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PFPA Winter Update 2.0

  • Writer: PFPA
    PFPA
  • Feb 25
  • 2 min read

Painter's Folly Conservation Easements Move Forward

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 an earlier proposal from the organization.


Who is NALT? As per their website, NALT’s primary purpose is “preserving and managing open space with ecological, agricultural or historical significance.” NALT is based in Chadds Ford, and its local conservation projects include the Brinton Run Preserve and the Joseph Davis Tract. NALT is a leading expert in land conservation in our community.


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 a grant to cover the cost of the NALT easements. The timeline and details for this grant have not been made public at this time.


While land and facade easements are a wonderful path forward for the ongoing preservation of Painter’s Folly, they are limited and do not address the interior of the building and all exterior facades — a recommendation made by the Preservation Alliance of Greater Philadelphia and the Painter’s Folly Preservation Alliance.



PFPA in the News

Jen Panaro of Connect Chadds Ford published the first installation of a four-part series on issues related to Painter’s Folly on 24 February 2026. The article, “Meet the neighbors making sure we don’t forget Painter’s Folly,” covers recent work by the Painter’s Folly Preservation Alliance. Stay tuned for the three other articles!



PFPA Updates

PFPA has been hard at work researching various histories related to Painter’s Folly. We have consulted critical primary sources at the Delaware Art Museum, the Delaware County archive, the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, and the Westtown School archive that establish the significance of the Painter family in Chadds Ford and Howard Pyle's Chadds Ford summer school. We are compiling research into a long-form essay for publication. More information soon!


We also discovered that Turner’s Mill, the current Chadds Ford Municipal Building and former Howard Pyle studio, was purchased by Birmingham Township in 1976 with the intention of creating an art center or public space. However, these plans never materialized, and the building remained empty until 2006. History seems to repeat itself!


For now, enjoy a selection of artwork made at Painter's Folly and the surrounding landscape:




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