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Below is a letter petition intended for the Chadds Ford Board of Supervisors. If you are compelled, please add your name to the formal petition at https://www.change.org/preservepaintersfolly Painter’s Folly is a c. 1856-1857 Italianate house located in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania. Painter’s Folly is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and is within the Chadds Ford Historic District and the Brandywine Battlefield Historic District. Painter’s Folly is nationally significant for its connection to American art and the artistic interpretation of the Battle of the Brandywine. Famed American illustrator Howard Pyle operated a summer art school from 1898 to 1903 while residing at Painter’s Folly. Students of Pyle’s included John V. Betts, Ethel Franklin Betts, Bertha Corson Day, Clyde O. DeLand, Harvey Dunn, Charlotte Harding, Winfield S. Lukens, Emlen McConnell, Maxfield Parrish, Frank C. Schoonover, Jessie Willcox Smith, Sarah Stilwell Weber, and, famously, Newell Convers Wyeth. Painter’s Folly was later used as an art studio and refuge by Andrew Wyeth, beginning in 1989, and was the subject of multiple titled and untitled works by Wyeth. Many state and national organizations recognized the importance of Painter’s Folly in letters of support, including the Brandywine Conservancy, Daughters of the American Revolution, Eastern Pennsylvania Preservation Society, and the Preservation Alliance of Greater Philadelphia. Outside of national recognition, Chadds Ford residents cherish Painter’s Folly as a touchstone of Chadds Ford identity. Painter’s Folly was purchased by Chadds Ford Township in 2018. We congratulate Chadds Ford Township on its preservation efforts to ensure that Painter’s Folly remains publicly accessible and is maintained as an essential heritage site in our community Chadds Ford Township has partnered with numerous historical and preservation organizations, including the Preservation Alliance of Greater Philadelphia, to explore potential ongoing preservation efforts for the building. Painter’s Folly, as a publicly accessible, preserved historic site, is a win-win for our community. Delaware County has many examples of successful, positive historic site co-stewardships, including the Grange Estate, the Lazaretto, and the Willows. In the case that Chadds Ford Township decides to offload Painter’s Folly, there are several options under the Second-Class Township Code, including sealed bidding, a public auction, and a conveyance or letting agreement with applicable entities, which all warrant thorough investigation. Historic preservation easements for the interior and exterior are advisable for all these options to ensure the long-term preservation of the land and building. The contents of the building’s interior, many of which belonged to the Sipalas, must be retained and preserved within Painter’s Folly. Chadds Ford Township should allocate sufficient time to investigate all possibilities. Preservation planning projects take time, and oftentimes new opportunities arise during that process. We encourage Chadds Ford Township to share a sense of a timeline, request that ample time be given to explore preservation partnerships, and provide regular, two-way updates to the community. The proposed next steps are: Chadds Ford Township will provide updates to the community at every Board of Supervisors meeting, including comments from the public and updates on investigations into co-stewardship and other forms of preservation partnerships. Chadds Ford Township to publish a Request for Proposals for the adaptive reuse of Painter’s Folly and create a Review Board of Township staff and expert members of the public to examine all proposals. Chadds Ford Township to update the public at Board of Supervisors meetings on all officially submitted adaptive reuse proposals. Chadds Ford Township to provide a clear scope of potential conservation and land easements for Painter’s Folly. Chadds Ford Township to provide building access to the Painter’s Folly Liaison Professor Edward Worteck to ensure continued documentation of the building through professional preservation photography. Chadds Ford Township to provide an anticipated timeline for the potential disposal of Painter’s Folly. We ask that Chadds Ford Township not make a hasty decision and continue its investigation into the numerous preservation-oriented avenues for Painter’s Folly. The preservation community is willing and able to assist Chadds Ford Township in any way possible and is offering to join forces and relieve the burden of township employees. We look forward to hearing from Chadds Ford Township and to the bright future of Painter’s Folly!

Painter's Folly Preservation Alliance has completed several important research projects and site documentations. PHOTOGRAPHY PROJECTS Art Professor Emeritus Ed Worteck photographed countless images of Painter's Folly, Helen Murray Sipala, and her collection of Wyeth ephemera, as well as architectural documentation. Worteck's Painter's Folly photographs were made available to Chadds Ford Township for documentation, grant writing, and future research. CHAIN OF TITLE Pam Cawood Rizzo, a student at the University of Delaware's Center for Historic Architecture and Design, completed a comprehensive Painter's Folly Chain of Title in May 2025 that includes a historic narrative, tax data, historic photographs, and deed information. This project laid an important foundation for Painter's Folly's ownership history, changes in parcel size, and the site's integrity. CO-STEWARDSHIP MODELS Emma Leuschner compiled a list of current public-private partnerships for historic sites in Delaware County, Pennsylvania. Leuschner worked with the Delaware County Planning Department to determine the number of co-stewarded historic sites in the same county as Painter's Folly. It was determined that 18 historic sites in Delaware County are municipally owned but operated by a separate organization, such as a historical society or other nonprofit. This information was shared with Chadds Ford Township officials via public comment at the 16 July 2025, Painter's Folly public meeting. The Delaware County Planning Department provided Chadds Ford Township with additional information regarding the agreements at those sites during a private meeting in Fall 2025. PHMC STATE HISTORICAL MARKER Chadds Ford Township approved Emma Leuschner to pursue a Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission State Historical Marker application for Painter's Folly in May 2025. Leuschner submitted the pre-application paperwork to PHMC in January 2026 and received pre-approval in March 2026. Chadds Ford Township is applying for a Certified Local Government mini-grant in 2026 for the marker. This project is ongoing. PAINTER'S FOLLY: A NARRATIVE HISTORY Between June and September 2025, Emma Leuschner researched, wrote, and published Painter's Folly: A Narrative History, which covers the history and significance of the property's previous owners and residents. This research underscored Painter's Folly's close relationship to the other Chadds Ford historic landmarks, such as the Brandywine Battlefield Park and Kuerner Farm. The paper is publicly accessible on the Painter's Folly Preservation Alliance website. HELEN SIPALA ORAL HISTORY RECORDINGS On 31 July 2025, Ed Worteck and Emma Leuschner interviewed historian Thomas Wood for an oral history project on Helen Murray Sipala. Dr. Robert Kodosky, the West Chester University History Department Chair, recommended Wood for this project based on Wood's expertise in conducting oral history interviews. Following an initial interview, Leuschner and Worteck hired Thomas Wood to interview and record Helen Murray Sipala on her life, friendship with Andrew Wyeth, and their relationship at Painter's Folly. Interviews were conducted on 8 August 2025, 13 August 2025, and 19 August 2025. The recordings are held in perpetuity at the University of Kentucky's Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History and are available to scholars and researchers. Thomas Wood gave the Painter's Folly Preservation Alliance two copies of the recordings on thumb drives. The Painter's Folly Preservation Alliance website includes a page that directs researchers to the repository website. https://www.kentuckyoralhistory.org/ark:/16417/xt7vzzjmr7cks HELEN SIPALA PHOTO/DOCUMENT ALBUMS TO THE BRANDYWINE MUSEUM OF ART In July and August 2025, Ed Worteck coordinated with Dr. William L. Coleman (Wyeth Foundation Curator and Director of the Andrew & Betsy Wyeth Study Center) and Karen Baumgartner (Collections Manager for the Andrew & Betsy Wyeth Study Center) for the Brandywine Museum of Art to scan Helen Murray Sipala's collection of document albums. The photo and document albums were compiled during Wyeth's visits to the house, at social events he organized at Painter's Folly, and from personal messages sent to the Sipalas by Andrew and Betsy Wyeth, as well as other Wyeth family members. There are additional records of conversations and messages from Wyeth's only authorized biographer, Richard Merryman, who used Painter's Folly to relay private messages about the biography directly to Andrew Wyeth. The document scans are held in the Wyeth Study Center archive for future research. HELEN SIPALA DIARY + ALBUMS TO THE DELAWARE ART MUSEUM In November 2025, Ed Worteck and architectural historian W. Barksdale Maynard arranged for Helen Murray Sipala's 445-page diary and full collection of document albums to be accessioned in the Delaware Art Museum archive and made publicly accessible for research. Worteck wrote the collection description for Delaware Art Museum archivist Rachael DiEleuterio. Emma Leuschner and Worteck assisted Helen Murray Sipala in transferring materials to DiEleuterio on 12 November 2025. This project underscores the significance of Painter's Folly's history and ensures that critical primary documents related to Andrew Wyeth, Helen Murray Sipala, and Painter's Folly are professionally maintained and accessible for further research. PAINTER'S FOLLY: A CATALYST FOR REVOLUTIONARY MEMORY AND AMERICAN ART In early 2026, Emma Leuschner authored a 13,000+ word essay titled “Painter’s Folly: A Catalyst for Revolutionary Memory and American Art.” The paper traces the profound legacy of the c. 1856 Italianate residence in Chadds Ford, originally built by Samuel H. Painter and later home to illustrator Howard Pyle during his transformative Chadds Ford summer schools (1898–1903). Leuschner argues that Painter’s Folly served as a catalyst for the Howard Pyle School of Art and the development of the Brandywine School style, shaping the careers of artists such as Frank Earle Schoonover, Newell Convers Wyeth, and Andrew Wyeth. The essay was added to the Howard Pyle Manuscript Collection at the Delaware Art Museum and nominated for the Pennsylvania Historical Association’s 2026 William A. Pencak Award. Leuschner will present the paper at the 2026 Pennsylvania Historical Association's conference. DIGITIZING THE ATWATER-CLEVEAND PHOTOGRAPH COLLECTION PFPA has acquired a collection of 900 Atwater-Cleveland family photographs, spanning from the 1840s to the 1960s. Many were taken at Painter's Folly and offer a rare window into the Chadds Ford landscape at the turn of the twentieth century. We're currently digitizing the collection before donating it to a permanent archive. The Cleveland-Atwater era was one of the most transformative chapters in Painter's Folly's history. Dr. Arthur Cleveland, a laryngologist on staff at Presbyterian Hospital and the Pennsylvania School for the Deaf, became owner of Painter's Folly and its 500 surrounding acres in 1903. A former ward of Joseph and Eliza Turner of Chadds Ford, he also served as President of the Birmingham Township Board of Supervisors. Together with his father-in-law, Richard Mead Atwater, Dr. Cleveland ran Lafayette Dairies — one of only two local dairies selling milk in glass bottles. The Cleveland-Atwater family's holdings — including Washington's Headquarters, Lafayette's Headquarters, Painter's Folly, Windtryst, Turner's Mill, and Red Barn Farm (Kuerner Farm) — placed the family at the center of the very debates that led to the creation of today's Brandywine Battlefield Park, formally established with the Brandywine Battlefield Bill of 1947. THE WYETH INTERVIEW PROJECT The Wyeth Interview Project is an ongoing oral history and documentation effort by the Painter's Folly Preservation Alliance. Since launching, we've spoken with more than ten of Andrew Wyeth's former models and friends across Delaware, Pennsylvania, and Maine, gathering firsthand accounts that have never been recorded. The work continues on a rolling basis — each conversation shapes the next, and the archive grows as more subjects come forward. We're documenting everything according to ethical oral-history standards, with an eye toward preserving these voices, especially the women's, for scholars and the public alike. ONGOING PROJECTS Painter's Folly Preservation Alliance co-founders Emma Leuschner and Ed Worteck continue to develop research on the history and importance of Painter's Folly, building a library of documents, photographs, and oral history interviews. This research supports preservation efforts for Painter's Folly and provides evidence of the landscape and building's importance as a crucial site in American history and the development of American art and the Brandywine School of Art.

