Members welcome
at Glen Foerd

By William Kenny
Times Staff Writer

To Patrick Hotard, it isn’t enough for the Glen Foerd estate to endure inconspicuously in a remote corner of Northeast Philadelphia, obscured by woods and surrounding modern development.
On the contrary, the true value of a National Historic Landmark like the three-story Edwardian mansion and surrounding 18-acre park at the confluence of the Poquessing Creek and Delaware River is its educational, cultural and social contributions to the community.
That’s why Hotard, executive director of the Glen Foerd on the Delaware Conservation Corporation, considers it imperative to get more individuals and businesses involved in the site. On June 19, Glen Foerd kicked off a new membership drive at its annual sailboat regatta fund-raiser.
"Museums and historical sites are educational institutions just like public schools and private schools," Hotard said. "As educational institutions, they have to reach out into the community and are constantly striving to be an active part of the community."
Membership in the non-profit organization, which maintains and manages the city-owned site, is about 350, according to Hotard, who arrived here seven months ago after serving in a similar role at the former Mississippi home of Confederacy President Jefferson Davis.
He hopes to grow the rolls to 500.
"We’re giving it more prominence and being more obvious with our requests for people to join," said Hotard.
One of the administrator’s early initiatives was to reach out to the East Torresdale Civic Association, which holds at least six of the 21 civilian seats on the Glen Foerd board of directors.
At a recent ETCA meeting, Hotard invited members of the civic group to an exclusive open-house tour of the 157-year-old estate, scheduled for Wednesday, July 11. Usually, there is a fee to see the inside of the mansion, with its priceless art collection, vintage pipe organ, Tiffany-style skylights and ornamental décor.
Residents of the neighborhood immediately surrounding the estate have an equal stake on the board, while there are also seats reserved for at-large civilians and for officials from the Fairmount Park Commission and City Council.
The Glen Foerd administration has made similar overtures to the local business community through the Greater Northeast Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce. Hotard and GNPCC president Al Taubenberger, in separate letters, urged more participation from companies of all sizes.
Glen Foerd offers a series of membership levels for individuals, families and corporations, with varying incentives such as free tour passes and special event tickets.
Another facet of the recent outreach has been a redesign of the site’s newsletter, renamed the Glen Foerd Gazette. The goals of co-editors Hotard and Dorothy Sheridan are to highlight special events, recruit members, keep current members informed, introduce new board members, pay tribute to the site’s history and "show that we’re proactive," Hotard said.
Glen Foerd has long hosted a series of special events throughout the year, some free and open to the community and others designed to raise much-needed funds.
The regatta celebrated its 14th year on June 19. Other annual fund-raisers include the Scottish Afternoon and Irish Afternoon. This year’s summer concert series includes three performances ranging from banjo music to swing to a cappella vocal harmonies.
The holiday season brings the annual open house, tree lighting and Victorian Tea with Father Christmas events. For Easter, there’s a special lunch and egg hunt.
Hotard hopes to continue these traditions and add an educational speaker series, as well as more school outreach programs to capture the interest of younger generations.
"With a non-profit like this, you try to interweave all of your projects and initiatives," he said.
Naturally, the high economic demands of maintaining Glen Foerd in a manner befitting a historic landmark should be well-served by growing public involvement in the site. "With almost eighteen acres and multiple buildings, you can’t help but look at your fund-raising," said Hotard.
"Historic structures are like most other structures in that they’re in need of constant maintenance. But with historic sites, you have to go about it a little differently."
A high priority at the moment is to refurbish the roof around a skylight over the art gallery. The estate’s boathouse and the pipe organ inside the mansion are other costly potential projects.
Businesses would figure to have the opportunity to make their greatest impact in that respect.
"It could vary from financial institutions to small businesses to large corporations," Hotard said.
"It would mean a lot for us and them to invest in the preservation of this site." ••
For information about Glen Foerd on the Delaware, visit www.glenfoerd.org or call 215-632-5330.
Reporter William Kenny can be reached at 215-354-3031 or bkenny@phillynews.com