Tredyffrin Township Archives - Page 66 of 130

Tredyffrin Township

Old houses tell wonderful stories, and the houses of Tredyffrin Township have many tales to tell. On Saturday, September 24, the Tredyffrin Historic Preservation Trust’s 7th Annual Historic House Tour will open doors to Tredyffrin’s past. The tour will spotlight Tredyffrin’s neighborhoods by opening the doors to eight grand historic homes. 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.

The Trust is delighted the Montessori Children’s House of Valley Forge (MCHVF) www.mchvf.org will be the featured ticket pick-up point for this year’s House Tour. One of the sponsors for the tour, MCHVF is one of the only schools located in a U.S. National Park; it officially opened the doors to its new school, located with Valley Forge National Historic Park last year. The school spent $3.8 million to renovate the 3.5-acre property known as Ivy Hollow Farm, circa 1750. The Ivy Hollow farmhouse has been converted into a beautiful parent meeting room and a residential apartment for a staff member and the barn has been transformed in the school building. Both the farmhouse and the barn will be available for visitors during the House Tour.

The houses on the House Tour are as diverse as their owners. Visitors will enjoy the 19^th century summer home in Malvern of the Gretz beer brewing family. During Prohibition the family turned to dairy-farming but their basement is rumored to have been the local speakeasy. The House Tour includes a grand 1892 Queen Anne home with porte-cochere called ‘La Carne’. This property illustrates adaptive reuse of a historic home; as it is now the law offices of a local firm. In Strafford, visitors will tour two houses, a 1908 stone home with Colonial and Federal Revival trends including the use of a full porch with columns and entablature plus massive paired gable-end chimneys and Foxmead, a 1911 colonial revival style stone house designed by the famous Philadelphia architect Charles Barton Keen.

Visitors will see two ‘rubble stone’ homes from the early 20^th century in Berwyn. Walking distance of each other, the two showcase very different lifestyles of their owners. One house began its life as a twin. The owner purchased one twin in 1993 and when the other twin became available in 2008, purchased the other side. With great effort, the exteriors of the two sides blend to create the appearance of a large single-family home. Down the street, the rubble stone house, circa 1916 is now home to ‘empty-nesters’. Rather than downsizing to an apartment, condominium or a senior community, the owners show visitors how a historic home can be the perfect choice for retirement-living.

Another not to be missed stop on the 7^th Annual Historic House Tour is Cold Spring Farm, an 18^th century English-style farmhouse in Malvern. A neglected property for decades, the owners had a clear vision of its potential. Working with the expertise of the design team from Period Architecture of West Chester, no detail was overlooked in the renovation and expansion of this property.

The historic homes and gardens will be open from 12 Noon to 5 PM on Saturday, September 24, rain or shine. Knowledgeable guides staff each home on the tour and house tour admission includes 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 193333-0764.

This year’s House Tour would not be possible without the generosity of our many sponsors. Sponsors are listed on the Trust website and will be listed on Community Matters in an upcoming post. Your purchase of a House Tour ticket will support historic preservation in our community!

Community Matters Tweets for 2011-09-09

September 9, 2011

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Foxmead of Strafford is one of the featured stops on this year's 7th Annual Historic House Tour. Tickets:… http://t.co/LL3lRU8 #

7th Annual Historic House Tour — Foxmead of Strafford

September 8, 2011

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Foxmead, circa 1911 was designed by the prolific Philadelphia architect, Charles Barton Keen, in the colonial revival style that was popular at the time. This Strafford historic home is one of eight featured stops on the 7th Annual Historic House Tour, Saturday, September 24, 12 Noon – 5 PM.

Tickets are $35 and are available at the Tredyffrin Historic Preservation website, www.tredyffrinhistory.org The Trust is a registered nonprofit 501C3 and your contributions are tax-deductible as the law permits.

Old houses have stories to tell and the houses of Tredyffrin do not disappoint!

Foxmead, circa 1911

The Tolling (or not to toll) of 422 resurfaces . . . Public forum for further discussion

September 8, 2011

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A Community Matters reader sent me a notice about an upcoming public forum on 422 tolling to be presented by State Rep Marcy Toepel (R-Montgomery).

If you recall, in June the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) unveiled a proposed plan that included tolling 422 as a way to fund a light rail system and construction projects. Although Toepel is opposed to the tolling of 422, she is holding the forum for the public to ask questions and voice concerns.

Participating in the panel discussion will be Barry Seymour, executive director of the DVRPC, Montgomery County Commission and former DVRPC Board Chairman Joe Hoeffel and other Reps. Mike Vereb (R-Montgomery), Tom Quigley (R-Montgomery) and our own State Rep Warren Kampf (R-Montgomery/Chester). I receive Kampf’s email updates and had not received anything about the public forum on 422 tolling and did not see any mention of the meeting on his official website. I am not sure if there is a similar forum planned for our area or not. The tolling (or not to toll) of Rt. 422 is an important issue to Tredyffrin residents and thought some may be interested in attending.

