Pattye Benson

Community Matters

Historic Preservation

Preservation Matters as evidenced by 9th Annual Historic House Tour turnout — thanks to all!

house tour 2013The Tredyffrin Historic Preservation Trust’s 9th Annual Historic House Tour was held this past Saturday, September 28. It was a wonderful day with beautiful historic homes, supportive sponsors, enthusastic volunteers, perfect weather and a record number of house tour guests — thanks to all who helped make this a successful event!

The House Tour raised nearly $20,000 for the final phase of the rebuilding effort of the Jones Log Barn as the ‘Living History Center at Duportail’ (www.tredyffrinhistory.org) with 400 tickets purchases and the support of many individual and corporate sponsors! Here’s my letter to the editor published in today’s Main Line Suburban. The next time you see one of these sponsors, please thank them for supporting historic preservaton in our own backyard … local history and preservation does matter!

Thank you historic homeowners for taking part in Historic House Tour
Published: Thursday, October 03, 2013
By Pattye Benson,

Preservation Matters: Thank you historic homeowners for opening your doors for Trust’s 9th Annual Historic House tour!

The mission of the Tredyffrin Historic Preservation Trust is to help preserve and protect historic and cultural resources and to educate the public about the preservation and protection of historic and cultural settings. As President of the Trust and Chair of the annual Historic House Tour, I would like to thank the special historic homeowners. These homeowners graciously opened their doors for the 9th Annual Historic House Tour held this past Saturday, September 28 so others can enjoy and learn about the architecture and history of their homes.

What a truly delightful group of old house owners on this year’s tour – the effort and time spent on details by each homeowner was remarkable. Old house owners are very special people and this year’s house tour participants were no exception. In addition to the private homes on the 2013 tour, the beautiful First Church of Christ, Scientist (c.1886) in Berwyn was a featured stop. For those guests who stopped at the church, they were treated to a special musical performance by church organist Dr. James Sullivan. It is wonderful to live in a community that has people who cherish their historic properties and then allow others the opportunity to enjoy them!

As one of the Trust’s most anticipated annual events, the Board of Directors is extremely grateful to our historic homeowners who by sharing their extraordinary homes allow us to better understand the significant and unique history of our community. The annual house tour provides an opportunity for our historic community to showcase their neighborhood architectural heritage and demonstrate how historic homes can be a perfect fit for our modern lives. Opening their doors to hundreds of guests, the 9th Annual Historic House Tour raised close to $20,000 to benefit the Trust’s Capital Campaign to complete the rebuilding effort of the Jones Log Barn as the ‘Living History Center at Duportail’ in Chesterbrook.

The Board wishes to thank the many individuals, corporate sponsors and elected officials who appreciate historic preservation and understand its importance in the community including Penn Medicine, Arcadia Land Company, Heckendorn Shiles Architects, Lamb McErlane PC, Paul and Andrea Olson, Period Architecture, Murph and Lois Wysocki, Golden Valley Farms Coffee Roasters, Michael and Corinne Ackerman, Ann Ledger Architect, Axiom Asset Management, Chester County Commissioner Ryan Costello, Duportail House, Gardner/Fox, James Garrison, AIA, Tm Hogan and Victoria Silbey, Janiczek Homes, PA State Representative Warren Kampf, Glenna LaSalle Keene, Michael and Michelle Kichline, Dr. and Mrs. Gerald Long, Dinsmore & Shohl LLP, Brad Tiffany – Kistler Tiffany Benefits, Urban Engineers, Maurice Weintraub Architect, Carla Zambelli, Main Line Media News, Daily Local News, Chester County Times, Around Main Line and TE Patch.

Thank you to the Trust Board members and the many community volunteers who offered their time and talents to make this another successful Trust event. And a special thank you to the house tour visitors who through their ticket purchase showed their support for historic preservation in the community.

I have received many emails and calls from guests who enjoyed the house tour. A Bryn Mawr realtor wrote, “Thank you and your committee for an incredibly enjoyable day. I have been selling real estate on the Main Line for over 20 years and on this house tour I heard historical anecdotes and discovered hidden treasures. What a treat!” Upon exiting the 18th century Lenape Farm (also known as the ‘Churchill House’), a house tour visitor remarked, “These houses have souls of the past. They’re more than a house. They are part of the history of the neighborhood.”

Pattye Benson
President, Tredyffrin Historic Preservation Trust
Chair, 9th Annual Historic House Tour

Thank You House Tour Homeowners, Volunteers, Sponsors & Visitors!

The 7th Annual Historic House Tour is next Saturday, September 24. As President of Tredyffrin Historic Preservation Trust and Chair of the annual historic House tour, I would like to personally thank this year’s special homeowners who have allowed us to showcase their beautiful homes. It is wonderful to live in a community that has people who cherish their historic homes and then allow others the opportunity to enjoy them.

I thank the many House Tour visitors who will visit these beautiful homes on House Tour day. Please know that your ticket purchase furthers the effort of historic preservation in our community. Tickets may be purchased at the Trust website, www.tredyffrinhistory.org or click here for ticket order form.

