Today was the closing for the sale of the John Updike childhood home at 117 Philadelphia Avenue in Shillington, Pa., and after a long process The John Updike Society now officially owns the building and property. The eventual sale price—reduced because of needed safety-issue repairs and a furnace that the home inspector pronounced “on its last leg”—was $180,000, rather than the $200,000 original price.

Shillington realtor Conrad Vanino, Jr. represented the society at closing, while president James Plath signed, scanned, and returned the necessary documents via email. Conrad worked for the society gratis, and the entire membership owes him a big thank-you, with special thanks going to The Robert and Adele Schiff Family Foundation for making the purchase possible.

Here is the press release that was sent to interested media:

The sale of the John Updike childhood home in Shillington, Pa. was finalized today, taking the building one step closer to becoming a museum for the public to enjoy and a monument to Shillington’s most famous native son.

The John Updike Society purchased the property at 117 Philadelphia Avenue—where the two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning author lived from birth until the age of 13—with a generous donation from The Robert and Adele Schiff Family Foundation. The sale price was $180,000.

“This house, built in 1900, has deteriorated over the years, and acquisition is the first step toward preservation and restoration,” said society president James Plath, who co-founded the society in May 2009. “Without the commitment of The Robert and Adele Schiff Family Foundation, this purchase would not have been possible,” Plath said. “We’re extremely grateful for their support. They made it happen.”

The John Updike Society plans to create more parking spaces on the property in order to operate as a museum. Though they don’t have any furnishings or objects of interest now—only the shell of a building—Plath said he hopes that people might come forward with donations of relevant materials, since the society has 501 c 3 non-profit status. He said they hope to recreate what the house would have looked like during the time Updike lived there.

Like a number of other author homes that draw an average of 20 visitors per week, the museum will be open by appointment only in order to minimize traffic and preserve the integrity of the neighborhood. Plath said that events held there would be similarly low-key.

The society plans to utilize a newer annex as an office rental property, Plath said—“hopefully with a tenant who enjoys Updike’s works and who would appreciate working on-site.”

Society members, who come from 13 different countries, will see the house in October 2014 when they return to Alvernia University for the Third Biennial John Updike Society Conference. Alvernia hosted the very first conference in 2009, and is also the site of The John Updike Society Archive. The second conference was earlier this summer at Suffolk University in Boston.

“When the membership convenes, who knows? We might even have the equivalent of a Habitat-for-Humanity volunteer detail, where members could come to the conference a week early in order to work on the house,” Plath said.  “I expect there will always be things to repair or spruce up.”