The event will take place on Tuesday, September 13 at 6:30 PM (doors open at 6 PM) at Pope John Paul II High School, 181 Rittenhouse Road, in Royersford.

Fracking and its dangers . . . Tonight in Phoenixville, 7-9 PM

September 7, 2011

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What is fracking and how is it threatening our environment, public water and our health?

Plan to attend tonight’s screening of ‘Gasland’, an Oscar-nominated documentary film. Learn about the seriousness of fracking (hydraulic fracturing) and how this type of gas drilling is threatening our environment, water and public health. Tonight, 7-9 PM at Franklin Commons, 400 Franklin Ave in Phoenixville. Tickets can be purchased at the door; a donation of $10 is requested per ticket.

Prior to the screening, Gasland’s filmmaker Josh Fox along with state legislators and the public will discuss the dangers of fracking.

Tonight’s event will benefit Protecting our Waters, an organization committed to protecting the Delaware River Basin and Pennsylvania from fracking.

Information: email lisa-cts@consultcts.com or call 610.935.0313

Shire Considers Other Options to Chesterbrook . . . Please don’t leave!

September 7, 2011

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The struggles with vacant corporate buildings and empty storefronts are no different in Tredyffrin Township than other parts of the region and across the country. In Tredyffrin, we have come to depend on a few of our corporate friends, those companies that have stepped up and helped the community over and over again.

One of those supportive, community-spirited corporate companies is Shire, an international pharmaceutical company whose headquarters are in Chesterbrook Corporate Center. Shire was instrumental in supporting the Wilson Farm Park opening, Tredyffrin 300 celebration, the annual summer concert program, etc. The list goes on and on with their community involvement to our township.

So it was very unsettling to read in the Daily Local the headlines ‘Shire considers alternatives to Chesterbrook’. Shire employs 1,100 in their corporate headquarters in Chesterbrook and leases four buildings from Liberty Property Trust, Pitcairn and Wells REIT. Shire currently leases 400,000 – 450,000 of office space in Tredyffrin. The company is in the early discussion stage on whether they should stay in Chesterbrook or find new headquarters when the first of their leases expires in 2016. Shire re-located to Chesterbrook in 2004 and signed an initial 12-year lease for their building.

The pharmaceutical giant has its global headquarter in Dublin, Ireland but according to the article; the company is committed to staying in the Philadelphia area. A representative for the company dismissed the suggestion that exploring other locations could be an attempt to “start a bidding war between competing states that would result in it receiving more government incentives.”

At this point, maybe the idea that Shire is ‘just looking’ at other options should not be reason for alarm or concern. Certainly Shire, like any company has to look at what makes good business sense. But reading this article, made me again think about the township’s Economic Development Committee – here is a case where this committee needs to move forward. I would suggest a proactive approach with Shire. Not only do Shire and its employees contribute greatly to the local economy through corporate building leases, real estate purchases by employees, etc., I would bet that this company has contributed more financially to the community through their generous sponsorships than other company in the township.

I suggest there needs to be a real push and incentive to have Shire keep its headquarters in Chesterbrook.

Economic Development Committee . . . where are you? Wouldn’t this be the time to reach out to Shire?

Labor Day 2011 . . . No Holiday for the Unemployed

September 5, 2011

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The first Monday in September, Labor Day, has come to mean the ending of summer . . . the closing of the swimming pool . . . a day off from work and a great excuse to have that last big backyard barbecue. Looking at today’s forecast, the traditional backyard barbecue may be an indoor event.

Labor Day originated in 1882 because of the labor movement and was to recognize the working person with a special day in their honor. Why choose the first Monday in September for the holiday? It was decided that this date would be halfway between Independence Day and Thanksgiving. The idea became popular with labor unions and local governments around the county and gradually came to adopt Labor Day as an official holiday before it developed into a national holiday. President Grover Cleveland signed the law that recognized Labor Day as a national holiday for the working man.

I have always viewed Labor Day as an important day to celebrate. Beyond the last official day of summer, the day represents a time of remembrance of all the working people who contribute to the standard of living that as Americans we all enjoy.

Unfortunately, for many Americans, Labor Day 2011 is not a day of celebration but rather a reminder of their unemployment. A day set aside to honor workers, instead marks a time to reflect on those in this country that are without jobs.

As the nation celebrates workers this Labor Day, many jobless Americans are losing hope. We may hear politicians talk about Labor Day, some will march in parades, and others will take ads in newspapers saluting the American worker. This is all very nice but no picture can be starker this Labor Day than the 14 million people in the US that are looking for work . . . that number represents 9.1 percent of our country’s labor force that wish they had a day to celebrate!