Haverford Township Commissioners are asking for bids to demolish the 100-year-old former Brookline School in Haverford even as preservationists lamented the loss of the township’s last stone elementary school, writes Pete Bannan for the Daily Times.

The building dates to 1913 and was designed by David Knickerbacker Boyd, a prominent architect.

Newspaper ads in the early 1900s highlighted the school and Brookline’s convenient location near the P&W Railroad as a way to bring Philadelphia workers to the new suburb.

“The Brookline School stands as a monument to the very history of Brookline and its creation as one of the first planned communities,” said Haverford resident Tony DeVaney. “Its stones exemplify the American Colonial revival architecture of the early 20th century. Its halls educated almost 100 years of Brookline’s children.”

Barbara Marinelli, chairperson of the Delaware County Heritage Commission, said the building can still be adapted for new use and could even pay for itself over time.

Commissioner Dr. Gerry Hart emphasized that Monday’s vote was to put out bids for demolition, not to approve demolition.

He noted the building has deteriorated and its limited parking and location limit how it can be developed. Read more about the Brookline School in the Daily Times.