The Delaware County Historic and Preservation network was created to put all of the historic organizations and historically minded people in Delaware County in touch with each other, through this mailing list and the Facebook page, and the various public programs that it has hosted over the years. We share information about our organizations and events, and very occasionally we have a county-wide issue that should be addressed. Here is one of those county-wide issues that we should all take an interest in: preserving the Woodburne mansion.
First, some history, from a 2016 Inquirer article:
“Delaware County has purchased the 37.5-acre parcel known as Little Flower Manor for $1.7 million, and will transform it into a public park. The acquisition ends years of uncertainty and speculation about the property, which has long been owned by an order of Catholic nuns and attracted the interest of developers. At a press conference at the site Thursday, county officials said the tree-lined property in Darby Borough will serve as a major hub and trail head for the Darby Creek Greenway. A name for the 37.5-acre property will be decided in the future. …
The county signed a purchase agreement in February 2015 which gave them time to investigate the property. The land was once owned by Thomas Scott, President Lincoln’s Assistant Secretary of War, and includes a now-vacant 1906 mansion built by famed Philadelphia architect Horace Trumbauer. The sisters purchased the land in the 1930s, and operated an orphanage and a nursing home before shuttering the property in 2005, according to darbyhistory.com.”
So the County has bought the property – our preservation goal is completed – right? Not really. This is a great acquisition – it will give a boost and a destination for the Darby Creek Greenway – which some day may connect all of the communities along the Darby Creek. But the Trumbauer mansion is in need of love. The County – any government - is good at passive use – but not so good at anything entrepreneurial. So there are no plans to use the mansion right now – and the approach has been what we all have seen in our communities – demolition by neglect. Just don’t patch the roof, let nature takes its course, and some day wake up to the headline that says the historic building had to be demolished – too much water damage. Then they don’t have to worry about it any more.
We can do better with this property. But first, we need to do some remedial work – get the roof patched – to give time for the renovation ideas to percolate to the surface. John Haigis of Darby has been leading this charge – has gotten a quote to do some remedial work – and has been pestering the County to allow contractors to get in to the fenced off, locked up property to make an assessment of what might be needed. He is trying to raise $7500 to get the remediation work started. The County pleads poor.
This would be a good time for the historical community of Delaware county to show that they would support a project that involved restoring rather than demolishing the Trumbauer mansion. How? Through the miracle of modern technology, you can click through to this link I will give below, and be transported to a place that will be glad to take any amount you are willing to donate, for the purpose of repairs at the Woodburn mansion. John has set up a GoFundMe site and we are trying to get the word out. You can help, today, by donating at the site, and also for you membership organizations, putting out the word to your members and asking them to help out with this project.
GoFund Me link: https://www.gofundme.com/friends-of-woodburne
More history on the property: http://losthistorydetectives.blogspot.com/2015/11/woodburne-mansion-delaware-county-pa.html
Please help us here, by donating, and getting the word out. This is one of the reason we band together – because together we can do much more than simply allowing John Haigis to be a voice crying in the wilderness. Let’s make the needle move on his fundraising site, and show our county government that we support preservation of this great and historic old home.
Thanks,
Doug Humes
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