Andrew Wyeth remains one of the most celebrated American painters of the twentieth century, yet the individuals who modeled for him and who knew him in Chadds Ford and along the Maine coast have rarely had the chance to share their own accounts. The Wyeth Interview Project aims to change that — conducting oral history interviews with those models, friends, and associates to capture their firsthand knowledge and experiences. We've identified numerous potential interview subjects across Delaware, Pennsylvania, and Maine. Their recollections promise to enrich our understanding of Wyeth's creative process, challenge the narrative of the "solitary genius," and — importantly — restore the voices of the female models whose presence shaped so much of his most iconic work but whose own stories have gone largely untold. The project follows ethical oral-history best practices, including informed consent and subject review of transcripts, and anticipates roughly three years from launch to reaching both scholarly and general audiences through an archived collection and public-facing publication. We're actively seeking an institutional partner — a museum, university library, or historical society with existing Wyeth holdings — to help preserve this archive for future generations. If that's you, or someone you know, we'd love to talk. If you — or a parent, grandparent, neighbor, or old family friend — modeled for Andrew Wyeth, worked alongside him, or simply knew him as a familiar face around Chadds Ford or the Maine coast, we want to hear from you. We'd love the chance to capture those firsthand memories and add them to the historical record. If this describes you or someone close to you, please reach out — we'd be glad to answer questions about the process and what participating involves. Reach out to us at info@paintersfollypreservationalliance.com to discuss.

In June 2026, PFPA acquired a collection of 900 Atwater-Cleveland family photographs, spanning from the 1840s to the 1960s. Many were taken at Painter's Folly and offer a rare window into the Chadds Ford landscape at the turn of the twentieth century. We're currently digitizing the collection before donating it to a permanent archive. The Cleveland-Atwater era was one of the most transformative chapters in Painter's Folly's history. Dr. Arthur Cleveland, a laryngologist on staff at Presbyterian Hospital and the Pennsylvania School for the Deaf, became owner of Painter's Folly and its 500 surrounding acres in 1903. A former ward of Joseph and Eliza Turner of Chadds Ford, he also served as President of the Birmingham Township Board of Supervisors. Together with his father-in-law, Richard Mead Atwater, Dr. Cleveland ran Lafayette Dairies — one of only two local dairies selling milk in glass bottles. By 1906, Richard Atwater had moved into Painter's Folly himself, while the Clevelands relocated to the neighboring Gideon Gilpin House. The Atwaters purchased the home and 47 acres outright in 1908. Richard Atwater — a glass manufacturing magnate and former mayor of Sea Isle City, NJ — became a local authority on the Battle of the Brandywine, regularly lecturing on Revolutionary War troop movements. (His wife, Sophia Greene Atwater, was a descendant of General Nathaniel Greene, Washington's second-in-command at the battle.) In the decades that followed, the Cleveland-Atwater family's holdings — including Washington's Headquarters, Lafayette's Headquarters, Painter's Folly, Wyndryst, Turner's Mill, and Red Barn Farm (Kuerner Farm) — placed the family at the center of the very debates that led to the creation of today's Brandywine Battlefield Park, formally established with the Brandywine Battlefield Bill of 1947. Richard Mead Atwater died at Painter's Folly in 1922. The property remained in the family until 1953, when it was sold to John and Mary Fisher, closing a fifty-year chapter in which the Clevelands and Atwaters helped shape the agricultural and historic identity of Chadds Ford and the Brandywine Valley.

What happens to a landmark this important when the government that owns it can no longer afford to keep it? The Painter's Folly Preservation Alliance was founded in the summer of 2025 to help answer that question. Increasingly, the answer we hear from neighbors, art lovers, and history buffs alike is some version of: "How can I help? Can I just donate?" The honest answer is more interesting than a simple yes or no. Because Painter's Folly isn't privately owned — it belongs to Chadds Ford Township — a donation to save it doesn't work like a donation to a typical nonprofit. It works like a donation to your local government. That comes with its own rules, its own paperwork, and its own protections. This post walks through exactly how that process works, so that when you're ready to give, you know what you're actually signing up for. From Public Purchase to Public Question Chadds Ford Township bought Painter's Folly in 2018 through its Open Space program, with the goal of preserving it and eventually opening it to the public. Since then, the Township has run a pilot artist-studios program, pursued grant funding, and held public meetings in 2024 and 2025 to gather resident feedback. But preserving a 170-year-old landmark is expensive, and by the summer of 2025, the Township began weighing a public sale of the property — potentially by auction. That prospect is what brought our Alliance together. We have spent the past year documenting the property's architectural history, ownership records, and archival materials, with the goal of finding an established nonprofit, government agency, school, or other institution willing to take ownership and keep the house accessible to the public. Individual donations are part of that effort too, which is where the legal questions come in. Can You Just Write a Check? Not exactly — but the Township does have clear legal authority to accept your gift, and to make sure it's spent the way you intend. As a Second Class Township under Pennsylvania law, Chadds Ford's power to accept donations for Painter's Folly comes from two sections of the Second Class Township Code (Title 53 of Purdon's Pennsylvania Statutes). The first is Section 1541, which specifically covers historical property. It authorizes the Board of Supervisors to "acquire by purchase or by gift, repair, supervise, operate and maintain ancient landmarks and other property of historical or antiquarian interest," and to make appropriations to nonprofits organized for the same purpose. Pennsylvania courts and municipal practice read "gift" here to include monetary donations earmarked for repairing, supervising, operating, and maintaining a landmark — not just gifts of the real estate itself. The second is Section 1503, the Township's general corporate powers over property. It allows the Board to "purchase, acquire by gift, hold, lease, use and manage, sell and convey real and personal property" in the Township's best interest. Under Pennsylvania law, money counts as personal property. This section gives the Township the standing corporate authority to accept your cash donation in support of a piece of real property it already owns. Where Your Money Actually Goes Accepting the gift is only half the story. Because public funds require transparency, the Township uses two more sections of the code, Section 1502 (Current Expenses) and Section 1702 (Budgets), to place accepted donations into a restricted, line-item category in the general ledger, earmarked specifically for Painter's Folly. That structure exists precisely so your donation can't quietly get absorbed into the Township's general operating budget. If you give money for Painter's Folly, it legally has to stay tagged for Painter's Folly. The Paperwork Behind a Handshake Here's the part that surprises most people: the Board of Supervisors can't simply deposit a check you hand them. Under the Second Class Township Code, accepting a gift requires a public process. The Board must add the donation to an upcoming public meeting agenda and vote on a formal Resolution to Accept a Gift. That resolution is what actually directs the funds into the restricted ledger category earmarked for Painter's Folly preservation. In short, three things have to happen, in public, before your donation becomes usable: The Board exercises its corporate power to accept the gift, under Sections 1503 and 1541. The Board votes on it at a public meeting, per Section 603. And the Board legally segregates the funds from general revenue, per Section 1702. Local governments handle the second and third steps at once through a single Board Resolution — the standard tool for this exact situation. The One Catch Worth Knowing None of this means the Board is obligated to say yes. The Second Class Township Code gives the Board of Supervisors final discretion over whether to accept any given gift. If a donation arrives with restrictions the Township doesn't have the staff to administer, or if it would commit the Township to an indefinite financial burden it can't sustain, the Board has the legal right to decline it. In practice, this is less a warning than a reason to give thoughtfully. A donation offered in good faith, without complicated strings attached, and routed through the process above is exactly the kind of gift the code was written to accommodate. What This Means If You Want to Help Painter's Folly's future is still being written. Whether it ends up in the hands of a museum, a school, a preservation nonprofit, or continues under Township stewardship with community support, individual donations remain one of the clearest, most legally straightforward ways for a neighbor to have a direct hand in the outcome. If you'd like to contribute, the next Board of Supervisors meeting is the place to start that formal, public process. The story of Painter's Folly has always been about people who saw more in this house than its neighbors expected. Its next chapter depends on people willing to do the same. *This information is provided for general awareness and is not legal advice; we are not lawyers. Anyone considering a donation should consult Chadds Ford Township directly or their own legal counsel with questions about the process.

