Landmark Barn on Springhouse Road Torn Down

The vacant, landmark barn on Springhouse Road, which over four months, has been torn down.

The Very Rev. Anthony Sabbagh of St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church in Allentown, which owns the 9.73 acres of land that housed the barn and a 2.5-story home, cited safety reasons. But he said Tuesday the church hopes to eventually build a new church and community center on the land, possibly within five years.

"Church and community together serve the same purpose," Sabbagh said.

A fire at the barn in April was , the township fire marshal had ruled, while the cause of an earlier smokey fire at the barn on Christmas Eve 2010 had been undetermined.

Demolished were the barn, which had been the subject of at least ; an accompanying six-room house, built in 1881 and also vacant; and two smaller structures.

Sabbagh said the church had initially hoped to save the barn because of its character and possible historic value. Before tearing it down, he said, the church checked with the state historical society to make sure there wasn't any historical value to the home that required preservation.

No development plans for the site have been filed with South Whitehall Township.

Sabbagh said the church hopes to build a new church, possible school and day care center on the site. He said there are two ideas: to keep St. George Antiochian Church in Allentown open, with a new church with a new name built in South Whitehall; or to relocate St. George's church to the township.

The church has a building fund, but more money would be needed, he said. He said fund-raising could start next year.

Friends of St. George Orthodox Church Inc. purchased the land at 1036 Springhouse Road in 1998 for $586,250, according to Lehigh County assessment records.