Chadds Ford Township + Painter's Folly: A Timeline

PURCHASE OF THE PROPERTY

Painter's Folly was purchased by Chadds Ford Township for $625,000 in 2018 using Open Space funds and is currently closed to the public and at risk of being sold in a public auction.

HOUSE TOURS

Following the 2018 acquisition, Chadd Ford Township explored income-producing programs in Painter's Folly. Chadds Ford Township currently rents the adjacent Carriage House for $950 a month. Painter's Folly home tours, led by Ms. Helen Murray Sipala, were available for $10 per person. From 2020 to 2025, Chadds Ford Township made $2,455 on Painter's Folly house tours. However, Chadds Ford Township discontinued the tours in 2025 despite Ms. Sipala's continued enthusiasm.

COMMISSIONED PRESERVATION PLAN

In 2021, Chadds Ford Township commissioned a preservation plan from the consulting firm Patterhn Ives. The total expense for this conservation initiative was $49,356, and the Township secured a PHMC Certified Local Government Grant of $25,000 to support the project. The study identified three prospective uses and their respective costs for Painter's Folly: artist studios, bed-and-breakfast, and artist apartments. Ultimately, Chadds Ford Township considered the artist studio program among these options but retained information on the other alternatives examined in the study. Several public meetings were convened by Chadds Ford Township on 27 July 2021, 24 August 2021, 15 August 2024, and 16 July 2025 to solicit feedback from residents on the most appropriate use of Painter's Folly. 

According to the 2023 PHMC Keystone grant application, Chadds Ford Township supervisors saw Painter's Folly as an opportunity to provide a much-needed venue for community gatherings, meetings, and events. 

ARTIST STUDIOS AT PAINTER'S FOLLY PROGRAM

Chadds Ford Township inaugurated the Artist Studios at Painter's Folly program in January 2023. Multiple studio and scheduling options were made available for artists to rent and utilize. Each rotation persisted for three months, with the building accessible Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM. Artists showcased their works in a gallery on the first floor, and Chadds Ford Township received a 30% commission on sales. The Township was the recipient of a 2023 Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission Keystone Grant, awarded to support the Painter's Folly Rehabilitation Phase 1 project. This grant comprised a $100,000 matching fund designated for ADA accessibility enhancements, within a total project budget of $317,060. The scope of Rehabilitation Phase 1 entailed constructing a driveway ramp, leveling existing steps, installing an ADA-compliant restroom, and establishing an ADA-accessible artist studio on the first floor.

In March 2024, following concerns raised by a resident artist regarding ADA accessibility, ventilation, and potential mold conditions within the building—observations which remain unverified—Chadds Ford Township discontinued the Artist Studios at Painter's Folly program. In the informational document dated July 31, 2025, the Township stated that the program's termination was due to unresolved ADA accessibility issues and indicated that the use of the 2023 PHMC Keystone Grant had been deferred pending major repairs before further development of the studio concept. The Township did not acquire matching funds for the project nor initiate or complete any sub-projects related to the grant. Subsequently, in September 2025, Chadds Ford Township received an extension of the 2023 Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) Keystone Grant for the Painter's Folly Rehabilitation Phase 1 project, which was scheduled to expire on September 30, 2025. The grant extension runs through September 30, 2026.

PAINTER'S FOLLY LIAISON POSITION

Chadds Ford Township established a Painter's Folly Liaison position in January 2025 to engage potential preservation partners. The position was held by Chadds Ford resident Ed Worteck, Professor Emeritus of Art and Art History at Goucher College. Mr. Worteck's expertise includes photography and historic preservation documentation for projects associated with the Lancaster Preservation Trust, Franklin Marshall College, and the Rouse Foundation. Mr. Worteck began serving in this role in January 2025 after several months of volunteering his photography expertise for Chadds Ford Township. All photographs produced during his tenure were made available to the Township for grant writing, research, and documentation purposes. Following the July 2025 Painter's Folly public meeting, where Mr. Worteck spoke in favor of continued site preservation, the Chadds Ford Township Board of Supervisors discontinued communication with Mr. Worteck and revoked access to the interior of Painter's Folly, preventing him from continuing his photographic documentation of the property. In January 2026, the Board of Supervisors elected to take no action on appointing or reappointing a Painter's Folly liaison for 2026.

PUBLIC AUCTION

In August 2024, Chadds Ford Township surveyed a group of 25 township residents and 11 non-residents about their understanding of Painter's Folly and their suggested uses. Of the group, 27 responses indicated favorability for continued public use and preservation of Painter's Folly, while 11 responses indicated favorability for divesting of the property, either to private owners or to a non-profit/museum.

