Category: 2023

Historical Commission Meeting Minutes - February 15, 2023

3/16/2023

OPENING:
The meeting was called to order by Chair Stephens at 7:10 PM. Secretary Evans announced that the meeting was not being recorded due to technical issues, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.
Acting Secretary Donna DiPrinzio continued with Member Roll Call and introduction of guests.

Paul Stephens – Chair
Dawn Coughlan – Vice Chair/ Liaison to OCHS
Mark Evans – Secretary
Donna DiPrinzio - Treasurer
Cathy Callahan
Patty DeFroscia
Tom Parr
Leah Jennings
Lorraine Tindaro

Historical Commission Members Absent (0):
Historical Commission Member Attendees: (8 in person, 1 remote = Quorum)
Historical Commission Guests (4):

Jamie Evans
Chris Parr
Lisa Shields
Mike Bedrick

Approval of 1/18/23 Minutes
Chair Stephens asked if there were any comments or questions regarding the minutes of our 1/18/23 meeting. Mark reported that he had sent them to the Chair and Vice Chair for review and failed to send them to the rest of the members. Donna DiPrinzio suggested we table approval of the 1/18/23 Minutes until our next meeting so that everyone has a chance to review them.

OLD BUSINESS:

MEMBERSHIP
1. Donna D reported that both Jamie Evans and Lisa Shields have been interviewed by the BOC and will be on the agenda for appointment at the next BOC meeting. Last week’s meeting was replaced with a Zoning Workshop or Mr. Evans could have been appointed then. Ms. Shields interviewed for both Hx Com and Parks & Rec and will choose between the two.
PRESENTATION: PAShare – Paul and Mark
1. Understanding PAShare website & functionality
2. Technical issues prevented a full demonstration of the tools.
2023 PRIORITIES – Mark
1. Mark shared a PPT of draft priorities for 2023. Paul suggested we workshop to scope out priorities to add to this list
  1. Chair Stephens stated our #1 long-term priority is seeing that Caln becomes a Certified Local Government, being a CLG will improve our reputation and opportunities for grants. Mark agreed and added that since the HPO must first be in place, we should do our research to be sure we’re ready to guide the township through the CLG process once we have the zoning approved.
  2. Use PAShare to submit Edges Mill for National registry – need to get McAllister documents confirmed & formatted
  3. Start gearing up for Town Tour.
    1. Focus most of our energies in Q-1, 2, and 3 toward the Spackman-Davis Historic Walk
  4. Strengthen our relationships with Township administrators
  5. Attend Planning Commission and BOC meetings as often as possible
  6. New sub com to focus on each endangered resource
    1. Buchanan House, Lloyd Farm, etc.
    2. How do we preserve what we don’t own?
      1. Mark shared that he had read about a couple of Real Estate firms that specialize in Historic properties and suggested the HX Preservation sub-com research, list, and make contact with firms that may have interest in our endangered resources such as Buchanan House.
        Cathy C mentioned Jim Wagner and his son Jim Jr. are great real estate people for historic buildings
    3. Caln Elementary at Risk
      1. Need to look at it before it is officially on the list to be closed. We have time, but this is a treasure and needs to be addressed
  7. Lincoln Hwy – Deep dive of Hx Resources that could benefit from Adaptive reuse using LERTA
  8. Preservation Ordinance is pretty much done, awaiting full rezoning to be completed
  9. Continue to get our name and efforts out in the public eye
  10. Mike B suggested we try building our relationships with other township’s Hx Coms. Mark E replied that with our emergence as a more active player locally and with CCHPN, plus our growing positive relationship within the county PCHC, it is possible that we will be able to work together with our neighbors, but to keep in mind all of our resources are extremely limited, and each Hx Com has intensive projects prioritized. Mark shared that he’d just had lunch with Jim Buczala from East Brandywine (Brandywine Mill Park), and that after the S-D Farm event E Brandywine Trails had shared interest in working with Caln to connect the Mill Park with GO Carlson through Spackman. He added that Jim B would be joining us at our March meeting to discuss their efforts.

