The 200-year-old Cintra Mansion on West Bridge Street in New Hope Borough, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985, has been demolished.
In its place will stand a replica.
When architect J. Robert Hillier appeared before New Hope Borough Council earlier this year to request a demolition permit, there was an air of resignation that the deteriorating structure would need to come down.
Built in 1816 by industrialist and entrepreneur William Maris, Cintra Mansion was reportedly based on a palace outside Lisbon and boasted a unique floor plan, with an octagonal main entrance with two identical wings.
Three independent structural engineers told the council the mansion’s exterior walls were beyond saving and a geologist added that Cintra was built using soft, soluble stone, which further bolstered the argument for demolition.
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