Historic Hood Mansion, believed to be part of Underground Railroad, could be yours for free

LIMERICK, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- A historic Montgomery County mansion could be yours to keep -- for free -- but there's a catch! You have to move the entire mansion to a different location.

The Eastern Pennsylvania Preservation Society (EPPS) is hoping to find a new lot of land for the Hood Mansion in Limerick, Pennsylvania.

"We'd like to find somebody who is willing to take the mansion off the property and put it on another property, whether it's their own or someone they know, and preserve it and restore it," said Tyler Schumacher, Founder and President of Eastern Preservation Society.

Hood Mansion has sat abandoned for 16 years. It was built in 1834 and was home to John McClellan Hood, a first-generation Irish immigrant and trader in Philadelphia. He lived there with his wife and 11 children.

The 5,000 square foot home has 17 rooms, including seven bedrooms, two outhouses and a stable. The Eastern Pennsylvania Preservation Society says it is not on the historical site register and is owned by a developer in New York who wants to demolish the property and build warehouses. EPPS wants to preserve it's rich history and says it has ties to the Underground Railroad.

"The house was used to harbor runaway slaves in the early 1800s. There are tunnels under the home that go from the outhouse to the basement and from the basement to the front yard, and we believe those tunnels were used for that purpose," said Schumacher.

This is where things get tricky. It could cost between $700,000 and $1 million to move the mansion to somewhere else locally, and then an estimated $400,000 to restore it. In total, it could cost about $1.4 million needed to make this a reality. The property is appraised at $2 million currently, but the mansion itself is FREE for the taking.

We're told there are a couple interested buyers but if anyone is interested in owning a piece of history, contact the Eastern PA Preservation Society.