Abolition Hall in Plymouth Meeting, which was once a stop on the Underground Railroad, is closer to being preserved despite continuous interest from developers, writes Michaelle Bond for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Whitemarsh Township supervisors have officially announced their plans buy the farm with great historic importance.

The officials approved the sale agreement earlier this month for the township and Whitemarsh Art Center, a nonprofit that teaches art classes, to purchase the property. The more than 10-acre site includes several buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Abolition Hall was built in 1856 by abolitionist and farm owner George Corson. It hosted many prominent abolitionist speakers, including Frederick Douglass and Harriet Beecher Stowe.

The township and the nonprofit will pay $3.95 million for the property, part of which is coming from an anonymous donor to the art center.

“This is such an important moment for our community and the entire Philadelphia region,” said township Board of Supervisors Chair Laura Boyle-Nester. “Abolition Hall, the Hovenden House, and the Main House are a significant piece of our history, and we could not be more excited to protect them for future generations.”

Read more about Abolition Hall in The Philadelphia Inquirer.