Lower Merion Will Auction Cottage in Belmont Hills Park

Lower Merion Township has decided to auction Smith Cottage—a vacant three-bedroom tenant house next to a historic home in Belmont Hills—to the highest bidder Saturday, June 11, township spokeswoman Brenda Viola announced Thursday.

The wood-frame building sits on residential Smith Drive with the multi-use  behind it. Next door is the 18th-century Jones-Smith House. The 15,000-square-foot property's taxable value is $128,640, according to Montgomery County records in the document attached to this article.

Briggs Auction Inc. will conduct the auction at the house from 11 a.m. to noon, Viola said, and the new owner would be able to perform renovations in accordance with the township's Façade Easement and Historic Preservation Ordinance.

Said Lori Zytkowicz, Briggs' director of real estate sales: "The benefits of auctioning the property offer the seller and the buyer a specific date and time of sale, bringing the maximum number of buyers to a property at a given time, and offering a quick, efficient settlement on a property sold at a fair market price."

In a media statement from the township, Parks and Recreation Director Lindsay Taylor said, "The property has been under consideration by the Township for a number of different uses, none of which were viable to us over the past few years. Holding the auction will afford someone the unique opportunity to own a piece of history and to renew its beauty and charm."

Jerry Francis, president of the Lower Merion Historical Society, told Patch he had no concerns about the ramifications of auctioning Smith Cottage.

Anyone who wants a conditions report on the building can email Taylor or call her at 610-645-6188. Zytkowicz can provide more information about the auction at 610-566-3138 or via email.