Conservancy acquires another 577 acres

Posted by Press Release on January 11, 2021

The Brandywine Conservancy and the Oxford Area Foundation have secured the 577-acr Glenroy Farm as a publicly accessible nature preserve.

The Brandywine Conservancy & Museum of Art, in partnership with the Oxford Area Foundation, has acquired 577 acres of the Glenroy Farm situated along the Octoraro Creek in Chester County, PA. This land will be owned and managed by the Oxford Area Foundation for use as a publicly accessible nature preserve.

“This is an outstanding achievement for the Brandywine Conservancy, working in partnership with the Oxford Area Foundation, and state and local government,” said Ellen Ferretti, director of the Brandywine Conservancy. “The acreage and diversity of resources made this property a high priority of permanent protection in southeastern Pennsylvania. The transition of the Glenroy Farm property from the Thouron family to a public preserve will create a unique, contiguous area of public open space that will provide exceptional recreational and educational opportunities for the community and will have lasting effects on the water quality of the Chesapeake Bay—a national priority for conservation. It has been a wonderful experience to work with the Foundation and the Thuoron family to conserve this beloved land, in perpetuity, for the public good.”

Situated along the east side of Octoraro Creek in Lower Oxford Township and West Nottingham Township in Chester County, the land consists of open meadows, arable cropland, mature and successional woodlands, numerous streams and ponds, floodplains and wetlands, and five-miles of trails. The agreement also includes an access easement area comprising of 16 acres to an adjacent, nearly three-mile-long strip of land situated at the top of the east bank of the Octoraro Creek and extending to the centerline of the creek.

“For over 50 years, four generations of Thourons have been the owners and privileged stewards of Glenroy Farm,” said Rachel Nicoll, Thouron family member. “The Thouron family is delighted that now, with the help of the Brandywine Conservancy, this deeply treasured property, of great natural beauty, will be conserved in perpetuity. It is the family’s hope that this land will be valued and enjoyed by the community for generations to come.”

“Owning Glenroy is a major component in the Oxford Area Foundation’s vision and we are thrilled that we now hold this amazing property and that we will be able to provide this region with such an important public space to enjoy,” said Nancy Ware Sapp, President of the foundation. “In the coming months, OAF will be working on trails and a parking area and hopes to have the property open for passive recreation by late spring to early summer.”

“DCNR is pleased to partner with the Brandywine Conservancy, Chester County and the Oxford Area Foundation to support the preservation of this regionally important property that will provide a unique, contiguous area of public open space, and offer exceptional regional recreational opportunities for residents of both Chester County and Lancaster County,” said DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn. “This property will safeguard wildlife habitat, provide new recreation opportunities, and protect the waters of Pennsylvania and the Chesapeake Bay.”

Chester County Commissioners Marian Moskowitz, Josh Maxwell, and Michelle Kichline said, “Projects like Glenroy Farm, that maintain beautiful areas to be enjoyed by residents and visitors, illustrate the thoughtful, planned approach that Chester County takes to preserving land. For over 30 years, Chester County has been following that plan, which is why our preservation efforts are smart, why they encourage partnerships with conservancies, the Commonwealth, municipalities, and other organizations, and why the County’s ‘quality of place’ is so attractive to businesses that want to be located here, and people who want to live here.”

The acquisition has been generously funded by grants from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the Chester County Preservation Partnership Program, Oxford Area Foundation, and the Brandywine Conservancy.