Painter's Folly Preservation Alliance August 2026 Newsletter In Memoriam: Helen Murray Sipala It is with great sadness that the Painter's Folly Preservation Alliance announces the death of Helen Sipala, who passed away on the morning of July 21, 2026, at the age of 91. Helen helped revitalize and restore Painter's Folly as an important center for American art. Her stewardship allowed visitors to understand why Howard Pyle used the house as a center for his school of art, and why Andrew Wyeth made Painter's Folly, Helen, and George Sipala the subjects of many of his most important works in the last decades of his life. Helen transformed the house into a salon for visiting artists and dignitaries. Her passion and skill for gardening reshaped the landscape of Painter's Folly, framing the building with beauty and elegance throughout every season. Her tours educated the public on the history of Chadds Ford and the Brandywine School of Art. In the last years of her life, she worked closely with the Painter's Folly Preservation Alliance to record her experiences and help preserve the history and legacy of this remarkable place in our national heritage. She was more than a valued partner in our ongoing efforts — Helen Sipala was a wonderful friend and mentor. We will continue to work tirelessly to preserve her legacy and celebrate her remarkable life. Thank you, Helen. © Ed Worteck, 2026 Further Reading: Helen Sipala's Legacy Helen Murray Sipala owned and restored Painter's Folly from 1974 to 2018, and her decades-long friendship with Andrew Wyeth is central to the house's story. For readers who want to go deeper, we've pulled together several ways to explore her legacy: Start with her oral history — three recorded interview sessions conducted by historian Thomas Wood, now held in perpetuity at the University of Kentucky's Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History. Sipala also told her own story in two books, Beyond the Marriage Bed and Buttercups & Gratitude, both featured in our roundup of books and essays highlighting Painter's Folly. For the fuller context of the house she called home, read Painter's Folly: A Narrative History. Sipala's contributions were formally recognized this spring, when she received the A. Richard Paul Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2026 Delaware County Preservation Awards for her decades of stewardship. And our research and documentation efforts page details how her 445-page diary and photo/document albums were accessioned into the Delaware Art Museum archive, ensuring these primary sources remain accessible for future scholars. Together, these resources capture why Helen Sipala's legacy is inseparable from Painter's Folly's own. Support Painter's Folly with a Financial Gift Did you know you can make a direct financial donation toward the care and maintenance of Painter's Folly? Under the Pennsylvania Second Class Township Code, Chadds Ford Township has the legal authority to accept monetary gifts earmarked for historic landmarks like Painter's Folly (53 P.S. §§ 66503, 66541) — and to keep those funds separate from the general budget, restricted solely for the property's preservation. Here's how it works: when a donation is offered, the Board of Supervisors must vote in a public meeting to formally accept it through a Board Resolution. That resolution legally directs your gift into a restricted line-item account earmarked exclusively for Painter's Folly — meaning your donation can't be redirected to other township expenses. The Board does retain discretion over whether to accept a given gift, particularly if it comes with restrictions the township can't administer. If you'd like to contribute, we encourage you to reach out to Chadds Ford Township directly to discuss making a gift for Painter's Folly's preservation. Every donation helps build the case — and the resources — for a long-term future for this landmark. *This information is provided for general awareness and is not legal advice; we are not lawyers. Anyone considering a donation should consult Chadds Ford Township directly or their own legal counsel with questions about the process. Painter's Folly featured on CIRCA Old Houses and more Painter's Folly has been listed on CIRCA Old Houses, a widely followed marketplace and editorial site for historic homes that reaches over 2 million page views a month. The listing tells the story of our circa-1857 Italianate villa — from Howard Pyle's summer art school to Andrew Wyeth's decades as a studio here — and underscores our search for a mission-aligned nonprofit, museum, or educational partner to steward the property long-term. This is a meaningful boost in visibility at a critical moment for our advocacy! Read the full listing and share it with anyone who might know an institution ready to take on this landmark. Chadds Ford Live, DELCO.Today and VISTA.Today all report that the Alliance is looking for an established nonprofit, government agency, school, or other institution willing to take ownership of the circa-1856 Italianate landmark and keep it open to the public. Chadds Ford Township, which has owned the property since 2018, had begun weighing a public auction before the Alliance formed in 2025 to press for a preservation-minded outcome instead. Painter's Folly on view at Brandywine Museum of Art Want to see Painter's Folly as Andrew Wyeth saw it? Head to the Andrew Wyeth gallery at the Brandywine Museum of Art, where you can view several key paintings inspired by the house: Painter's Folly (1989), April (1992), and Renfield Study (1995). Each work captures a different facet of the landmark that served as Wyeth's studio for nearly twenty years — a reminder of just how deeply this house is woven into the story of American art. © Ed Worteck, 2026 The Wyeth Interview Project: Preserving the Stories Behind the Canvas Andrew Wyeth remains one of the most celebrated American painters of the twentieth century, yet the individuals who modeled for him, and who knew him in Chadds Ford and along the Maine coast, have rarely had the chance to share their own accounts. The Wyeth Interview Project aims to change that — conducting oral history interviews with those models, friends, and associates to capture their firsthand knowledge and experiences. We've identified numerous potential interview subjects across Delaware, Pennsylvania, and Maine. Their recollections promise to enrich our understanding of Wyeth's creative process, challenge the narrative of the "solitary genius," and — importantly — restore the voices of the female models whose presence shaped so much of his most iconic work but whose own stories have gone largely untold. The project follows ethical oral-history best practices, including informed consent and subject review of transcripts, and anticipates roughly three years from launch to reaching both scholarly and general audiences through an archived collection and public-facing publication. We're actively seeking an institutional partner — a museum, university library, or historical society with existing Wyeth holdings — to help preserve this archive for future generations. If that's you, or someone you know, we'd love to talk. If you — or a parent, grandparent, neighbor, or old family friend — modeled for Andrew Wyeth, worked alongside him, or simply knew him as a familiar face around Chadds Ford or the Maine coast, we want to hear from you. We'd love the chance to capture those firsthand memories and add them to the historical record. If this describes you or someone close to you, please reach out — we'd be glad to answer questions about the process and what participating involves. Reach out to us at info@paintersfollypreservationalliance.com to discuss. Preservation Partners: we want you! In response to strong public interest, the Painter’s Folly Preservation Alliance reaffirms its commitment to securing a long-term preservation partner for Painter’s Folly. We recognize concerns about taxpayer cost, public programming, and accessibility—and we believe there is a sustainable path forward. Under the Second Class Township Code, Chadds Ford Township may convey or lease the property directly to an eligible nonprofit, school, institutional district, or the Commonwealth, rather than pursue a public auction. Across Delaware County, eighteen municipally owned historic sites operate successfully through similar co-stewardship models with nonprofit partners. We invite qualified preservation partners to explore the available resources and join us in ensuring that this landmark remains protected, accessible, and vibrant for generations to come. Recent Updates PFPA in The Mensa Bulletin PFPA Co-Founder to Present at the Pennsylvania Historical Association Conference Painter's Folly named to the 2026 Pennsylvania At-Risk List A Remarkable Discovery: The Atwater-Cleveland Photographs

Written by Emma Leuschner for the Painter's Folly Preservation Alliance. Painter's Folly under a blanket of snow. © 2025 by Ed Worteck. High atop a hill overlooking one of the oldest roads leading to Philadelphia stands the striking white Italianate mansion known as “Painter’s Folly.” The c. 1856-1857 building is a three-story manse complete with a towering cupola, sprawling piazzas, and distinctive green shutters. Inside, the rooms are quiet, the halls empty, but the air is heavy with history. Painter’s Folly embodies nearly 170 years of memories, conveying the enduring spirit of our nation. Much like ripples in the Brandywine, these impressions flow into one another, representing the ongoing story of American identity. Old places withstand the test of time; they serve as memorials to our stories and lives. While they may not last forever, they act as physical reminders that life existed before us and will continue long after. Thompson Mayes, Chief Legal Officer for the National Trust for Historic Preservation, writes, “In a world that is constantly changing, old places provide people with a sense of being part of a continuum, which is necessary for them to be psychologically and emotionally healthy.” Well-preserved historic resources offer hope to a community. They stand firm alongside gas stations, strip malls, and shiny new developments as community elders. Old places remind us of our connection to place and time. Painter’s Folly is both a continuum and a prism of Chadds Ford’s identity. Its lifespan is linked to the origins of our country, as well as to political leaders and great artistic masters. This is the story of an old place. For the first time in the building’s history, it is owned by an organization rather than an individual. Chadds Ford Township now owns Painter’s Folly, but its short line of owners and inhabitants includes a disowned Quaker, a prominent Pennsylvania suffragette and philanthropist, the father of the Brandywine School of Art, a laryngologist, the Mayor of Sea Isle City, the president of the Democratic Women’s League of Delaware County, and Andrew Wyeth’s confidants and models. This is the story of Painter’s Folly. PAINTER’S FOLLY ORIGINS: 1856-1870 Painter’s Folly was built circa 1856-1857 for Samuel H. Painter, a birthright Quaker farmer with a penchant for architectural flair. Before the big house was built, Samuel purchased land consisting of 227 acres from his father, William Painter, on May 26, 1845. William Painter previously purchased “a messuage and plantation containing 231 acres and two perches” in 1828 from the Gideon Gilpin estate. The land was hallowed ground associated with the American Revolution’s Battle of the Brandywine. Samuel’s 1845 land purchase also included the Gideon Gilpin House. This early Quaker homestead housed the Marquis de Lafayette's before the Battle of the Brandywine in September 1777 and is colloquially known as “Lafayette’s Headquarters." Samuel Painter was a