I thank the individuals, organizations and the companies for their generous financial support of the Trust and historic preservation through their sponsorship of the House Tour. The economic climate of today’s world has forced many of us to re-think our priorities, particularly as it relates to charitable giving. In that regard, it is important to give a special thank you to those who do place an importance on our local history and preserving our historic resources.

On behalf of the Trust, I thank the following House Tour sponsors for their generosity. If you are interested in joining the list of House Tour sponsors, click here for information.

Supporting Sponsors
AroundMainLine.com
Michael & Michelle Kichline
Main Line Neighbors
Penn Medicine

Contributing Sponsors
Golden Valley Farms
Montessori Children’s House of Valley Forge
Paul Olson
Period Architecture, Ltd.

Patron Sponsors
Jim & Janet Bruce
BeThereOnline.org
Cottage Industries
Michael Heaberg
Tom Hogan & Victoria Silbey
State Rep Warren Kampf
Glenna LaSalle Keene
Kristen Mayock
Liz Mercogliano
MJ Monahan Builders, Inc.
Pete & Bonnie Motel
James & Nancy Sanborn
Victoria ‘Tory’ Snyder
Strategic Realty Investments, LLC
Susan Levin Design
Tredyffrin Township Historical Commission
Warren Claytor Architects, Inc
Wise Preservation Planning
Murph Wysocki

I thank the Trust board members and the many volunteers who help make the annual House Tour a success – please know that your time and talents are greatly appreciated!

Historic homeowners, Trust board members, volunteers, sponsors and visitors . . . I thank you all!

6th Annual Historic House Tour – Today!

Today is the 6th Annual Historic House Tour . . . wonderful historic homes, welcoming homeowners and perfect weather! The tour’s focused neighborhoods of Strafford and Berwyn will be alive today with 100’s of people enjoying the beautiful day and celebrating historic preservation.

I hope I have covered all the details in the planning and organizing and by noon if will be out of my hands. Not only is the local community supporting Tredyffrin Historic Preservation Trust’s event today, I have taken registrations from West Chester, Exton, Philadelphia, Pottstown, etc.

If anyone is reading this and would like to go on today’s House Tour, you have until 12 Noon to register online at www.tredyffrinhistory.org I will have my laptop with me for check-in starting at 11 AM at DuPortail House and will be able to process late ticket sales.

Support your neighbors . . . Support historic preservation! All proceeds from today’s 6th Annual Historic House Tour go toward the rebuilding effort the Jones Log Barn as a living history museum.

Tredyffrin & Easttown Houses on Annual Historic House Tour . . . 7 days and counting!

Thank you www.AroundMainLine.com for the press coverage of the 6th Annual Historic House Tour (article below). Sarah Lockard, the eMagazine’s CEO/President graciously included the House Tour online and thanks to her Twitter and Facebook accounts, the Trust’s House Tour information is going out to thousands.

With a week to go . . . the ticket sales are starting to really take off! Please visit the Trust’s website, www.tredyffrinhistory.org to purchase your tickets. The first photo below is of the rear of Buttonwood Farm’s stone farmhouse and the second photo is of the interior of Buttonwood Farm’s ‘party barn’. Light refreshments will be served in the barn for visitors during the House Tour.

Remember, you can own a piece of Chester County history . . . Buttonwood Farm is for sale!

Trust’s 6th Annual Historic House Tour

Old houses tell wonderful stories, and the houses of Tredyffrin and Easttown Townships have many tales to tell. On Saturday, September 25, 2010, the Tredyffrin Historic Preservation Trust’s 6th Annual Historic House Tour will be opening doors to community’s past. This year’s tour will spotlight Berwyn and Strafford neighborhoods by opening the doors to eight private homes; three homes in Easttown Township and five homes in Tredyffrin Township. Featured houses span 18th, 19th and 20th centuries and offer visitors an opportunity to experience Chester County history through original, restored and historically significant homes.

“We are excited about the 2010 Historic House Tour,” Pattye Benson, President of Tredyffrin Historic Preservation Trust said. “This is a wonderful opportunity for historic Berwyn and Strafford neighborhoods to showcase their diverse architectural heritage and for homeowners to show visitors how their historic homes blend with modern lives. The House Tour has become one of the Trust’s most anticipated annual events and we are grateful to our generous homeowners who open the doors to their extraordinary homes. If you love history and architecture, you will not want to miss this year’s tour.”

One of the houses on the tour this year, Buttonwood Farm in Berwyn, is available for purchase and tour visitors are invited for light refreshments in the farm’s 19th century ‘party barn.’ One of the houses on the tour this year, Buttonwood Farm in Berwyn, is available for purchase and tour visitors are invited for light refreshments in the farm’s 19th century ‘party barn.’

