People who know Ed Buchinski are quite aware of his respect for history.  The care and detail he put into East Greenville's Grand Theater in restoring it to its 1924 splendor is a testament to that respect.

The former home and office of Dr. John G Hersh, built in the 1880's was recently added to the Register of Historic Places by the Heritage Conservancy.  The home was used as medical offices for many local professionals well into the 1980's

            Among other properties he has purchased and preserved was the mid-1880s constructed building at Third and Main streets in East Greenville that once housed the offices of Dr. John G. Hersh.

            The Victorian architecture, so prevalent among homes in this area when it was

Dr. John G. Hersh

built, has weathered time and the urge to modernize over the years.  It is not hard to envision Dr. Hersh seeing the same exterior we see today of the stately building and carriage house when he walked from one to the other to harness up his horse to his wagon and make his visits to sick and ailing local residents.

            Zoning and building ordinances can be an inconvenience to local residents and circumstances eventually caused Buchinski to subdivide the house from the carriage house.  This, as it would turn out, became a plus for both properties.

            That's when Buchinski met the buyer of the carriage house, Christina Landis.  You see, Christina is a self-professed "history junkie."  If you put two people who respect local history in the same room, only good things can happen.  Both Christina and Ed have local resumes supporting that.

            Christina is president of the Quakertown Historical Society and a board member of the Titanic International Society. 

The original red-brick carriage house, located behind the residence, had two stables added to the east side of it in the 1920's.

            In addition to owning the Grand Theater and Grand Realty, Ed is president and treasurer of the Upper Perkiomen Valley Ambulance Association, He is also the owner and preserver of several other area buildings of historical significance.

            They recently teamed up to have the former property of Dr. John G. Hersh listed

Many area residents remember walking through the apothecary following their visits as, for many years, the pathway led to the exit.

with the Heritage Conservancy's Register of Historic Places.

            The Heritage Conservancy's Register of Historic Places helps to recognize important structures within our communities and to share their stories.

            According to the organization's website, Heritage Conservancy is excited to share Hersh was a highly respected doctor and a representative from Montgomery County. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a specialization in Ear, Nose and Throat and Internal Medicine. In 1898, he was elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives as a Democrat.

            Sticking to its roots, the home was used as a medical and dental office until the late 1980s and is now home to the Upper Perkiomen Valley Chamber of Commerce with two apartments on the second floor.

            Behind the house resides the original smokehouse, which is now used as a shed. On 3rd Street, a carriage house can be found that resembles the main residence with its red brick structure. This 2,400 square foot home was used as an apartment building in the 1990s before being converted back to a single-family residence in 2012.

            Dr. Hersh became a leader in the community.  He moved his practice from Chapel to East Greenville in 1886.  For over 43 years he provided medical care to the people of the community.  His was one of the largest rural practices in Montgomery County. 

            He served as burgess of East Greenville and was reported to be the most popular

The original hardwood floors of the office were hidden by carpeting for decades.

office-holder in the upper end of the county.  In 1898 he was elected as a Representative to the State Assembly by a wide margin.

            A host of medical professionals continued to practice in the stately building into the late 1980s.  A plaque on both the home and carriage house denote their prominence on the Heritage Conservancy's Register of Historic Places.