SUB-COMMITTEE REPORTS
1. SPACKMAN FARM
  1. No update on possible repairs to house roof and porch
  2. Walking Tour on the agenda for discussion
2. MARKETING AND SOCIAL MEDIA
  1. Lorraine reported she made contact with Elaine LaRoche about obtaining images of her wedding ceremony at the Old Schoolhouse and will be meeting with her soon
  2. Mark suggested we get a press release out for Walking Tour. Chair Stephens recommended we wait until the CCPC & CCHPN make their announcements. All agreed.
  3. Mark will be attending the Municipal Historic Preservation Leadership Luncheon March 18th and will have a chance to briefly address the group and deliver an update
3. HISTORICAL PRESERVATION
  1. Tom Parr reported that he had been in contact with the administration at Copeland Run School about photographing the exterior of the Mary Louise Lloyd House and they are working on a date. The principle was also looking into any artifacts they may have in their possession and could share with us.
4. LLOYD FARM
  1. Tom P is waiting for images of Mary Louise Lloyd House and possible info from Copeland Run School before presenting the house to the Hx Com for a vote to add to our resource list based on architectural merit.
EDGES’ MILL HISTORIC DISTRICT UPDATE – Cathy Callahan
1. Cathy C reported that she continues to stir the pot regarding the Edges Mill District application for the National Register. Chair Stephens felt that we should prioritize getting the application uploaded to PAShare to expedite the process. Mark shared that we have the images and histories provided by Micki McAllister and our next step should be for the Hx Com to review and approve the documents.
OCHS LIASON REPORT – Dawn Coughlan
1. Dawn was remote and due to technical issues on our end had to drop off before she was able to present her report. February will be included in her March update.
FINANCE UPDATE – Donna DiPrinzio
1. New Treasurer Donna DiPrinzio reported that it’s a new year and we have a fresh budget to work with. For 2023 we received the same amount as 2022, $1200.
2. Our license for PAShare is set to expire 2/16/23 and will be renewed as soon as possible.
3. We can discuss potential new expenditures under new business.
4. Patty D has still not been reimbursed for buying the outdoor gas heaters that were given to the Township after the Spackman-Davis Farm event 11/12/22. Mark E will try to get that done ASAP
ANNUAL REPORT FOR BOC
1. Mark E shared a rough draft and said he would have a final DRAFT version ready in advance of our March meeting.

NEW BUSINESS:

2023 WALKING TOUR
1. Paul S thought a “Spring Day of Service is a good idea, but that we may need more than one day”. He suggested we get some people to go out to Spackman to make a list of what needs to be done for our tour to be both safe and accessible. By advance scouting we’ll have a better idea of how much work has to be done and how much time will be needed.
  1. Red flag holes that need to be filled in
2. We need to look at the other buildings, but he doesn’t think they’re special. We should be careful that none of our visitors go beyond them.
3. Paul added that our subcommittees will need to workshop through priorities and develop a timeline
4. Mark reported that Dawn told him OCHS was all-in on the tour. It was also suggested that we try to involve Parks and Rec for their event expertise.
5. We need dirt to fill the holes, will this come out of our budget or the township budget? Mark thought the township would provide it since the township owns Spackman. Patty D shared that if not, she could us a good price on it.
6. Paul S thought it would be great if the township could announce the walk in the Newsletter
7. Donna D suggested we consider having sheep and other animals at the farm for the event to add to the realism of what life was like there in the 19th century. She thought 4 H Club could be a good resource, and we could also explore other options. Mark E said that was part of his vision as well – to have a cow, a horse, sheep/goats, maybe even chickens for the evening. He thinks the Jefferis brothers may be able to provide a cow (they worked on the farm as youngsters), and he also has an idea for where to get the horse. He is also hopeful we can find a way to close a portion of the road but it’s PennDOT and would be difficult.
8. Tom Parr suggested we keep CLG on our radar even though we can’t do anything until we have our HPO approved. Paul agreed and said we would be able to take full advantage of funding available such as being 1st in line for Keystone Grants.