successful, wealthy farmer by the time he built Painter’s Folly. The value of his farm in 1850 was one of the highest in Birmingham Township. Painter’s Folly was built as a three-story, stucco-over-stone T-shaped house with a “shallow hip roof, a rectangular rooftop belvedere, and a first-floor wrap-around porch” typical of Italianate style homes. The interior of Painter’s Folly reflected Italianate-style sentiments with its “high, molded plaster ceilings and carved woodwork.” Painter’s Folly, as a Chadds Ford architectural eccentricity, stood in stark contrast to the surrounding Quaker stone farmhouses. Painter’s Folly certainly did not fall in line with Quaker simplicity values, and curiously enough, Samuel Painter was disowned by the Quaker meeting on October 26th, 1848, nearly a decade before the home’s completion. The name “Painter’s Folly” itself suggests how the community perceived the house: as decorative, extravagant, and eccentric. The term “folly” derives from the French word “folie,” meaning “foolishness” or “madness.” Local craftsmen completed the unusual country mansion by 1857 for Samuel’s small family of three, but the Painters did not stay in the house for long. By his late 50s, Samuel retired from farming, and he and his wife, Mary Hoopes Painter, moved down the road to Concordville to live with his younger brother, Darwin Painter. Samuel posted sales ads in the local papers in 1868, which advertised the property as 225 acres of suitable land for grazing or dairy farming. Samuel Painter sold Painter’s Folly to Joseph C. Turner on April 1, 1870. Samuel Painter passed away only six years after he sold Painter’s Folly and was laid to eternal rest in the Concord Friends Meeting graveyard in Concord Township. Samuel H. Painter (1810-1876) THE TURNERS: 1870-1903 Joseph C. Turner, an Episcopalian attorney residing in Philadelphia, managed a dairy operation known as Lafayette Farms and a grist mill on his land. Turner spent the summer each year from May to October at a nearby country estate known as Windtryst. Turner and his wife, Eliza L. Sproat Turner, were avid supporters of the arts and freedom of expression. While Joseph came to the countryside to find a quiet life as a farmer and retailer, his wife was never destined for simplicity. Eliza L. Sproat Turner was a published author, women’s club founder, and influential suffragette and abolitionist. Even though the Turners maintained a townhome in Philadelphia and Eliza was involved with her many city-based organizations, she saw a profound opportunity for underprivileged Philadelphia children to leave the city and experience country life. By 1875, Eliza asked her rural neighbors in Chester and Delaware Counties to help host impoverished city children for a week during the summer, giving them “a glimpse of nature and a breath of the pure air of heaven.” Eliza’s neighbors gladly welcomed the first twelve children, and soon enough, children were pouring in from the Baltimore Central Railroad on free train fare to experience “sunshine, fresh air, and wholesome food” for a week. This led to the founding of the Children’s Country Week Association. The organization grew rapidly over the following decades, helping more than 2,000 children by the 1920s. This vital charity began with Mrs. Eliza L. Sproat Turner’s love of the country, rooted in her summer home in Chadds Ford. In addition to philanthropy, Eliza L. Sproat Turner helped found the Pennsylvania Woman’s Suffrage Association in 1869, serving as its Treasurer and Vice President. She established the New Century for Women newspaper and, in 1877, founded the New Century Club, which led to the formation of the New Century Guild for Working Women in 1882. The New Century Club was one of the first women’s clubs in the United States and was a hub for the promotion of “science, literature, and art.” It was supported and managed in part by the Drexel Institute beginning in 1892, which was also the employer of Painter’s Folly’s forthcoming resident, the artist Howard Pyle. It was a natural decision when Joseph and Eliza Turner leased Painter’s Folly to Samuel Painter’s nephew, Howard Pyle, beginning in the summer of 1898. Eliza L. Sproat Turner (1826-1903) HOWARD PYLE AND THE BRANDYWINE SCHOOL OF ART: 1898-1903 Howard Pyle was a renowned American painter, author, and teacher, and is often regarded as the father of American illustration. While a native of Wilmington, Delaware, Pyle was captivated by the bucolic landscapes of Chadds Ford and the land rich with America’s Revolutionary history. Howard Pyle was Samuel Painter's nephew and the original owner of Painter's Folly. Howard was the director of the School of Illustration at the Drexel Institute in Philadelphia, and selected Chadds Ford as the site of a competitive summer school for the Institute’s top students. Pyle oversaw the Drexel Institute’s Summer School of Illustration out of Painter’s Folly and surrounding buildings from 1898 to 1900, teaching 10 to 15 of Drexel’s best students. Drexel offered 10 scholarships to students studying illustration, drawing, and painting, covering tuition and board in Chadds Ford. Applicants were required to study with Pyle for two years before the summer course, and a jury of Drexel Institute faculty members judged their applications. Students of Pyle’s Chadds Ford summer art program, either through the Drexel Institute or Howard Pyle School of Art, included renowned artists Stanley Massey Arthurs, Clifford Ashley, Arthur Ernst Becher, Anna Whelan Betts, Bertha Corson Day Bates, Clyde Osmer DeLand, Angel De Cora, George Matthews Harding, Gordon McCouch, Emlen McConnell, Thornton Oakley, Henry Jarvis Peck, Frank Earle Schoonover, Ellen Bernard Thompson Pyle, Harry Everett Townsend, Allan Tupper True, Sarah Stilwell Weber, and Newell Convers Wyeth. Howard Pyle and students outside school at Chadds Ford, 1902, Howard Pyle Manuscript Collection, Helen Farr Sloan Library & Archives, Delaware Art Museum Howard Pyle, his wife Anne Poole Pyle, and their many children set home base out of Painter’s Folly beginning in May, while Pyle operated his summer program for ten weeks from June through September. Newell Convers Wyeth biographer David Michaelis describes Howard Pyle’s connection to Painter’s Folly and the building itself in his book: “Howard Pyle’s mother had been born in nearby Painter’s Crossroads; she was a Painter, one of the area’s oldest Quaker families. During the hot summer months in Chadds Ford, Howard and his family still occupied the old Painter place, which the townspeople called Painter’s Folly. It was a massive Italianate house with a cupola, deep piazzas, a broad lawn overlooking the village, and a tennis court.” Chadds Ford house, Anna W. Hoopes' photo album from Howard Pyle's Summer School of Illustration, 1898-1899, Frank E. Schoonover Manuscript Collection, Helen Farr Sloan Library & Archives, Delaware Art Museum The initial summer of 1898 proved to be a whirlwind of excitement for the citizens of Chadds Ford. Local newspapers reported on the influx of Philadelphia’s top art students to the country village and the strange goings-on of the artists at work. Papers were quick to note the connection between Pyle’s summer art school and the famed Revolutionary battle: “The famous author-artist is occupying the old Painter homestead, right in the heart of this picturesque country, savoring of historic deeds – a country of shady roads, rich, rolling meadows, old broken down stone walls, overgrown with briars and moss, pierced by jagged crevices, through which the sun shines and the rain drives, where probably some revolutionary bullets flew over a century ago, and where brave men fell in the cause of freedom.” Pyle had a particular affinity for history and a profound reverence for the American Revolution. Pyle was regarded in the press as having an eye for Colonial and Revolutionary “manners, costumes, house furnishings,[and] the accouterments of war.”His students followed suit. In 1899, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported that Pyle’s students were busy illustrating scenes and themes from the American Revolution. Students often dressed in historic and colonial garb while posing for one another on the lawn of Painter’s Folly, sparking the interest of Chadds Ford villagers. Many students, such as Robert L. Mason and Stanley M. Arthurs, created colonial illustrations and paintings while studying in Chadds Ford. Jill and Robert May, Howard Pyle biographers, noted the importance of time and place to Pyle’s art students in Chadds Ford: “The picturesque nature of the Chadds Ford vicinity and memories of the important historical events that had occurred there simultaneously fostered the students’ mastery of landscape art and appreciation of their country’s past history, an important element in many of their subsequent published illustrations.” Students in costume at Howard Pyle's summer school, 1899, Frank E. Schoonover Manuscript Collection, Helen Farr Sloan Library & Archives, Delaware Art Museum Painter’s Folly sat firm on the same land where Americans and British fought and died, with Howard Pyle looking out over the veranda 120 years later at the meadows and valley with inspiration twinkling in his eye. Howard Pyle’s female students boarded in the neighboring Gideon Gilpin House, where the Marquis de Lafayette reportedly plotted for his first battle of the American Revolution. Pyle’s male students slumbered in the nearby General Washington’s Headquarters. As Thompson Mayes masterfully points out in his book, “connection to these old places makes them aware that they are part of the continuum, connected to people of the past, the present, and hopefully, the future.” Pyle and his summer school students certainly felt the connection to these old places and the continuum. The artists created works that depicted moments in time well before their lifetimes and were meant to endure long after. Painter’s Folly was witness to it all. One of Howard Pyle’s most profound revolutionary-inspired works was painted while he lived at Painter’s Folly during the summer of 1902. The Nation Makers (1902) is an oil painting depicting American forces marching into battle at the Battle of the Brandywine. Pyle considered this work one of his most important in his catalog raisonné, and later dispatched it on tour to cities such as New York, Chicago, and Detroit before Collier’s Weekly purchased the copyright to print it as the frontispiece of the June 1906 issue. The Nation Makers was a direct response to Pyle living on the very land where the pivotal battle took place. Howard Pyle completed many other works while conducting his summer courses, many of which were likely worked on while living at Painter’s Folly. Pyle’s illustration subjects ranged from pirates and colonial and revolutionary scenes to medieval, mystical, and allegorical subjects, fables and fairy tales, and frontier and Native American landscapes. Noteworthy illustrations from this period include Story of the Revolution (1898), Dead Men Tell No Tales (1899), Last Years of Washington’s Life (1899), Captain Scarfield(1900), The Flying Dutchman (1900), The Pilgrimage of Truth (1900), Colonies and Nation (1901), Don Quixote (1901), The First Self-Made American (1902), and Travels of the Soul (1902). These illustrations were published in books and periodicals, including Century, Collier’s, Everybody’s, Harper’s Magazine, Harper’s Weekly, Ladies’ Home Journal, and Scribner’s. In addition to housing the Pyle family, Painter’s Folly was the site of critical student discussions regarding artistic expression. N.C. Wyeth biographer David Michaelis notes, “In summer, the Pyles hosted lunches and suppers and games on the shaded verandas. It was a world of sons. Mr. Pyle liked nothing better than to gather his students