Kids & Family

Life Above the Three Arches

As caretaker of the historic Three Arches home, Liz Reese lives with her family on the upper floor of the 300-year-old house.

Twelve years ago, Liz Reese had grown tired of not having enough time at home with her husband, Bill. Living in Lansdale, Bill had a long commute to the Falls Township Parks and Recreation Department, spent many late hours finishing up work, then had another long commute home.

"It was right before our youngest, Ryan, entered middle school," said Liz. "Our other children had already left the house. It seemed like the perfect time to move closer to Falls."

That same perfect timing presented the Reese's the opportunity of a lifetime when the township offered Liz the job of caretaker of the historic Three Arches home, a house that originally sat on 387 acres of land that William Penn gave to John and Mary Sotcher, his steward and housekeeper, as a wedding gift.

By taking on the responsibilities of maintaining the interior, conducting free public tours, performing educational outreach to local schools and hosting community events, Liz would reside in the house full time with her husband and son, Ryan, in a second floor apartment.

"We pay $1 a year for rent and pay for our own utilities in the apartment," said Liz. "The township pays for the first floor utilities and maintains the exterior. When children come in for tours, they think we live like the colonists and cook in the fireplace and go to the bathroom outside. The apartments is completely modernized."

Since replacing her predecessor, Liz has worked to increase the historical building's profile within the community. It did not take long for her to re-establish a home that many young people thought was haunted into a hidden gem perfect for community gatherings. That tradition continued with the Three Arches 300th celebration on Saturday.

"There was not a lot of activities when I took over," said Liz. "People would just loiter on the property. I helped bring it back as a community resource. The events that we hold are so well-attended."

She has more events planned in the coming weeks in preparation for Christmas and the holidays. The public is invited to take tours of the first floor, including the hearth used to cook meals. Reese prefers appointments, but she usually does not turn away random walk-ups. Call (215) 547-7823 for more information.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here