ADDITIONAL BUSINESS:

Historic Tree registry and Arbor Day event
1. Donna shared that our elder-most trees are of great cultural and historic value and it’s important to maintain and preserve them, as they also tell the story of our township history.
  1. Donna suggested a subgroup to locate and document our eldest trees.
    1. There was a good discussion of where some of our most important elder trees are
    2. Mark added that some of our elder trees have limited lifespans, such as the trees lining the entrance road to Spackman-Davis Farm. He said Abbey had said that some will need to be replaced in the not-too-distant future
    3. Tom Parr mentioned Lloyd Farm is home to what is said to be the oldest Japanese Maple in the state
2. Donna continued “how can we proactively plan for a rich investment of more trees in our township?” She cited the Havertown Shade Tree Commission 2022 Tree Giveaway as an example of options
  1. It was noted that Abbey has led tree planting initiatives in the recent past and we should talk to her about expanding those efforts with our help
3. Arbor Day is Friday, April 28, 2023- can we plan an event to bring awareness?
  1. It was noted that Parks & Rec already host an annual Arbor Day event, but that we could offer to help them and perhaps add a Historic Trees tour for 2024.
  2. Mark E suggested we do all we can to assist Parks & Rec as their membership is currently low and they’ve been very generous with helping us.

ADJOURNMENT
Chair Stephens asked for a motion to adjourn.
Moved by Mark E
Second by Tom Parr
Vote called by Chair Stephens
Motion passed 8-0
Meeting was adjourned at 8:20 PM

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Historical Commission Meeting Minutes - January 18, 2023

3/16/2023

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OPENING:
The meeting was called to order by Chair Stephens at 7:05 PM. Secretary Evans announced that the meeting was being recorded, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.
Secretary Evans continued with Member Roll Call and introduction of guests.

Paul Stephens – Chair
Lorraine Tindaro – Vice Chair
Dawn Coughlan – Liaison to OCHS
Cathy Callahan
Mark Evans – Secretary
Patty DeFroscia
Tom Parr
Donna DiPrinzio

Historical Commission Members Absent (1):

Leah Jennings – Excused

Historical Commission Member Attendees: (6 in person, 2 remote = Quorum)
Historical Commission Guests (2):

Jamie Evans
Mike Bedrick

REORGANIZATION
Chair Stephens announced it was time for our annual reorganization, and asked for nominations for Chair
Mark E nominated Paul S.
Hearing no other nominations Chair Stephens called the vote.
Paul Stephens unanimously re-elected Chair.

Chair Stephens asked for nominations for Vice-Chair
Cathy C nominated Lorraine T. / Mark E nominated Dawn C.
Hearing no other nominations Chair Stephens called the vote.
Dawn Coughlan elected Vice-Chair 6-2.

Chair Stephens asked for nominations for Secretary
Lorraine T nominated Mark E.
Hearing no more nominations Chair Stephens called the vote.
Mark E unanimously re-elected Secretary

Chair Stephens asked for nominations for OCHS liaison
Tom P nominated Dawn C.
Hearing no other nominations Chair Stephens called the vote.
Dawn Coughlan unanimously re-elected OCHS liaison.