on the front piazza for touch, ennobling talks about life and art.” Painter’s Folly was a gathering place for Pyle’s students to interact with their leader in an intimate, informal setting outside of the studio. It allowed the students to engage with Pyle as both an artist and an individual in the comfort of his summer home, amongst his family. Painter house at Chadds Ford, Anna W. Hoopes' photo album from Howard Pyle's Summer School of Illustration, 1898-1899, Frank E. Schoonover Manuscript Collection, Helen Farr Sloan Library & Archives, Delaware Art Museum Pyle left the Drexel Institute in the early spring of 1900 to establish his art school, which became known as the Howard Pyle School of Art and later as the Brandywine School. Many students who previously attended Pyle’s Drexel Institute classes followed him into his new endeavor. Arguably, Pyle’s most famous student, Newell Convers Wyeth, applied to the Howard Pyle School of Art in 1902 after boarding in Wilmington and attending Pyle’s Saturday night composition lectures in Chadds Ford. Newell Convers Wyeth and the Wyeth Family Newell Convers Wyeth, also known as N.C., was born and raised in Needham, Massachusetts. By October 1902, Wyeth, then 20, left home to study illustration and painting with Howard Pyle. Wyeth was a seamless addition to Pyle’s elite group of students and quickly became one of Pyle’s favorites. N.C. Wyeth biographer, David Michaelis, notes that “Wyeth fit naturally among the Pyles. The family was an idealized version of his own, and when he first approached Painter’s Folly that early November weekend, one of the high piazza windows framed a domestic scene that would serve as a model in years ahead.” Wyeth settled permanently along the Brandywine in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, in 1908, and developed into one of America’s best illustrators. His work was featured on the front page of magazines such as The Saturday Evening Post and Scribner’s, advertisements for Coca-Cola and Lucky Strike, and, famously, contributed illustrations for classic literature such as Treasure Island, Robin Hood, The Last of the Mohicans, and Robinson Crusoe. The Wyeth Family connection and legacy in Chadds Ford proliferated under Newell Convers Wyeth and his deep love for the Brandywine Valley. Newell and his wife, Carolyn Brenneman Bockius Wyeth, had five children: Henriette Wyeth Hurd, Carolyn Wyeth, Nathaniel C. Wyeth, Ann Wyeth McCoy, and Andrew Wyeth. Andrew emerged as one of the leading American painters of the mid- to late 20th century. Henriette and Carolyn also pursued careers in painting, while Ann combined her talents in both visual art and music, becoming a painter and composer. Their brother Nathaniel took a different path, becoming an engineer at DuPont, where he contributed to the development of the plastic soda bottle. Nathaniel married Howard Pyle’s niece, Caroline Pyle. Henriette and Ann each married one of their father’s protégés—Peter Hurd and John W. McCoy, respectively. N.C. Wyeth’s legacy continued through his grandchildren, including artists Jamie Wyeth and Michael Hurd, as well as musician Howard Wyeth. The Wyeth family legacy is fixed in Chadds Ford and stems in part from Pyle’s famous summer art courses in the village. Howard Pyle continued living at Painter’s Folly through 1903 while teaching his summer classes. Pyle eventually grew tired of Chadds Ford and returned home to Wilmington in 1903, abandoning Painter’s Folly as a summer retreat. A public sale of Pyle’s discarded, unwanted belongings was held in June 1904. Joseph and Eliza Turner passed away in 1902 and 1903, respectively, and Dr. Arthur Horton Cleveland, Sr., bought the home from their estate. THE CLEVELANDS AND ATWATERS: 1903-1953 New life and a new chapter began for Painter’s Folly, now known as Lafayette’s Manor or Lafayette Hall. Dr. Arthur Horton Cleveland Sr., a recent widower, purchased three tracts of land in 1903, including Painter’s Folly and the surrounding buildings, including the present-day Kuerner Farm, which were still in use as the Lafayette Dairy Farm. Dr. Cleveland’s total land purchases amounted to nearly 500 acres. Dr. Cleveland was a ward of Joseph and Eliza Turner after the death of his parents in his late teenage years, and lived with the Turners in Chadds Ford in the late 1800s. Dr. Arthur Cleveland Sr. was a medical doctor of laryngology and worked on staff at the Presbyterian Hospital, the Pennsylvania School for the Deaf, and the Medico-Chirurgical College. Dr. Cleveland Sr. would settle into his new life in Chadds Ford and later become president of the Birmingham Township Board of Supervisors. Alongside his father-in-law, Richard Mead Atwater, Dr. Cleveland continued running the dairy business, which was one of only two dairies at the time to sell milk in glass bottles. Richard Mead Atwater, a native of Rhode Island and former mayor of Sea Isle City, N.J., was a glass manufacturer by trade and saw this new venture as a perfect addition. The Lafayette Dairy Farm, under Cleveland-Atwater ownership, often hired employees from the University of Pennsylvania. One of their most notable employees was Arthur Linville, who managed the farm’s orchard and later founded the nearby 350-acre Linvilla Orchards Farm, which remains operational today. The business grew to include a successful orchard program. By 1910, Lafayette Farms was selected by the State Economic Zoologist as a “Model Orchard” for State research purposes. Lafayette Farms was the site of public orchard-care demonstrations and lectures and became well-known for its peach crop. Painter’s Folly and the surrounding land were extensive, and the Cleveland family opened the property to Dr. Cleveland’s late wife, Ethel Wyn Atwater’s family. Ethel’s father, mother, and sister, along with hired help and farmhands, moved permanently to the new family homestead by 1906. Dr. Cleveland raised two children on the property: Arthur Cleveland, Jr., and Ethelwyn Atwater Cleveland. In 1908, Dr. Cleveland sold Painter’s Folly and 47 acres to his father-in-law, Richard Mead Atwater. Atwater and his wife stayed at Painter’s Folly, then known as Lafayette’s Hall, while Dr. Cleveland’s family moved into the nearby Gideon Gilpin House after living in the Red Barn Farm, now known as Kuerner’s Farm. Dr. Cleveland’s grandson, Arthur Cleveland III, became an essential part of the artistic legacy of Painter’s Folly, especially when Andrew Wyeth captured his likeness in the 1946 portrait, Arthur Cleveland. The senior Atwaters, like Samuel Painter, were avid Francophiles. Richard Mead Atwater and his wife, Abby Sophia Greene, resided in Paris for six years while Richard worked as a European agent for an American harvesting machine company. Back in Chadds Ford, the Atwaters hosted the French Ambassador to the United States, Jean Jules Jusserand, at Painter’s Folly in September 1915 on Brandywine Day. Dr. and Mrs. George Philip Morris, the president of the West Chester Normal School and the Chester County Historical Society, were also present for this momentous luncheon and gave a speech regarding the significance of the Battle of the Brandywine to the Ambassador and a large crowd on the hallowed grounds following the lunch. The Atwaters exchanged correspondence with Ambassador Jusserand over the years, who fondly recalled Painter’s Folly. The Atwaters’ grandson, Richard Atwater of Tarrytown, N.Y., received the French War Cross in 1917 for bravery during World War I for his service driving an ambulance when he was only sixteen years old. The teenager spent ample time traipsing through the grounds of Lafayette Hall and passing time with his grandparents before his meritorious military service. Richard Mead Atwater, like Howard Pyle, was fascinated with the Battle of the Brandywine. He was enthusiastic regarding his ownership of General Washington’s Headquarters, also known as the Benjamin Ring House, and Lafayette’s Headquarters, also known as the Gideon Gilpin House. Locals considered him an authority on troop movements during the Battle of the Brandywine. Atwater often spoke publicly to captivated audiences on the history and significance of the battle, particularly on the commemorative Brandywine Day each September. Richard Mead Atwater was a descendant of General Nathaniel Green, second in command under General George Washington, and expressed a “personal interest in all that pertains to the battle, the spirit of which carried the Americans through Valley Forge and eventually won the war.” In addition to owning Painter’s Folly, Richard Mead Atwater purchased the nearby Windtryst property in 1913, which was built and owned by previous Painter’s Folly owners Joseph C. and Eliza L. Sproat Turner. Windtryst was a serpentine stone mansion built c. 1868 by Joseph Turner and used as the Turner summer home. For years, Windtryst was home to lively social dances and gatherings for the young people of Chadds Ford and later operated as a boardinghouse. The artist Newell Convers Wyeth and his family rented Windtryst before their house was completed in Chadds Ford. After Richard Mead Atwater poured his resources into restoring the property, Windtryst was tragically destroyed by fire on September 11th, 1914 – 137 years to the day from the Battle of the Brandywine. Newell Convers Wyeth depicted the ruins of Windtryst in his 1915 painting “And will you stay on – after last night?” Richard Mead Atwater also owned Turner’s Mill, where Howard Pyle’s students worked during the Chadds Ford summer sessions. Richard Mead Atwater died of an asthma attack at Painter’s Folly on October 20th, 1922. The property remained in the Atwater-Cleveland family until March 1953, when the executors of the Atwater estate sold 3.6 acres of land and Painter’s Folly to John and Mary Fisher. ORIGINS OF THE BRANDYWINE BATTLEFIELD PARK As early as 1922, discussions began regarding the creation of a state park at the site of the Battle of the Brandywine. Members of the American Legion of West Chester, governors of Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia, and Pennsylvania Senator Thomas Lawrence Eyre were all early supporters of creating a Brandywine Battlefield Park. Pennsylvania legislators spent years attempting to develop the park, but faced difficulties in passing the necessary bills. In 1937, Senator Weldon B. Heyburn, a local from Concord Township, proposed setting aside $10,000 for the newly appointed Brandywine Battlefield Commission to acquire land for the park, and he continued to introduce related bills over the next ten years. It was not until May 1947 that the Pennsylvania Senate authorized the purchase of 50 acres of land for $50,000, and Governor James Duff approved the Brandywine Battlefield Park Bill in July 1947. Governor Duff appointed ten men to the Brandywine Battlefield Park Commission by November 1947, which included Bart Anderson, Samuel Bunking Lewis, Martin W. Clement, Colonel Joseph Knox Fornace, Edward Hopkinson Jr., Captain J. Clark Mansfield, Frank W. Melvin, J. Truman Swing, and Lewis H. Van Dusen. The commission had its work cut out for it, as the landowners disagreed with the state’s financial offer. The estates of Richard Mead Atwater and Dr. Arthur Cleveland, who owned both Washington’s Headquarters and Lafayette’s Headquarters, objected to the commission’s offer price. Brandywine Battlefield area landowners banded together to form the Brandywine Community Association in 1949, with the intention of developing the historic park independently, without relying on state financial aid or involvement. Acclaimed artist and Chadds Ford resident, Andrew Wyeth, served as a director of the group. Brandywine Community Association members were concerned that the state would continue to buy up the surrounding land and buildings, but that never materialized. The