In any growing organization like the Friends of the Manor Charitable Trust ( we co-founded this organization only 22 months ago by Marguerite Scullin and Anita Brattina) there are bound to be some challenges as we grow. Thank you for your support and patience. We have accomplished so much in the last 22 months and wanted you to have a brief list:
1. We did successfully secure pledges and cash from 61 families, foundations and corporations (number keeps increasing daily) totaling $1.13 million dollars and will continue this effort until we have secured pledges from 100 families, foundations and corporations. These 100 founding contributors will be named on a permanent brass wall outside the Manor for hundreds of thousands of people to see over the next 100 years. All great organizations need founding contributors. If you are one of them. Thank you. Anita and/or Marguerite will be reaching out to each one of you to secure your 2024 commitment shortly. Once we reach 100 families, we will stop the campaign and announce all donors by a requested name or anonymous. The choice is up each donor. The permanent brass marker will be erected some time in 2026 outside the building for everyone driving by or walking by. We have also pledged to never reveal the amount of each donor’s commitment. Your commitment is private and safe. We only ask that you pledge for a 5, 10 or 15 year period or leave a legacy gift through planned giving at the Community Foundation of WP and EO, where all of our Capital Campaign funds are entrusted, managed and invested. A special shout out to their leadership team for teaching us and supporting us during the first 22 months of our formation.
2. We successfully raised enough cash to buy the Gibson House Manor from the Jamestown Historic Preservation Foundation on June 3,2024. That organization generously allowed us to buy the house for much less than its value or its replacement cost in exchange for pledging to operate it as a historic education/historic preservation visitor’s center for the next 20 years. Note: if we do not honor our commitment to do this, the foundation that sold it to us has the right to take it back. So, we take this commitment very seriously. We will never go back to just being open a few days a year to sell soup or breakfast to pay the electric bill. We will never turn it into a venue just for weddings and bridal showers (though we are hosting many weddings and showers over the next year and are grateful for the women and men who entrusted us with their private events). Currently we have 224 non-profit events on the calendar for 2024/2025 through our new committee structure: (1)Historic Education and (2)Historic Preservation and (3) Marketing/Membership. A special shout out to the Jamestown Historic Preservation Foundation and the Jamestown Future Foundation who preceded us as owners of the Gibson House Manor for their assistance in preserving this valuable national landmark.
3. We successfully developed our Underground Railroad /Mystery Tours and have been conducting them for 19 months, with a special shout out and thanks to Peggy Mazyck, retired CEO of the Mercer County convention and visitor’s bureau. Peggy, Carmen, Roland and their team helped us develop the UGRR tour and side tours (“Quilt Code Explained” and “Dr. Gibson/Mark Twain” connections). We have consistently given tours to more than 3000 visitors since March 2023…only three months after we formed the corporation. We also received a grant from their office to promote the Underground Railroad/Mystery tours in 8 counties in PA and Ohio, which is bringing visitors from miles away to come to the Manor. Most of our 200+ historic education/historic preservation/membership events are connected to the Underground Railroad history (and mystery) of the house.
4. We were just notified through state senator Michelle Brooks office that we were awarded a Historic Preservation grant to do much needed renovations to the Manor and are actively taking bids from local contractors to do the work. A shout out to Sen. Brooks’ office for supporting and encouraging us through the last 22 months. And a shout out to all of our contractors, vendors and suppliers. From fixing our electrical systems and mechanical systems to repairing our security system, to insuring our beautiful estate, to improving our fire suppression system, to making the outside of the estate look beautiful, cutting the grass, keeping the trees in check, clearing debris help us keep the property well maintained to making carpentry and plumbing and gutter and roof repairs and painting walls and ceilings and outside wood trim, doors, entry ramp and so many hundreds of small repairs that are needed every month. And last winter and this coming for clearing snow and shoveling walkways for our hundreds of guests who come to our property every week.
5. We have successfully developed a catering menu that uses our fantastic commercial kitchen so that we can prepare and order food for all our historic education and historic preservation and membership events. We buy food and supplies from many area bakeries, grocery stores, kitchens and local chefs. The Historic Preservation Fundraising chairs are responsible for the kitchen service and staff and retail food license inspection and certification. A big thank you to our kitchen experts on the board of directors and our suppliers and the 2024/2025 Executive Committee for their support.
6. We have named our 2024/2025 directors and officers of the corporation as of May 2024. They are listed below. If you see them or talk to them and have a suggestion or want to volunteer, please let them know!
a. Historic Education Vice Chair: Anita Carr
b. Historic Education Vice Chair: Patricia Fry
c. Marketing/Membership Vice Chair: Stephanie Yackovich
d. Marketing/Membership Vice Chair: Brenda Dare (Heinz History Center liaison)
e. Bylaws and Historic Preservation Fundraising Vice Chair: Tina Cascio
f. Historic Preservation Fundraising Vice Chair: Alan Endicott
g. Historic Preservation Fundraising Vice Chair: Monica Adametz
h. Treasurer and Finance Committee Vice Chair: Jim Brown
i. Capital Campaign Vice Chair, Co-Founder and Secretary: Marguerite Scullin
j. Chair, Capital Campaign Vice Chair and Co-Founder: Anita Brattina
Directors at large: Marcia de Kramer, Fred Just, Margaret Valesky Anderson, Tony Naples, Judy Leary, Mary Jane Fenton, Neal Leskovic and Esther McClimans.
Please contact Kathy at our Reservation Line if you would like to make a reservation, join as a member, make a donation, rent the Manor for a meeting or event, receive an emailed calendar of events of the next 12 months (calendar updated weekly), arrange a group tour, or speak to any of our officers privately. She will coordinate it. Note that we have more than 40 events scheduled just for the Christmas Holidays. You can call 724.456.4983 (call or text) or email Kathy at GibsonHouseManor@allfacilities.com.
Thank you to the Gibson House Manor Community for your generous support and encouragement. Your responses to our requests have given us the energy and perseverance to face the challenges of this monumental effort. We are grateful.
MMS, JEB and AFB 11-22-2024