Township questions Painter’s Folly use

When Chadds Ford Township bought Painter’s Folly in 2018, supervisors had no idea what to do with the property. Former Supervisor Noelle Barbone, a realtor who was instrumental in getting the township to buy the property, acknowledged that fact in an interview a few months before the sale was finalized. (See Chadds Ford looking to buy Painters Folly)

And the township still isn’t sure what to do. Chadds Ford had been renting out the house to be used as a studio for artists since January of last year. However, Board of Supervisors Chairman Reiner said that stopped at the end of March of this year after hearing safety concerns from some of the artists.

Reiner said during an informational meeting about how best to use Painters Folly, “We don’t have any idea what to do,” she said. “We’re here to hear from you [residents], your suggestions.”

And suggestions they did get, most saying to sell the place because of its high maintenance costs.

According to Bill Grosskopf, of Webb Road, who pored over supervisors' meeting minutes for the last several years, the township has spent $276,000 for maintenance and upkeep on top of the $625,000 used to buy the 3.9-acre site situated just to the east of the Brandywine Battlefield Park on Route 1.

“I’m a small government person and I feel the township has no business owning a property, with such high maintenance,” he said. Grosskopf added that it would be better to have the Brandywine Conservancy own it.

He also expressed concern over grant money received from the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission for the project. The grant was for $100,000 but requires $271,000 of in-kind money from the township.

“I feel that the grant money looks like free money, but there are usually strings attached and leads to growing government… I also feel that open space money should only be used for open space.”

Township resident Eric Gartner, of Harvey Lane, echoed some of Grosskopf’s concerns.

He acknowledged that Painter’s Folly, built in 1857, is a part of Chadds. Ford’s heritage. It’s where illustrator Howard Pyle began teaching N.C. Wyeth and where Andrew Wyeth did many of his own paintings.

But he said the costs borne by the taxpayers to maintain the property are “substantial,” and would like to see it deed restricted and sold.

Lisa Vonderstuck, the owner of Brandywine View Antiques on Route 1, called the township’s purchase of Painter’s Folly “mind-boggling” because of the costs involved.

“I think we can put our open space money into better resources and infrastructure, and water than worry about pumping money into a house,” she said.

Hunters Lane resident Jamie Coates, an architect and an artist who had been using the space as a studio, thinks there are some great ideas about what could be done with the house, but “there are some core fundamental problems and issues that need to be addressed first.”

At that point, he went into a list of those issues. They include making the property ADA compliant, improving the driveway and parking area — there’s only space for four cars — and the ingress and egress to and from Route 1 is dangerous, he said. He went on to say the electrical system is a nightmare, and that the HVAC is infested with mold and mildew.

“You’ll be putting millions into the house,” he said.

Debbie Dean, another Hunters Lane resident, expressed her concern and balanced the historic significance of the property against the cost to the township.

“It should be conserved and offloaded [sold]…It’s a great building but can we afford it?”

The high maintenance cost of Painter’s Folly has been known. Helen Sipala and her late husband George were the previous owners. Helen Sipala was on hand during the meeting, and she told a story about how she and her husband were ready to sell the place decades ago because they didn’t have the money for needed repairs. But it was their friend Andy Wyeth who covered the costs out of his own pocket. (See Living an unexpected dream.)

Sipala said during the meeting Thursday night that Wyeth wanted the house to be preserved and that he wanted the Brandywine River Museum of Art to get the house.

Artist Annette Alessi spoke on behalf of the artists who had been using the house as a studio. She addressed the use of the house, saying it should be a studio for artists because using that space where Howard Pyle, N.C. Wyeth, and Andrew Wyeth painted, has been “incredibly inspirational.”

She said some of the artists were excited just to paint a chair that Andy Wyeth had sat on while painting at the house.

Another person, Bonnie Cochard, called Painter’s Folly an “architectural treasure” and agreed with Alessi that use as a studio would be the best idea and the least costly and intrusive.

Several people, including Supervisor Kathleen Goodier, suggested getting involved with a private/public partnership to maintain the property. No one on the board and any specific ideas with whom the township could partner, but one person in the rear suggested partnering with Jamie Wyeth.

But it still came back to money.

Betsy Collier, of Webb Road, said, “If the township continues to own that house, we are all going to be starving artists.”

The Aug. 15 meeting. was a joint session with the Board of Supervisors and members of the Open Space Committee.

About Rich Schwartzman

Rich Schwartzman has been reporting on events in the greater Chadds Ford area since September 2001 when he became the founding editor of The Chadds Ford Post. In April 2009 he became managing editor of ChaddsFordLive. He is also an award-winning photographer.