acreage of the Brandywine Battlefield Park remained at 50 acres. All the while, Painter’s Folly sat just over the property border, next to the Gideon Gilpin House, as a private residence. THE FISHERS: 1953-1974 The mid-century arrival and ownership of the Fisher family marked yet another chapter in the history of Painter’s Folly, but one that echoed sentiments from past owners. A lively family of seven filled the many rooms of Painter’s Folly. At the head of the family was John M. Fisher, a DuPont Company engineer who worked first in building and construction and, later, in design engineering. Fisher was a member of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, the National Society of Professional Engineers, and the Delaware Society of Professional Engineers. John’s professional inclinations led him to tinker and work on mathematical inventions known as slide rules. Fisher pursued a patent for one of his slide rules, which was designed as an aid to bartenders in crafting specific alcoholic drinks. John’s wife, Mary Kay Kelley Fisher, also known as “Gerry,” was a homemaker and mother who was deeply involved in local politics. A native of West Virginia and no stranger to grand historic homes, Mary Fisher jumped feet first into Chadds Ford life. Mary served as secretary for the Brandywine Battlefield Park beginning in 1960, as president of the Democratic Women’s League of Delaware County, and as program chairwoman for the Pennsylvania Federation of Democratic Women. Mary often hosted political gatherings, luncheons, and fundraisers for her various political and charitable organizations at Painter’s Folly. Mary served as the board president of Camp Sunshine in Thornbury Township, which was a Delaware County summer camp initiative for at-risk youth. Mary’s involvement in the Brandywine Battlefield Park and Camp Sunshine was certainly a connecting thread to Painter’s Folly’s past. Yet, her dedication to serving in both charity and political organizations was certainly paved, in part, by Eliza L. Sproat Turner’s suffrage work. Painter’s Folly had a keen sense of attracting politically active women. The Fishers sold Painter’s Folly in August 1974 to George E. and Helen Murray Sipala. The Sipala Chapter would bring the Painter’s Folly narrative full circle. THE SIPALAS AND ANDREW WYETH: 1974-2018 George and Helen Sipala purchased Painter’s Folly with a sincere love for antique collecting and hosting grand parties. Although the home required repairs at the time of purchase, the Sipalas moved into Painter’s Folly with immense appreciation for the grand house's history and architecture. George and Helen had five children. Both worked in real estate and were active in the numerous social circles of Delaware and Chester counties. However, the Sipala’s lives changed forever during a snowstorm on March 1, 1989, when Chadds Ford resident and famed American artist Andrew Wyeth entered their lives, marking the beginning of a 20-year friendship. Andrew Wyeth Andrew Newell Wyeth was born July 12th, 1917, in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, to famed illustrator Newell Convers Wyeth and Carolyn Bockius Wyeth. He was the youngest of five children and grew up roaming the woods and hills along the Brandywine River. Andrew began drawing in childhood and took illustrative art lessons with his father in his nearby studio by the time he was a teenager. Andrew was introduced to the style of egg tempera painting by his brother-in-law, Peter Hurd, which became a stylistic focal point in Wyeth’s career. Wyeth’s career took off in 1937 when he had his first solo exhibition in New York City at the Macbeth Gallery.Wyeth moved between watercolors and egg temperas and found inspiration in the landscapes and people of Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, and Cushing, Maine, from where his wife and manager, Betsy James Wyeth, hailed. Andrew Wyeth was considered a realist painter in the American regionalist style, a modern art movement that emerged in the 1930s and 1940s, depicting scenes of rural America. Andrew, however, considered himself an abstractionist. Art historians and critics note that Wyeth used abstract expressionism “as a means of directly transmitting/channeling the raw essence of felt, poetic vision through the material.” Andrew Wyeth received numerous awards for his significant contributions to the art world. Wyeth was notably the first painter to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1963. Wyeth received the Congressional Medal of Honor in 1988 and the National Medal of Arts in 2007. Andrew was elected to several prestigious institutions, including the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Philosophical Society, the Academie des Beaux-Arts, and the Royal Academy. For over seventy years, Andrew Wyeth captured the emotion of a place through his work. When discussing the Kuerner Farm in Chadds Ford, a place of frequent inspiration, Andrew noted the emotional connection to his subjects: “It [Kuerner Farm] just excited me, purely abstractly and purely emotionally."Painter’s Folly held the same sway over Wyeth and was a source of inspiration to the acclaimed artist. Andrew Wyeth’s friendship with the Sipala’s The lives of Andrew Wyeth and George and Helen Sipala merged on Wednesday, March 1st, 1989. Helen and George were stowed away inside Painter’s Folly during the first snowstorm of the winter when they noticed a man dressed in a parka down by their swimming pool and seemingly sketching their house. The Sipalas observed the man sketching the property over the subsequent days and, finally, approached him, immediately recognizing him as the artist Andrew Wyeth. Their first conversation included a discussion about Painter’s Folly’s ties to Andrew’s father, N.C. Wyeth and Howard Pyle. Helen Sipala recorded her interactions with Andrew Wyeth in a diary from 1989 to Andrew’s death in 2009. She later published a book, Beyond the Marriage Bed: My Years as a Friend, Model, and Confidante of Andrew Wyeth, in 2021, which included the diary and personal photographs. Helen’s diary entries provide an intimate glimpse into Andrew’s personality and his relationships in Chadds Ford. The Sipalas and Wyeth initially bonded over practical jokes, with humor diffusing the mystique and grandeur of Wyeth’s palpable fame. George Sipala and Andrew were well known for their comedic personalities. Helen’s early diary entries account for numerous practical jokes and pranks played between Andrew Wyeth and the Sipalas. Humor put everyone at ease, bringing comfort and a deep sense of trust among the three. Soon, George and Helen Sipala gave Andrew Wyeth access to Painter’s Folly, and Andrew came and went as he pleased. Andrew Wyeth often retreated to Painter’s Folly to escape the press, prying neighbors, jealous models, and even his own family. While Andrew Wyeth was at home in Chadds Ford from October through May, he let himself into Painter’s Folly in the early morning hours and often climbed the three flights of stairs up to the cupola to work. Wyeth left materials, studies, and paintings in Painter’s Folly and used a bedroom on the third floor as a private studio. Soon enough, others from Wyeth’s world, such as Helga Testorf, figured out where he was stowed away and would burst into the house to search for him. The Sipalas began hosting grand dinner parties after Andrew Wyeth entered their home and lives. In addition to Andrew’s immediate family, an impressive cast of characters regularly filled the rooms of Painter’s Folly for Christmas parties. Notable visitors included Charles Cawley, Phyllis Diller, Anna d’Harnoncourt, Joseph Richel, Irene and Barbara duPont, Eugene and Cindy duPont Weymouth, Tom and Edna Hartness, the Kuerners, Gene Logsdon, Richard Meryman, Richard Sanford, Larry and Klara Silverstein, Frolic Weymouth, and the entire surviving extended Wyeth family. The Sipala-Wyeth Christmas parties became well-known and revered annual events, with attendees regularly singing Helen’s praise in follow-up thank-you letters. Andrew Wyeth’s work depicting Painter’s Folly and Sipala’s According to the Wyeth Study Center at the Brandywine Museum of Art, there are 15 titled works that Andrew Wyeth completed while at Painter’s Folly. Outside these titled works, there are dozens of untitled watercolor and pencil studies. However, Andrew Wyeth began painting Painter’s Folly long before he met the Sipalas and used the home as a private studio. In 1967, Wyeth included the mansion in an untitled watercolor that depicts both Painter’s Folly and the Kuerner Farm from a distance. He contemplated the house again in 1968, in another watercolor entitled “Toward Atwaters Study,” this time at a closer range. Twenty years later, Andrew Wyeth began a decade of steady work within the confines of Painter’s Folly, using the house as both a muse and a private studio space from October through May. The 1989 tempera Painter’s Folly was the first of many works that Andrew Wyeth completed in this new decade of friendship, collaboration, and symbiosis with the house and its inhabitants. This painting depicts the snow-covered exterior of Painter’s Folly encircled by the Sipala’s pool nymph statues. The 1990 Widow’s Walk depicts the exterior façade of the Painter’s Folly cupola, a place that captivated Wyeth from both the inside and outside. The interior of the cupola was used as the setting for paintings often depicting Helen, including Glass House (1991), Dovecote (1992), Traveling Alone (1992), and Renfield (1999). Helen became a Wyeth muse in her own right, posing for paintings both as herself and as a Catholic nun character wearing a traditional habit. The nun paintings include Buttercups (1992), Cape May (1992), and Cornet (1992). Perhaps the most famous of the Sipala paintings is Marriage (1993). The tempera shows George and Helen Sipala at home in Painter’s Folly, asleep in their bed. The painting was a product of Andrew’s close, personal relationship with the Sipalas and an often-voyeuristic approach to his models. The Sipalas provided Wyeth a key to Painter’s Folly early in their friendship, and Andrew would let himself into the home in the early hours of the weekend while George and Helen were still asleep. Marriage (1993) is a manifestation of their friendship, conveying the intimacy shared by Wyeth and the Sipalas. Andrew Wyeth often spoke with Helen Sipala about death, legacy, and the future, and those conversations culminated in a series of pencil sketches depicting Wyeth’s funeral, known as the “Funeral Group.” After seeing a photograph of Helen Sipala’s late father lying in a casket at his funeral, Wyeth began to sketch his own funeral and a close cadre of attendees between 1991 and 1994 while working out of Painter’s Folly. The Funeral Group comprises several loosely drawn ensemble landscapes depicting Wyeth’s funeral at the base of Kuerner Hill and a group of mourners surrounding the casket, as well as several portrait studies of the mourners, each focusing on a single model. A cataloguing note from one sketch in the collection identifies the attendees: “The artist laid out in a casket with friends looking down on him. L to R: Andy Bell, Jimmy Lynch, Helga Testorf, Betsy Wyeth, Anna Kuerner, and Helen Sipala.” Helen is often depicted in the funeral series, both in pencil portraits and in general landscapes, likely because Wyeth worked on the series while at Painter’s Folly. Helen held on to this collection after the death of Andrew Wyeth in 2009, but gave the work over to the Wyeth family in 2019. Andrew’s contemplation on death and legacy extended to Painter’s Folly itself. According to Helen, Wyeth’s attempts to preserve Painter’s Folly were a point of pride, as he “believed Painter’s Folly belonged to the art world.”