Pennsbury Society Launches Campaign for 
New Visitor Center

Members of the Campaign Steering Committee and Board of Directors of The Pennsbury Society gathered last night (Wednesday, February 7) to mark the start of Sharing Penn's Vision...The Campaign for Pennsbury's Visitor Center.  Co-chaired by prominent Philadelphia business leader, Nicholas DeBenedictis and former Pennsylvania Cabinet Secretary of Agriculture, Penrose "Penny" Hallowell, the campaign will seek to raise $1.3 million in coming months to help complete the funding for a new Visitor Center at Pennsbury Manor, the 17th-century summer plantation home of Commonwealth founder William Penn.  Pennsbury Manor is administered by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC).

"This project represents the biggest improvement to this historic site since the current Visitor Center was built 40 years ago," says Hallowell, "and the new Visitor Center will equip Pennsbury Manor to serve the growing thousands of visitors coming each year." 

The new $5.6 million Visitor Center will triple the space available to welcome and orient visitors, house a new gift shop, and provide other visitor amenities.  "The expanded facility will also enable us to bring all our staff and volunteers under one roof," says site director Douglas Miller.

"The campaign is a great example of a public/private cooperative venture," DeBenedictis said, "and it represents a tremendous opportunity for the regional corporate community to enhance the teaching of Pennsylvania history to the more than 25,000 school children who visit Pennsbury Manor each school year."

The Pennsbury Society, formed in 1966, is a local charitable nonprofit, an auxiliary organization that exists to promote and support the site.  The Society, working in close cooperation with PHMC staff, is sponsoring the campaign.  Governor Tom Ridge released $4.1 million in state funds for the project.  The Pennsbury Society will complete the funding through charitable, private-sector support. "While the state does own Pennsbury," states Jack Renninger, Pennsbury Society President, "there are so many claims on its limited capital budget that private philanthropy is a critical component to the successful completion of the project.  Plus, this extraordinary site ultimately does belong to the people, and it’s fitting that the private sector play a key role in building a new Visitor Center."

Nicholas DeBenedictis, Chairman and CEO of Philadelphia Suburban Corporation (PSC), comes to the campaign co-chairmanship with blue-ribbon credentials as a business executive and community leader.  Prior to assuming the top post at PSC, DeBenedictis was Senior Vice President for Philadelphia Electric Company (PECO), where he handled government relations and environmental policies.  His career also includes service as president of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce.  During his tenure the Chamber grew dramatically, becoming the fifth largest chamber in the nation.  Tapped for government service, DeBenedictis headed the Office of Economic Development from 1981-83 and the Department of Environmental Resources from 1983-86.  He holds a Bachelor’s degree in business administration and a Master’s degree in environmental engineering, both earned at Drexel University.

Penrose Hallowell, a Pennsbury Society trustee and Quaker, shares William Penn's love  of the land and agriculture.  Hallowell, 73, remains fully engaged in a 50-year career as a self-employed dairy farmer.  Hallowell was appointed Secretary of Agriculture by Governor Dick Thornburgh, a post Hallowell held from 1979 to 1985, where he applied the expertise gained from his Bachelor’s degree in agricultural economics at Penn State and advanced study in public administration at the University of Pennsylvania.  Beyond farming, Hallowell has pursued professional interests in real estate and insurance, working with Nationwide Insurance from 1951 to 1969 and Prudential Fox Roach Realtors since 1985 to the present.  He has served as president of the Bucks County Board of Realtors, a vice president of the Central Bucks Chamber of Commerce, a past chair of the Bucks County Park Board, and a past trustee of Penn State.

Pennsbury Manor is one of 26 historical sites in Pennsylvania owned by the Commonwealth and administered by the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission.  The historic site's focal point is an architecturally faithful reconstruction of William Penn's manor house originally built in 1683-86.  The plantation originally encompassed 8,400 acres and required more than 150 people to operate.  The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania meticulously rebuilt the manor house in 1939 on its original foundation.  It has been an important historic site open to the public ever since.  Today Pennsbury Manor welcomes more than 50,000 visitors annually.  For more information about the campaign or Pennsbury Manor, call 215/946-0400 or 215/428-2037.

The information on this page was reviewed and approved by Doug Miller, historic site administrator of Pennsbury Manor. Page created and maintained by Professional Internet Pages. If you have comments about this page, please e-mail us at pip@profitpages.com