The Manor House, ca. 1719

The Manor House, ca. 1719. . , On this site stood the first house in the Willow Grove area. Jacob Dubree and his son James purchased 250 acres of land from land speculators, who obtained the land from the heirs of Dr. Nicholas More. Dr. More's land grant from William Penn was known as the Manor of Moreland., The two-story stone house stood on a slight rise, overlooking a swampy meadow and the Old York Road, laid out in the year 1711 along the Lenni Lenape trail to New York. The Manor House was a perfect example of colonial architecture with the original smaller section later expanded by the Dubrees., In 1746, the property was advertised for sale as “20 acres of meadow, a double house, good barn, and a fine young orchard.” However, the Dubree house was not sold and remained in the family until 1762 when James Dubree's heirs sold the property to adjoining property and tavern owner, John Paul., The house was used as a residence through the years, and was restored in the 1940's by owners Harry and Phoebe Patterson. In 1950, the Pattersons sold the property to Upper Moreland Township. The house was used as township adminstrative offices until it was demolished in 1967 to make way for the existing township building complex.