Chair Stephens asked for a motion to create an official position of Treasurer to keep track of our budget/expenditures and issue status reports
Moved by Mark E
Second by Cathy C
Vote called by Chair Stephens
Motion passed 8-0

Chair Stephens asked for nominations for Treasurer
Mark E nominated Donna DiPrinzio
Hearing no other nominations Chair Stephens called the vote.
Donna DiPrinzio unanimously elected Treasurer

2023 SUB-COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS
Chair Stephens called for volunteers for each Sub-Committee
SPACKMAN FARM
Dawn C., Mark E., Paul S.
MARKETING AND SOCIAL MEDIA
Lorraine T., Mark E.
HISTORIC PRESERVATION
Cathy C., Leah J., Mark E., Patty D., Tom, P., Jamie E.
LLOYD FARM
Tom P., Mark E., Donna D., Jamie E.

Chair Stephens noted that all are welcome to participate with each sub-committee
Approval of 12/21/22 Minutes
Chair Stephens asked if there were any comments or questions regarding the minutes of our 12/21/22 meeting. Hearing none, he asked for a motion to approve the 12/21/22 Minutes
Moved by Patty D
Second by Tom P
Vote called by Chair Stephens
Motion passed 8-0

OLD BUSINESS:

MEMBERSHIP
1. Mark E reported there are still have 2 prospective new members waiting to be interviewed, he hoped they would be on the agenda for the 1/26/23 BOC meeting. He introduced guest Jamie Evans as one the prospective members and pointed out that Janie was also at the 11/19/22 Spackman-Davis Farm event.
2. Chair Stephens confirmed that we grew our membership to 9 in 2022 and asked what our maximum is. Tom Parr confirmed it was 15
SUB-COMMITTEE REPORTS
1. SPACKMAN FARM
  1. Mark E reported that at their 1/12/23 meeting the BOC gave their blessings for us to apply for the 2023 Walking Tours, the application and initial program plan were submitted on 1/13/23, and this could all be discussed further under new business
2. MARKETING AND SOCIAL MEDIA
  1. Lorraine said she was still trying to get in touch with Elaine LaRoche for images of her wedding at the Schoolhouse
  2. Mark reported that the CCHPN Ledger has still not gone to press.
3. HISTORICAL PRESERVATION
  1. Paul S noted that the ordinance and resources were pretty much in order. Mark E confirmed and said that the overall zoning project was given a 6-month extension to get it right, and that our ordinance would be a part of the zoning
  2. Mark added that the Mary Louise Lloyd House (now Copeland Run School) is a beautiful example of mid-century modern architecture and should be considered for inclusion on our list of resources. Paul S asked if we could get a photograph or 2 of the structure’s exterior and have Lloyd Farm SubCom bring it forward for a vote at next meeting to add based on architectural merit. Patty mentioned Parkside as Post WWII era homes that could be included, Paul added King’s Hwy has good WWII resources. If we see something that might qualify, make a note and we’ll research. Don’t need to add anything to our list right now. Tom Parr suggested another ride-around. Paul S mentioned mid-century modern home on Edge’s Mill. Tom Parr asked when HPO would be done. Mark said it’s done but waiting for full zoning to be complete.
4. LLOYD FARM
  1. Tom P reported that he’s been keeping an eye on the house and asked if there had been movement by the owner to make repairs. Mark E confirmed that Zoning Officer Ray Stackhouse had taken care of contacting the owner, who sent images of the house now closed up
EDGES’ MILL HISTORIC DISTRICT UPDATE
1. Cathy C reported that she had received an email from Elizabeth Rarleigh and April Franz at the state who said they’d hired a new associate to help expedite the Edges Mill District application for the National Register. She’ll keep stirring the pot.
OCHS LIASON REPORT
1. Dawn reported Holiday Program was wonderful and they are looking forward to getting Paul S program scheduled for him to talk about his experience in the Park Service. Annual Membership fees are now due for 2023.
FINANCE UPDATE
1. Mark reported that it’s a new year and we have a fresh budget to work with. For 2023 we received the same amount as 2022, $1200. He will hand over responsibilities to new Treasurer Donna DiPrinzio and bring her up to speed, and that we can discuss potential 2023 expenditures under new business. Mark E thought we did a great job managing our budget. Confirmed that Patty D has not been reimbursed for buying the outdoor gas heaters
ANNUAL REPORT FOR BOC
1. Mark E apologized for not having a draft ready. Paul suggested we postpone until the February Meeting