[120] Andrew’s wishes for Painter’s Folly did not end there. Helen Sipala recorded in her published diary that “he [Andrew Wyeth] was adamant Helen was to keep his works in Painter’s Folly if he died.” Andrew Wyeth’s connection to the building was comprehensive, including his family’s history with the property, Wyeth’s use of the home as a private studio, and his close friendship with George and Helen Sipala. Andrew Wyeth’s last visit to Painter’s Folly was on Christmas Day, 2008, when he came to visit the Sipalas with Helga Testorf. The Sipalas’ final encounter with their friend was January 3rd, 2009. Andrew Wyeth died at his studio in Chadds Ford on January 16, 2009, at the age of 91. SALE TO CHADDS FORD TOWNSHIP: 2018-PRESENT George and Helen Sipala sold Painter’s Folly to Chadds Ford Township on March 29th, 2018. Chadds Ford Township used Open Space funds to purchase the property for $625,000. Initially, Chadds Ford Township purchased the property to protect Painter’s Folly from developers. The property was opened for paid tours and artist studio rentals known as “The Studios of Painter’s Folly: Community Art Space” on the second and third floors. However, Chadd Ford Township phased out the public programming due to ADA accessibility concerns. Painter’s Folly now sits quiet and closed off to the public, with its future uncertain. The significance of Painter’s Folly lies in its role in shaping Chadds Ford’s identity. This distinctive Italianate mansion has served as a symbol of leadership, creativity, and continuity for nearly 170 years. Thompson Mayes highlights the importance of historic places that foster creativity to the American public: “These places of creativity draw other people who want to connect to the power of creativity. Just as people traveled on pilgrimages to visit the relics of saints, they now go to visit the places where creative people worked, dreamed, and struggled … From Mark Twain’s house in Hartford, Donald Judd’s loft building in Manhattan, Jackson Pollock’s house on Long Island, to William Faulkner’s Rowan Oak, these places attract people who want to connect with the creative power of art and artists.” Painter’s Folly stands proudly among these places of creativity, serving not only as a reminder of Chadds Ford’s artistic heritage but also as a living testament to the enduring power of imagination rooted in place. Its preservation ensures that future generations can connect with the spirit of innovation and artistry that has long defined the community. In safeguarding Painter’s Folly, we honor the past, inspire the present, and secure a legacy of creativity that will continue to shape Chadds Ford’s identity for years to come. Selected Sources American Foundation for the Blind. Program for The American Academy of Arts and Letters and The National Institute of Arts and Letters for their Annual Ceremonial on May 22, 1947. New York, NY, 22 May 1947. Andrew Wyeth: Home Places. Brandywine Museum of Art, www.brandywine.org/sites/default/files/2023-02/ANDREW%20WYETH%20HOME%20PLACES.pdf. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025. “Andrew Newell Wyeth.” American Academy of Arts & Sciences, 11 Apr. 2025, www.amacad.org/person/andrew-newell-wyeth. “Anniversary of the Battle of Brandywine.” The Daily Republican, 12 Sept. 1921, p. 1. “Art and Artists: The Revolutionary Pictures at the Academy - A Special Exhibition at the Drexel - Other News.”The Philadelphia Inquirer, 15 May 1898, p. 15. Baumgartner, Karen. “Re: BMA Research Center Inquiry – Painter’s Folly.” 11 Aug. 2025. Berwick Enterprise. “Members Named to Brandywine Commission.” 18 Nov. 1947, p. 2. Brattain, Michelle. “Turner, Eliza L. Sproat.” American National Biography Online, Feb. 2000. Census Records (U.S.)" 1850 Census, Birmingham, Delaware County, Pennsylvania; Roll 776; Page 102b. 1870 Census, Concord, Delaware County, Pennsylvania; Roll M593_1336; Page 218A. 1900 Census, Birmingham, Delaware County, Pennsylvania; Roll 1404; Page 4; ED 0140. 1910 Census, Birmingham, Delaware County, Pennsylvania; Roll T624_1338; Page 2b; ED 0095. Delaware County, Pennsylvania Recorder of Deeds. Deeds to 142 Baltimore Pike. Delaware County Archives. Book W1, p. 571; Book R1, p. 463; Book Z2, p. 265; Book R, p. 237; Book 367, p. 620; Book 1673, p. 32. Duff, James H. An American Vision: Three Generations of Wyeth Art. Little, Brown & Company, 1987. Furst, Karen Smith. Around Chadds Ford. Arcadia, 2005. Hann, Mary Ford. “Countian Adds Nursing Class to Homemaking, Civic Duties.” Delaware County Daily Times, 3 July 1963, p. 4. Hopkins, Henry W. “Atlas of Delaware County, Pennsylvania, 1870, Birmingham.” Greater Philadelphia Geo History Network, https://www.philageohistory.org. Accessed 25 July 2025. Kimmelman, Michael. “Andrew Wyeth, Painter, Dies at 91.” The New York Times, 16 Jan. 2009. May, Jill P., et al. Howard Pyle: Imagining an American School of Art. University of Illinois Press, 2011. Mayes, Thompson M. Why Old Places Matter: How Historic Places Affect Our Identity and Well-Being. Rowman & Littlefield, 2018. Michaelis, David. N.C. Wyeth: A Biography. Perennial, 2003. Morse, Willard S., and Gertrude Brinckle. Howard Pyle: A Record of His Illustrations and Writings. Trieste Publishing, 2018. Mueller, A. H. “Delaware County, Pennsylvania, Vol. 2, 1913 Plate 054: Birmingham.” DelawareCountyHistory.com. National Register of Historic Places. Painter’s Folly, Chadds Ford, Delaware County, Pennsylvania. National Register #2019RE16276. Oliver, Gerry. “County Lines: Inventor Demonstrates Creativity.” Delaware County Daily Times, 7 Feb. 1962, p. 13. Russell, Charles H. “Will Be State Park: Battle of Brandywine Lost by Colonials 171 Years Ago.” Delaware County Daily Times, 11 Sept. 1948, p. 1. Shaviro, Steven. “The Life and Death of Postmodern Emotions.” Criticism 46, no. 1 (Winter 2004): 126. Sipala, Helen Murray. Buttercups & Gratitude: My Illustrated Journey with Andrew Wyeth. Edited by Bruce Mowday, 2023. Sipala, Helen Murray, and Bruce E. Mowday. Beyond the Marriage Bed: My Years as Friend, Model and Confidante of Andrew Wyeth. Regent Press, 2021. Thompson, Jack B. “The Ramparts Are Stormed: 2d Battle of Brandywine On As Farmers Try to Halt Park.” Delaware County Daily Times, 9 Mar. 1949, pp. 1–2. Time. “Milestones.” 25 Jan. 1937. Volpe, Christopher. “Wyeth the Abstract Expressionist.” Streamline Publishing, 15 Nov. 2024. Wyeth, Andrew, et al. Andrew Wyeth: Life and Death. Colby College Museum of Art; DelMonico Books, D.A.P., 2022.

Helen Murray Sipala. © Ed Worteck It is with great sadness that the Painter's Folly Preservation Alliance announces the death of Helen Sipala, who passed away on the morning of July 21, 2026, at the age of 91. Helen helped revitalize and restore Painter's Folly as an important center for American art. Her stewardship allowed visitors to understand why Howard Pyle used the house as a center for his school of art, and why Andrew Wyeth made Painter's Folly, Helen, and George Sipala the subjects of many of his most important works in the last decades of his life. Helen transformed the house into a salon for visiting artists and dignitaries. Her passion and skill for gardening reshaped the landscape of Painter's Folly, framing the building with beauty and elegance throughout every season. Her tours educated the public on the history of Chadds Ford and the Brandywine School of Art. In the last years of her life, she worked closely with the Painter's Folly Preservation Alliance to record her experiences and help preserve the history and legacy of this remarkable place in our national heritage. She was more than a valued partner in our ongoing efforts — Helen Sipala was a wonderful friend and mentor. We will continue to work tirelessly to preserve her legacy and celebrate her remarkable life. Thank you, Helen.

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: Arnold Tells His Wife of the Discovery of His Treason (1898) by Howard Pyle Lafayette's Headquarters (1898) by Angel De Cora Home from the War (1898) by Frank E. Schoonover Drummer Boy (1899) by Frank E. Schoonover The Flying Dutchman (1900) by Howard Pyle In The Valley of Shadows (1902) by Howard Pyle Inauguration of Washington at New York (1902) by Howard Pyle The Nation Makers (1902) by Howard Pyle Painter's Folly (1989) by Andrew Wyeth Widow's Walk (1990) by Andrew Wyeth Traveling Alone (1992) by Andrew Wyeth Renfield (1999) by Andrew Wyeth Renfield (2011) by James Welling

Painter’s Folly was proudly represented at this year’s Delaware County Heritage Commission Preservation Awards, held in celebration of National Preservation Month. We were thrilled to see two champions of the site recognized for their extraordinary contributions to Delaware County’s cultural heritage. Professor Ed Worteck received an Individual Achievement Award for his tireless advocacy and documentation efforts in preserving Painter's Folly. A Professor Emeritus of Art and Art History at Goucher College, Worteck began photographing and researching Painter’s Folly in 2024, later founding the Painter’s Folly Preservation Alliance to mobilize community support for the historic home. His work has included extensive architectural documentation, public outreach initiatives, the commissioning of oral histories with Helen Murray Sipala (now housed at the University of Kentucky’s Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History), and facilitating the Delaware Art Museum’s acquisition of Sipala’s diary and archival materials chronicling her decades-long friendship with Andrew Wyeth. Helen Murray Sipala was honored with the A. Richard Paul Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of her decades of stewardship and dedication to preserving the home and its artistic legacy. After restoring the property with her family, Sipala became a close friend, confidante, and model to acclaimed artist Andrew Wyeth, who painted and worked at Painter’s Folly for nearly 20 years. Through her detailed 445-page diary, publications, oral history, and generous archival donations, she has ensured that this remarkable chapter of American art history remains accessible to future generations. We extend our heartfelt congratulations to both awardees for their enduring commitment to preserving the legacy of Painter’s Folly.

Preservation Pennsylvania has included Painter's Folly — the iconic Italianate landmark rising above Baltimore Pike in Chadds Ford — on its 2026 Pennsylvania At Risk list, an annual publication that spotlights the Commonwealth's most endangered historic properties. Painter's Folly is one of five properties listed in 2026, and the only one located in Delaware County. Painter's Folly is also featured on the cover! As Pennsylvania's only private, statewide nonprofit dedicated to historic preservation advocacy, Preservation Pennsylvania has been sounding the alarm about at-risk sites since 1992. Through the Pennsylvania At Risk program, they partner with local advocates, raise statewide awareness, and provide communities with the technical assistance they need to fight for these irreplaceable places. Today, Painter's Folly faces a critical moment. Owned by Chadds Ford Township since 2018, Painter's Folly has experienced ongoing physical deterioration and lacks a clear long-term stewardship plan. Proposals for limited façade easements raise concerns that historically significant interior spaces may go unprotected. Previous efforts to activate the site — including artist studios and public programming — have been discontinued. The Painter's Folly Preservation Alliance and a broad coalition of local advocates are actively working to identify a viable preservation path, including pursuing a long-term preservation partner. The Pennsylvania At Risk listing brings vital statewide attention to this pivotal moment. To learn more or get involved, visit preservationpa.org.

