State budget cuts announced last week forced two state-owned and operated Montgomery County historic sites to close temporarily Nov. 20, but volunteers said Monday they will try to keep the sites open for the long term.
Hope Lodge in Fort Washington is temporarily closed to visitors. Graeme Park in Horsham will be open Sundays only, thanks to a standing deal between the state and the Friends of Graeme Park that allowed the site to operate Sundays without the site administrator, President of the Friends of Graeme Park, Beth MacCausland said in an interview Monday.
“By the time our new calendar starts in the spring of 2010, we hope to have an agreement in place with the state where we are fully operational,” she said.
In a memo sent to members of the Friends of Graeme Park, MacCausland said all programs at the site will continue.
That means volunteers will operate the site during school tours and community group meetings, she said.
Before the layoffs, Graeme Park and Hope Lodge shared a part-time site administrator from the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission who traveled between both sites.
Each location also had a custodian that helped maintain the grounds. However, the employee at Graeme Park quit and “dedicated” site volunteers had picked up where he left off, MacCausland said.
“At this point in time we looked for the opportunity to meet with the Friends groups of both those organizations to see what their interest would be in working with the commission to maintain some sort of hours of the site,” Kirk Wilson, spokesman for the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, said in an interview Nov.19.
MacCausland and president of the Friends of Hope Lodge, Jack Gumbrecht, said they did not receive official notice of the layoffs until Nov. 19. Both sites were temporarily closed 5 p.m. Nov. 20.
“While the events of last week were disappointing for us, they weren’t a complete surprise,” Gumbrecht said in an interview Monday.
The Friends of Hope Lodge knew from the problems passing the state budget they would have to do something to compensate for a reduction of funding, he said.
The state indicated earlier this year the Friends group should explore alternatives for operating Hope Lodge, so members began the Hope for the Future committee, which was geared toward finding additional resources to maintain and operate the site, he said.
“It includes over 40 acres and really should be considered a community resource,” he said.
As of Monday, Gumbrecht had not been able to speak extensively with representatives from Harrisburg and is unsure of the state’s expectations or how long it would take to negotiate a management agreement to keep the site running, he said.
In the immediate future, volunteers from Graeme Park and Hope Lodge intend to hold their previously scheduled holiday events. Graeme Park’s holiday craft show will take place Dec. 5 at the Horsham Township Library.
The Friends of Hope Lodge has made hosting Holidays at Hope Lodge its first priority, Gumbrecht said. The event is scheduled for Dec. 12 and 13.
Then, the Friends will look toward how they can keep the site open through the winter and further into the future.
“We’re really looking at long-term, sustainable fundraising and operating plans,” he said.
Both Graeme Park and Hope Lodge received most of their funding from the state, according to the volunteers.
Hope Lodge also receives some funding from an endowment called the Degn Trust, named for the site’s previous owner, Alice Degn, Gumbrecht said.
Graeme Park is waiting to receive a resolution volunteers sent to the state confirming that the Friends will be able to continue all onsite programming, like school tours and Cub Scout meetings, but they are confident, MacCausland said.
Both Friends groups are reaching out for help.
“If ever we needed more help to keep the site open or to preserve our heritage … now is a great time to give us a call and see how you can help,” MacCausland said.
“Everything just hinges on what we can do as a volunteer group, so everyone and anyone is more than welcome.”
Graeme Park is online at www.ushistory.org/graeme.
Any updates on the situation and how to get involved in Hope for the Future can be accessed at www.ushistory.org/hope, Gumbrecht said.