NEW BUSINESS:

2023 WALKING TOUR
1. Paul reported that if we’re selected, we’ll need a work date out there to make it safe, “Spring Day of Service”.
2. Mark said he was fleshing out some crazy/not so crazy ideas – we can start the tour at Spackman and continue through Edge’s Mill, ending at Beaver Creek Tavern. Maybe Tom Parr can figure out a way to have histories in an app at each other location.
2023 BUDGET
1. Paul confirmed we will keep PAShare as part of our new budget, and that we should make a more concerted effort to use it. Mark and Paul will meet to tour the site and better understand how we can use it to upload our resources, archaeological sites, etc. And that Edges Mill National register nomination could be directly entered into the system by us.
2. Mark clarified that we have only one seat and that the sign in is Keystone and only a couple people should not have those credentials. The Township should be given access. Paul said we should do a walkthrough for all at our next meeting.
3. Paul suggested we renew memberships in all organizations we joined in 2022, and look into member’s rate for the annual meeting of Preservation PA.

Chair Stephens asked for a blanket motion to renew all of our 2022 memberships – PAShare, CCHPN, Preservation PA
Moved by Mark E
Second by Tom Parr
Vote called by Chair Stephens
Motion passed 8-0

Tom Parr suggested we keep CLG on our radar even though we can’t do anything until we have our HPO approved. Paul agreed and said we would be able to take full advantage of funding available such as being 1st in line for Keystone Grants.

2022 RECAP AND 2023 PRIORITIES
1. Paul stated most of us had lived through what we did in 2022, but we should take a look for the benefit of our new members.
2. Mark listed HPO, resources list, resource tour, expanded membership, CCHPN dinner was a highlight, it was our coming out party. We got 2 articles published – The Patch, Vista, rebuilt relationship with CCHPN with cross-membership, pulled off Spackman Farm event in short time, and our successful interaction with Fabrications was a great example of what we can do. Paul S added that the township newsletters Abbey did were great, we should continue with ongoing initiatives - we have great people and can keep our plate overflowing. Safe to say we were responsible for the township refocusing on Spackman Farm. He added it’s also appropriate that we look at where we came up short like the demolition of the house on the Golf Course. We’ll focus on 2023 priorities at the next meeting.

ADDITIONAL BUSINESS:

CONDITIONS AT BUCHANAN HOUSE
1. It was reported that were 2-large dumpsters at the site. Mark said he thought we should have been notified when the owner applied for a dumpster permit, and that goes for all our Hx resources
2. Tom P said he say on FB that the owner had posted he had big announcement coming re Buchanan House. Paul S said it was important to keep this on our radar so we can achieve our preservation goals.
3. Cathy said there’s some nice mantels, Mark added the stained-glass transoms. Patty reported the large box-like devices from the back of the building have been removed. HVAC, jumbo fans and the like had been associated with the Crypto business. Patty added that years back the Hx Com had been given permission to salvage articles of significance that could reused, down to doorknobs. They were then given to OCHS to sell. Paul S mentioned that with the revived relationship with OCHS will make that possible in the future.
4. Mark said he’d forgotten that one of his missions was to make as many contacts as we could I the Hx world, get our name out there and bring interest to our efforts, which he believed we were able to do with Spackman event, and to use that leverage in instances like this with Buchanan - we need all the help we can get. Cathy asked why it wasn’t on the National Register, Paul said there were issues with the integrity due to changes to the interior.

ADJOURNMENT
Chair Stephens asked for a motion to adjourn.
Moved by Donna D
Second by Mark E
Vote called by Chair Stephens
Motion passed 8-0
Meeting was adjourned at 8:19 PM

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Historical Commission Meeting Minutes - February 15, 2023

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