Community Corner
Can Easton's Oldest Home Be Saved?
Group of residents want to save downtown Easton's Hooper House.
Sitting just up the street from the State Theatre, the Hooper House is believed to be Easton's oldest residence, with ties to the Revolutionary War.
But despite that pedigree, there's no plaque out front letting you know the house's history, only a little bit of graffiti.
There's no way to tour the home, the way you can the Bachmann Publick House a few blocks away. In fact, the Hooper House has essentially been vacant for the last 34 years.
And that's too long for a building this old in a historic downtown, say members of Hooper House Revival, a group that's campaigning to save the property.
"People now are saying ‘this needs to stop," said Lydia Bruneo, one of the members of the group.
The Hooper House, at 501-503 Northampton St., is one of several properties owned by the nearby Rock Church.
The city has been trying for years to get the church to repair the Hooper House—and several other neighboring properties—but without much progress. Easton put the Hooper House on its blighted property list in 2011.
“It's remarkable that it’s lasted as long as it has," said Becky Bradley, the city's planning director.
It's not just the Hooper House. The building next to it, also Rock Church property, is in bad shape, Bradley said.
“If you stand in that top apartment you can see daylight…through the wall," she said.
Bruneo said she'd like to see the city purchase the property the way it did 118-120 Northampton Street.“Hopefully, if this all works out and the city is able to do something with it, it’s a catalyst to do something with other bligted properties," she said.
That may not just be wishful thinking. The Rock Church owes the city tens of thousands of dollars in taxes and utility bills.
Speaking to the Morning Call last week, church attorney Kevin Santos accused the city of "picking a fight" over a church property at 509-511 Northampton St., and said that the cost of fixing the remains of that building has made it impossible to pay those bills.
Find out what's happening in Eastonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
