.
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