Actually Al - Once again you have it wrong. The article it looks like a failure to keep the house relevant to the community and not it's finances or historical importance is the issue. I'd be willing to wager that renewed attention to the building brought on by the article will save it.
In a message dated 1/5/2005 8:23:47 AM Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > >From today's Inquirer. Another illustration of what Âhappens when third party >do-gooders (people like the Preservation Alliance Âof Greater Philadelphia >and some neighborhood groups I won't name) go on a Âcrusade, then leave >someone >else with the bill. > > >Always Âat your service and ready for a dialog, > >Al Krigman >================================================== > > >(http://ad.doubleclick.net/jump/inquirer.news/philadelphia;kw=center6;c2=local;c3=states;c4=pennsylvania;c5=counties;c6=philadelphia_county;c7= >philadelphia;c8=philadelphia_homepage;pos=center6;group=rectangle;ord=11049310 >05509?)         RON TARVER / Inquirer  ÂEbenezer Maxwell >Mansion >director Ellen ÂWeiser says the museum âis not something anybody Âwants.â >Visitation is down, but preservationists Âwonder whether declining attendance >is a >reason to Âclose. >Historic home imperiled by lack of public Âinterest > >By Stephan Salisbury > >Inquirer Staff Writer > > >Not all that long ago - two decades - the admirers of the Ârestored Ebenezer >Maxwell Mansion held themselves a celebratory dinner at Âthe Hershey Hotel on >Broad Street. >There was much to cheer about. >Over the previous 20 years, they had saved the crumbling ÂGothic Revival >manse in Germantown from certain demolition. Led by Âarchitect Henry Magaziner >Jr., they funded the restoration of the fanciful Âbuilding and graced it with >Victorian gardens. >Many from the city's social elite lavished money and Âattention on the >interiors and dropped off antiques to bejewel the Âmeticulously restored >rooms. >The Maxwell mansion, a certified local landmark listed on Âthe National >Register of Historic Places, was and remains Philadelphia's Âonly Victorian >house >museum. It is widely viewed as a neighborhood icon Âand a symbol of >Germantown's 19th-century suburban heyday. >But the glory days of the mansion as a bauble of the rich Âhave passed. And >now Maxwell officials are pondering the previously Âunthinkable: closing the >doors and perhaps selling the Âproperty. >That prospect has dismayed preservationists, community Âresidents and museum >officials, and some board members have departed as Âthe unthinkable has become >an everyday conversation subject. >Ellen Weiser, director of Ebenezer Maxwell Mansion Inc., Âthe nonprofit >entity that manages the property and endowment, says there Âare no plans to >sell >the house. >She quickly acknowledges, however, that a sale is a Âpossibility. The >proceeds might then be used to seed a preservation fund, Âfor instance. >And continuation as a museum? >"Are you a museum if nobody comes?" Weiser wondered. Â"That's my basic >question. We have no visitors, minimal visitation. We Âhave no constituency. >We have >no story that I can discern... . Ebenezer Âwas a nobody. He was a >middle-class merchant." >The museum, she said, has "no niche" and "is not something Âanybody wants." >That is a view many find worrisome, even though Weiser Âsaid she had "no >agenda" and had not determined to close up Âshop. >"It's a huge concern," said James S. Kise, an architect Âand a Maxwell >trustee in the 1990s. "I've always been troubled that the Âstory of the >mansion has >never been focused. That's a problem of many Âhouse museums. But this is >clearly a major anchor in a neighborhood that Âclearly needs more anchors, >and it >would be a tragedy to have it Âgone." >It's not that the mansion, built in 1859 by a wealthy Âcloth merchant, is >hemorrhaging money. In fact, with an endowment of about Â$530,000, finances >appear relatively stable, according to the mansion's Â2002 tax return, the >most >recent available. That year, mansion expenses Âtopped $78,000, while revenues >amounted to a few hundred dollars    less. >There is no spare cash, however, to address looming Ârepairs and an insect >infestation. >Attendance has been in decline for years. >According to a document prepared for participants at Âfocus-group sessions >held in November to discuss the mansion's once and Âfuture state, only five >people showed up from April to November on days Âguides were available. >Requests >for scheduled tours have almost ceased, Âthe document says. >In contrast, 3,000 people toured Maxwell the year before Âits 1983 >celebratory dinner. >Beyond woeful visitation, Weiser says, the mansion is Âhaving difficulty >attracting board members and volunteers. >She believes that whatever interest there once was in the Âbuilding was >largely generated by the story of its rescue and Ârestoration. >That effort began in the 1950s and took decades of effort; Âa strong sense of >community emerged. >"It's the only decent Victorian architecture we have Âthat's been fixed up to >museum standards," said Magaziner, now Â93. >"But I contended for a long time that it was too small to Âbe by itself and >that it ought to affiliate with something like the ÂGermantown Historical >Society." >Such an idea was explored about 10 years ago by Walter G. ÂRitchie Jr., who >was then director of the Maxwell Mansion and is now Âacting director of the >Germantown Historical Society. He discussed it with ÂBarbara Silberman, who >was >then head of the historical society. >But Ritchie left Maxwell, and possible affiliation fell Âthrough. >"I proposed the same idea to the current executive Âdirector" of Maxwell, >Ritchie said. "I am very concerned about the Âsituation and do not want to see >Ebenezer Maxwell Mansion Inc. close the Âhistoric house museum." >In any event, Ritchie wonders whether declining visitation Âis a valid reason >to close. Perhaps, he says, decline is an opportunity to Ârethink the >museum's story, which is currently focused on the Âextraordinary collection of >decorative arts and furnishings. >And, he asks, should looming capital expenditures signal Âthat it's time to >get rid of the building? >"Every historic house museum in the Philadelphia area and Âacross the country >is faced with these historic-preservation issues on an Âannual basis," he >said. "You address the roof, and the mortar needs work. ÂYou do that, and then >it's the plaster... . It's ongoing; that's the Ânature of the beast." >Weiser says that she needs to bring more board members in Âso that decisions >are made in accordance with the mansion's bylaws. She Âalso wants to bring in >consultants to guide the mansion's planning Âprocess. >"Do we beef up operations and go about getting big bucks, Âor do we go about >adaptive reuse?" she asked. "I want to know honestly and Âopenly what people >want. At this point in time, we're not doing Âanything." >More ÂInformation >The Ebenezer Maxwell Mansion, 200 W. Tulpehocken St. in ÂGermantown, is open >Saturday and Sunday, April through December, from 1 to Â4 p.m. >Special tours for groups >of five or more may be arranged for other times. Call the Âmansion office at >215-438-1861. >Gardens are open year-round. Appointments are not Ânecessary. >The mansion's Web site is _www.maxwellmansion.org_ >(http://www.maxwellmansion.org/) . > > > > ---- You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named "UnivCity." To unsubscribe or for archive information, see <http://www.purple.com/list.html>.