Around October 2024, Chadds Ford Township began to internally consider divestment from Painter's Folly.

In early 2025, Chadds Ford Township began to publicly float language to explore the offloading of Painter's Folly through a public auction pursuant to the Second-Class Township Code. Chadds Ford Township has spent approximately $963,710 on Painter's Folly and has received only approximately $103,927 in income from grants, rentals, insurance reimbursements, and tours (*as of January 2026). At the 16 July 2025 Chadds Ford Township special meeting regarding Painter's Folly, several township residents complained that the township's ownership and maintenance of the building were a tax burden on residents.

 In the Painter's Folly update document released on 31 July 2025, the Township stated:

"Due to the lack of a viable long-term preservation partner, the Township is now pursuing legal easements to permanently protect the structure from demolition or inappropriate alterations if no qualified partner is found, and a public sale is ultimately pursued. A public sale remains a viable option."

First circulated in October 2025, the Chadds Ford Township Open Space Committee's 2026 draft budget included a $50,000 line item for a Painter's Folly "Conservation and Façade Easement."

GRANT APPLICATIONS

In November 2025, Chadds Ford Township compiled a Local Share Account (LSA) grant application for a $720,000 repair and maintenance project at Painter’s Folly. The Township consulted with John Milner Associates regarding the necessary repair work, specifically “exterior stabilization.” The Township provided further information on the scope of work in the January 28, 2026, Board of Supervisors Agenda, which includes windows, doors, shutters, and roof work. The Local Share Account grant application describes the scope as follows:

1. Full roof replacement: $159,000 (quote)

2. Restoration of 44 windows: $240,000 (quote)

3. Restoration of 27 pairs of shutters: $130,000 (quote)

4. Restoration of 6 exterior doors, including transoms and sidelights: $52,000 (quote)

5. Repair Widow’s Walk millwork, including cornices, brackets, trim: $34,000 (quote)

Chadds Ford Township stated they do not intend to advance unfunded or speculative work related to Painter’s Folly. However, Chadds Ford Township has not completed a Historic Structures Report, as recommended by the Preservation Alliance of Greater Philadelphia, to guide future repairs, construction, and uses of the historic building.

While Chadds Ford Township states there are no final interior programming plans for Painter’s Folly, they received an extension on the 2023 PHMC Keystone Grant to fund ADA-compliance projects related to the now-defunct Artist Studios at Painter’s Folly program. The Local Share Account grant application also lists the intent as follows: 

"These repairs will …. prepare the structure for the next phase of ADA accessibility upgrades required before public use.”

However, the 2023 PHMC Keystone grant, awarded for ADA compliance projects, expires on September 30, 2026. The Local Share Account grants will be awarded in November 2026.

CHANGES IN LANGUAGE

In late January 2026, Chadds Ford Township updated the Painter’s Folly webpage ahead of the January 28, 2026, Board of Supervisors Meeting. This was the first major update on the page since July 31, 2025. Updates include information related to recent grant applications, 2026 budget line items, an ongoing Pennsylvania Historical Marker nomination, and a statement that no major rehabilitation, construction, or permanent reuse decisions have been approved at present.

CONSERVATION EASEMENTS

On 11 February 2026, the Chadds Ford Township Board of Supervisors voted to enter into an agreement of services with the North American Land Trust for easements related to Painter’s Folly after receiving a proposal from the organization. Per Township Manager Lacey Faber, the intent of the easements is to "preserve the historic and environmental significance of Painter’s Folly while allowing reasonable stewardship of the property.”The CFT Board of Supervisors did not share the details of the proposal’s scope, but stated that the easements would cover the land and portions of the building’s facade visible from Route 1. As previously published, CFT budgeted $50,000 of Open Space funds for these easements. However, the CFT Township Manager, Lacey Faber, reported at the 28 January 2026 Board of Supervisors meeting that the Township is now pursuing an American Battlefield Protection Program grant to cover the cost of the NALT easements. The timeline and details for this grant have not been made public at this time.

PRESENT DAY

As of March 2026, Painter's Folly remains closed to the public.  Per Township Manager Faber, Township Solicitor Mike Maddren closed Painter's Folly "to everyone. No one is allowed in the building." Chadds Ford Township states that nothing has changed regarding the property's potential outcome and continues to explore a dual-track approach: a public auction or a preservation partner. Chadds Ford Township has not opened a public Request for Proposals for Painter’s Folly to solicit adaptive reuse proposals from the community. Chadds Ford Township states that no final interior programming decisions or comprehensive preservation plans have been adopted related to Painter’s Folly.

While CFT has met with potential preservation partners and organizations (identities of which have not been shared publicly), the Township states that no established partnerships have been established to date.