The houses on the House Tour are as diverse as their owners. The historic houses include a Chester County hunting lodge; an unusual ‘house within a house’ that lays claim to a resident ghost; an early R. Brognard Oakie original; a Colonial Revival mansion that boasts a hidden servant staircase and Howerton Hill, a 1911 home whose history of past owners reads like a racy Danielle Steele novel. Another home on the tour was constructed in 1939 but uses building materials and architecture from the mid-1800’s and fools the untrained eye. There are two horse farms featured on the tour, a pre-revolutionary stone farmhouse in a pastoral setting and an early 19th century farmhouse featuring a new 3-story addition and a restored barn. One of the houses on the tour this year, Buttonwood Farm in Berwyn is available for purchase and tour visitors are invited for light refreshments in the farm’s 19th century ‘party barn’.

The historic homes and gardens will be open from 12 Noon to 5 PM on Saturday, September 25, rain or shine. Knowledgeable guides staff each historic home on the tour and house tour admission will include individual house history with map and parking details. Tickets are $35 and advance purchase is necessary, as there will be no tickets sold at the door. Tickets are available online at www.tredyffrinhistory.org using your credit card or download an order form and mail with your check to Tredyffrin Historic Preservation Trust, PO Box 764, Devon, PA 19333-0764.

If you would like additional information about the house tour, consult www.tredyffrinhistory.org or call Pattye Benson at 610.644.6759 or email Pattye at info@tredyffrinhistory.org. All proceeds are tax deductible as the trust is a registered 501 c3 organization.

Tredyffrin Township Neighbor Raising Taxes for the First Time in 30 Years . . . to Help with Open Land and Historic Preservation Protection

I read an interesting article in yesterday’s Daily Local about one of our neighbors, West Pikeland Township. If you are not sure where West Pikeland is located — this is the location of Chester Springs and historic Yellow Springs in the Rt. 113 area. This is a township that is very protective of open space (West Pikeland Land Trust) and historic preservation (historic Yellow Springs on Art School Road).

West Pikeland Township has increased its land ownership significantly over the last 10 years. The township made a lot of modifications/improvements in the township to satisfy the residents and help the local non-profits, particularly historic preservation. Due to increased open land purchases, a lot of revenue was lost. The township does not have large developments and therefore does not have developers helping with parks and services and no homeowner fees to maintain the parks, etc. This is interesting information because back in November when West Pikeland Township’s Board of Supervisors were discussing the 2010 budget, the community’s residents not only applauded their approval of a motion to increase the property’s taxes but also encouraged the supervisors to raise them higher!

This week the West Pikeland Board of Supervisors voted to reopen the township’s budget in order to increase taxes once again. The board will increase taxes for the first time in approximately 30 years when it moved from 0.125 up to 0.2 mills. But the plan now is to move the tax rate to 0.5 mills, quadrupling the 2009 tax rate. The motion to reopen the budget and increase taxes will be used specifically for maintenance and infrastructure in the township. Although the supervisors recognized that these are difficult times, it was also recognized by supervisors that taxes have not been increased in 30 years. The community residents openly supports continued open land purchases and contributions to preserving historic resources but it is understood that there is also a cost to maintain the township’s infrastructure. Residents currently pay between $30 and $40 per year in property taxes in West Pikeland on the average. Now they will pay between $120 and $160. I know, I know, their property taxes are very low but I am still fascinated that because West Pikeland Board of Supervisors and residents hold open land purchase and historic preservation protection in such high regard, that they will applaud a tax increase that will essentially quadruple the 2009 rate. As an aside, the township cuts its expenses by 10% in the initial budget process.

I offer this as interesting local information on a neighboring municipality. Historic Yellow Springs and the surrounding West Pikeland area offers some of the most beautiful Chester County vistas.

Successful Earnings of AmerisourceBergen, Chesterbrook-based Drug Distributor Announced

You often hear about the salaries of corporate executives, especially this time of the year as end-of-the-year bonuses are given. So it was interesting to read an Associated Press article about the compensation package paid to the top executive of one of our Tredyffrin-based companies. Drug distributor AmerisourceBergen Corp. is headquartered in Chesterbrook and David Yost has been its CEO since 2001 and its president since 2007. Yost’s total compensation package for 2009 rose 3% to $5.5 million. Included in the package, his salary rose by 4% to $1.2 million, and his performance-based cash bonus grew 11% to $3 million. However the value of his stock options dropped 16% to $1.1 million. AmerisourceBergen’s operating profit grew 7% due to lower expenses and better profit margins. Total revenue increased by 2% TO $71.76 billion. Yes, that is billion not million.

It’s great to know that we have such a successful company in our community. The Tredyffrin Historic Preservation Trust is kicking-off our Build the Barn Capital Campaign for the Jones Log Barn rebuilding project. I’m thinking that as a Chesterbrook-based corporation, that maybe Mr. Yost and his AmerisourceBergen company might like to make a splash in their own backyard and help us with our barn rebuilding project at Historic DuPortail. Can’t think of a better way for this local company to show their community-spirit than through a donation to support historic preservation.

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