Painter's Folly Preservation Alliance July 2026 Newsletter A Fourth of July to Remember On July 4, 1903, Howard Pyle hosted his annual Independence Day celebration on the lawns of Painter's Folly — and by day's end, he had unknowingly set an artistic dynasty in motion. Later that day, Pyle drove his student, N.C. Wyeth, across the Brandywine landscape, describing the 1777 clash between Washington and the British in such vivid detail that Wyeth could hardly tell which century he was standing in. Wyeth would later call it "the finest discourse I ever heard." Writing to his brother soon after, Wyeth described imagining a wounded Continental soldier resting beside a brook — an image that would stay with him for the rest of his life, and one that helped tie the Wyeth family, for generations, to Chadds Ford and the story of the American Revolution. This Fourth of July, we're thinking of that conversation on the hill — a mentor, a student, and a holiday that changed the course of American art. Thank you, as always, for your support of Painter's Folly and the stories it holds. Happy Fourth of July! — The Painter's Folly Preservation Alliance A Remarkable Discovery: The Atwater-Cleveland Photographs We're thrilled to share that PFPA has acquired a collection of 900 Atwater-Cleveland family photographs, spanning from the 1840s to the 1960s. Many were taken at Painter's Folly and offer a rare window into the Chadds Ford landscape at the turn of the twentieth century. We're currently digitizing the collection before donating it to a permanent archive. The Cleveland-Atwater era was one of the most transformative chapters in Painter's Folly's history: Dr. Arthur Cleveland, a laryngologist on staff at Presbyterian Hospital and the Pennsylvania School for the Deaf, became owner of Painter's Folly and its 500 surrounding acres in 1903. A former ward of Joseph and Eliza Turner of Chadds Ford, he also served as President of the Birmingham Township Board of Supervisors. Together with his father-in-law, Richard Mead Atwater, Dr. Cleveland ran Lafayette Dairies — one of only two local dairies selling milk in glass bottles. By 1906, Richard Atwater had moved into Painter's Folly himself, while the Clevelands relocated to the neighboring Gideon Gilpin House. The Atwaters purchased the home and 47 acres outright in 1908. Richard Atwater — a glass manufacturing magnate and former mayor of Sea Isle City, NJ — became a local authority on the Battle of the Brandywine, regularly lecturing on Revolutionary War troop movements. (His wife, Sophia Greene Atwater, was a descendant of General Nathaniel Greene, Washington's second-in-command at the battle.) In the decades that followed, the Cleveland-Atwater family's holdings — including Washington's Headquarters, Lafayette's Headquarters, Painter's Folly, Wyndryst, Turner's Mill, and Red Barn Farm (Kuerner Farm) — placed the family at the center of the very debates that led to the creation of today's Brandywine Battlefield Park, formally established with the Brandywine Battlefield Bill of 1947. Richard Mead Atwater died at Painter's Folly in 1922. The property remained in the family until 1953, when it was sold to John and Mary Fisher, closing a fifty-year chapter in which the Clevelands and Atwaters helped shape the agricultural and historic identity of Chadds Ford and the Brandywine Valley. Andrew Wyeth on Widow's Walk The December 1990 issue of The Connoisseur magazine recently caught our eye — specifically, the exclusive interview in which Andrew Wyeth reflects candidly on several of his paintings, including Widow's Walk (1989), a piece he called "the biggest picture I've done since Helga." Wyeth explained that he was drawn to the painting's window glass in particular, describing the house as one that had stood in view his whole life. He shared a personal connection to the setting as well: his father had spent time there as a young student and was later killed within sight of the place, giving the scene what Wyeth described as a mystical quality for him. It's a striking glimpse into how deeply personal history, memory, and place shaped Wyeth's work — themes that resonate closely with our own efforts to preserve the landscapes and stories connected to Painter's Folly. © Ed Worteck, 2026 PFPA in The Mensa Bulletin We're proud to share that PFPA co-founder Emma Leuschner's essay, "The World Is a Small Place," appears in the July edition of The Mensa Bulletin, featuring photography by fellow co-founder Ed Worteck. The essay traces a remarkable full-circle moment: as a girl, Emma stood before Andrew Wyeth's 1993 tempera Marriage at Atlanta's High Museum of Art, unsettled and quietly moved by the painting's mysterious, dreamlike couple. Years later, after relocating to "Wyeth Country" in southeastern Pennsylvania and becoming involved in local preservation work, she learned that Painter's Folly had once been a hideaway for Wyeth himself — and that the very bedroom depicted in Marriage belonged to the home's former owners, George and Helen Sipala, who rented the property's carriage house. Emma went on to meet Helen — now in her 90s, and the same woman she'd once known only as a painted figure — and the two struck up a friendship, swapping stories about Painter's Folly, the Sipalas' decades-long bond with Wyeth, and Helen's own reflections on mortality, memory, and the interconnectedness of it all. Emma writes that stepping into Helen's carriage house felt like being pulled directly into the scene of Marriage itself — "the bedroom where Andrew Wyeth painted homeowners George and Helen Sipala asleep in their bed was virtually untouched." It's a personal look at how art, place, and preservation intertwine — and a reminder of why the stories held within Painter's Folly's walls are so worth saving. The Wyeth Interview Project: Preserving the Stories Behind the Canvas Andrew Wyeth remains one of the most celebrated American painters of the twentieth century, yet the individuals who modeled for him, and who knew him in Chadds Ford and along the Maine coast, have rarely had the chance to share their own accounts. The Wyeth Interview Project aims to change that — conducting oral history interviews with those models, friends, and associates to capture their firsthand knowledge and experiences. We've identified numerous potential interview subjects across Delaware, Pennsylvania, and Maine. Their recollections promise to enrich our understanding of Wyeth's creative process, challenge the narrative of the "solitary genius," and — importantly — restore the voices of the female models whose presence shaped so much of his most iconic work but whose own stories have gone largely untold. The project follows ethical oral-history best practices, including informed consent and subject review of transcripts, and anticipates roughly three years from launch to reaching both scholarly and general audiences through an archived collection and public-facing publication. We're actively seeking an institutional partner — a museum, university library, or historical society with existing Wyeth holdings — to help preserve this archive for future generations. If that's you, or someone you know, we'd love to talk. If you — or a parent, grandparent, neighbor, or old family friend — modeled for Andrew Wyeth, worked alongside him, or simply knew him as a familiar face around Chadds Ford or the Maine coast, we want to hear from you. We'd love the chance to capture those firsthand memories and add them to the historical record. If this describes you or someone close to you, please reach out — we'd be glad to answer questions about the process and what participating involves. Reach out to us at info@paintersfollypreservationalliance.com to discuss. PFPA Co-Founder to Present at the Pennsylvania Historical Association Conference Mark your calendars: this October, PFPA co-founder Emma Leuschner will present her paper, "Painter's Folly: A Catalyst for Revolutionary Memory and American Art," at the Pennsylvania Historical Association's annual conference. The 2026 conference will take place from October 22-24, at Northampton Community College in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. This year's conference, titled "Revolutionary Legacies in the Mid-Atlantic," explores Pennsylvania's long history of freedom, power, and dissent — from the colonial era to today. We're honored to have Painter's Folly's story included in the conversation. Leuschner's paper traces how Painter's Folly became the site of Pyle's Chadds Ford summer art schools from 1898 to 1903. She'll explore how Pyle's own ancestral ties to the village, his fascination with American history, and his belief in immersing students directly in the landscape they were painting all converged at Painter's Folly, giving rise to the Howard Pyle School of Art and the Brandywine School style of illustration. From there, the paper follows the ripple effects: the historical illustrations and wartime depictions produced by Pyle's students, and ultimately the founding of the Wyeth family art dynasty — all traced back to the Gilpin and Painter families' roots in Chadds Ford, the legacy of the Battle of the Brandywine, and Painter's Folly itself. The paper is currently available to researchers as part of the Delaware Art Museum's Howard Pyle Manuscript Collection. Painter's Folly named to the 2026 Pennsylvania At Risk List Preservation Pennsylvania has included Painter's Folly on its 2026 Pennsylvania At Risk list, an annual publication that spotlights the Commonwealth's most endangered historic properties. Painter's Folly is one of five properties listed in 2026, and the only one located in Delaware County. Painter's Folly also graces the cover of the hard-copy magazine! As Pennsylvania's only private, statewide nonprofit dedicated to historic preservation advocacy, Preservation Pennsylvania has been sounding the alarm about at-risk sites since 1992. Through the Pennsylvania At Risk program, they partner with local advocates, raise statewide awareness, and provide communities with the technical assistance they need to fight for these irreplaceable places. Today, Painter's Folly faces a critical moment. Owned by Chadds Ford Township since 2018, Painter's Folly has experienced ongoing physical deterioration and lacks a clear long-term stewardship plan. Proposals for limited façade easements raise concerns that historically significant interior spaces may go unprotected. Previous efforts to activate the site — including artist studios and public programming — have been discontinued. The Painter's Folly Preservation Alliance and a broad coalition of local advocates are actively working to identify a viable preservation path, including pursuing a long-term preservation partner. The Pennsylvania At Risk listing brings vital statewide attention to this pivotal moment. To learn more or get involved, visit preservationpa.org. Preservation Partners: we want you! In response to strong public interest, the Painter’s Folly Preservation Alliance reaffirms its commitment to securing a long-term preservation partner for Painter’s Folly. We recognize concerns about taxpayer cost, public programming, and accessibility—and we believe there is a sustainable path forward. Under the Second Class Township Code, Chadds Ford Township may convey or lease the property directly to an eligible nonprofit, school, institutional district, or the Commonwealth, rather than pursue a public auction. Across Delaware County, eighteen municipally owned historic sites operate successfully through similar co-stewardship models with nonprofit partners. We invite qualified preservation partners to explore the available resources and join us in ensuring that this landmark remains protected, accessible, and vibrant for generations to come.