Owner Wants 'Highest and Best Use' for Historic Home

The owner of one of Moorestown's oldest homes—and possibly its first Quaker school—just wants to see the property put to its "highest and best use."

Robert Whitcraft, owner of the 270-year-old brick home on the corner of Kings Highway and South Lenola Road, and his family often stay in the property on weekends, but said "the ship has sailed" on the days of the Thomas Cowperthwaite House being used as a permanent residence. 

The home has been in Whitcraft's family since the '20s, but he's looking to sell—has been for the past few years.

He doesn't appear to have terribly strong opinions about how the property should be used, but said, "I'd like to drive past this thing 10 years from now and like what I see."

Township manager Scott Carew said Whitcraft recently approached the township to see about the possibility of rezoning the property—which is presently zoned R-3 (single-family residential)—to allow for a commercial use.

The home is surrounded on the other three corners by two gas stations and a bank, at one of the busier intersections in Moorestown, Whitcraft noted. "Who would want to live there? ... A commercial use is the best use."

Members of the Historical Society, along with some readers, have expressed an interest in preserving the property. And Whitcraft said he'd "absolutely" prefer the building remain intact.

"As you go forward, you should know where you come from," he said.

But, he added, "I don't want to tell a developer what they can and can't do."

According to Whitcraft, he offered the home—though not the land it sits on—to the township for $1 a couple years ago, but nothing came of it. 

The decision of whether to rezone the land is, of course, ultimately up to town council. 

Addressing the matter last week, Carew said if the township were to even consider a rezoning, "We would have to make sure we did it right ... I would imagine there would be a public interest in somehow keeping that building intact, whether it's there or someplace else."

What would you like to see done with the property? Tell us in the comments below. 

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