The Manor House of Willow, once located at 117 Park Avenue, was originally constructed in 1706, though some historians disagree on the exact year. According to Upper Moreland Historical Association president emeritus Joe Thomas, it was the first house in Willow Grove.

It was built by Jacob Dubree and his son James, and after a series of additions, the two-story stone house was completed in 1746.

The house was primarily used as a residence until it was restored in the 1940s by owners Harry and Phoebe Patterson, who sold the property to Upper Moreland Township in 1950. The house was used as township administrative offices until it was demolished in 1967 to make way for the existing township building complex.

According to Thomas, that same year, the township erected a monument using stones from the Manor House as the pedestal for a commemorative bronze plaque, which reads: “Mooreland Manor House | Built 1706 & 1719 | Purchased Dec. 19, 1950 by Township of Upper Moreland Board of Commissioners”

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Photos: UMHA, The Historical Market Database