Sellers Hall ~ News & Updates

In the news:

Philadelphia Inquirer Article - March 29. 2009

*Updates*

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Update - March 2010:

The effort to save and preserve Sellers Hall continued unabated during the winter months.  In the spirit of Martin Luther King Day, members of the Friends of Sellers Hall (FOSH) spent the weekend of January 16-18 cleaning up the neglected interior of the property.  More than 90 5-gallon buckets of dirt and debris, much of it from a ceiling on the third floor that had been pulled down, were removed from the house and deposited in a dumpster that St. Alice’s parish provided.  Many thanks to Bev Rorer, Ann Livingston and Bill McDevitt for their hard work in cleaning up the interior.
            On January 20, John Milner and his class of historical architecture students from the University of Pennsylvania descended on Sellers Hall to begin their semester-long study of the building.  The class will dissect select areas of the building and pour over the government and family records of the house to reconstruct its architectural evolution over the three hundred years of its existence.  When the final report is finished – a report that will be the equivalent of an historic structures report – FOSH will have a document that it can use as a guide for planning optimal use and also as a basis for securing public and private funds to restore the building.
            In the legal arena, some members of the FOSH board are actively negotiating with the parish and Archdiocese to secure a long-term lease that will lay the foundation for FOSH’s possession of Sellers Hall for its renovation and restoration.  Lead by Regina Robson, Esq., a graduate of St. Alice’s elementary school, FOSH and the parish/Archdiocese have exchanged proposals that will grant FOSH a long-term lease.  Negotiations have been very cooperative and positive, and all parties seem committed to a relationship that will result in the restoration of Sellers Hall in a way that will not only preserve its history, but also contribute to the community.

Update - January 2010:

The Board of Directors of the Friends of Sellers Hall held its second meeting on November 1, 2010.  Tim Sellers, chairman of the board, presided.  It was reported that FOSH had submitted a proposed lease for Sellers Hall to the Archdiocese and Saint Alice’s parish.  The lease envisions a long-term relationship under which FOSH would preserve and restore the building and make appropriate use of it, while also affording the parish access for some of its functions.  The attorney for the Archdiocese was supportive of the draft agreement, and FOSH is awaiting his formal response.
It was also reported that the re-tarping and ventilation of the building was completed, thanks to the generosity of a parishioner who donated the cost.  Sellers Hall is now dry, and further deterioration from water has been largely eliminated. Attention is now directed to ridding the building of squirrels and securing it from further critter intrusion.  This work is expected to be completed by the end of January.
John Milner selected Sellers Hall to serve as the subject of his historical architecture class during the Spring 2010 semester.  Students from the University of Pennsylvania enrolled in the course Special Problems: Architectural Archeology, HSPV 741-011, will analyze and study the building, unveiling its history and, hopefully, some of its secrets.  The class will meet at the site every Wednesday afternoon starting on January 20.
FOSH also received the very desirable exemption from income tax under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code from the IRS.  Armed with this special status, FOSH’s fund raising committee launched a solicitation for memberships and donations at the end of the year.  Next on their agenda will be to pursue grants from public and private sources to begin in earnest the restoration of this important historical structure.
The year 2009 was an important one in the history of Sellers Hall.  When the year began, it looked very likely that Sellers Hall would only be an image on photographs or a memory in people’s minds by the time of the winter solstice.  Instead, the building has been secured, the deterioration halted, and the mechanism put in place to bring this jewel of 17th Century America back to its original splendor. 

Update - Sept 2009:

Following a meeting of persons interested in preserving Sellers Hall with representatives of St. Alice's Parish and the Archdiocese, a nonprofit corporation was formed under the name "Friends of Sellers Hall" (FOSH) for the purpose. The Board of Trustees, several of whom have ties to Upper Darby Historical Society, met for the first time at Collen Brook Farm on June 24, 2009. At the meeting Tim Sellers was elected Chair of the Board of Trustees and Bill McDevitt was chosen as President.

The organization got busy in laying the groundwork for the preservation. A plan was devised to stabilize the roof and ventilate the building. Estimates for the work are being received, and it is hoped that this work will be done shortly. A long-term lease with the parish and archdiocese is being drafted. Representatives from the legal committee of FOSH and St. Alice's met on July 30th to discuss the outline of the lease. John Milner, historic architect, has expressed interest in using Sellers Hall in the spring 2010 semester to produce the equivalent of an historic structure's report. Meanwhile, a solicitation campaign for funds has been prepared and sources for grants are being identified.

In sum, the foundation is in place to transfer the responsibility of preserving and restoring Sellers Hall to FOSH. With help from the community and cooperation from the parish, it is fully expected that Sellers Hall will be preserved and turned into a valuable historical and cultural center for the community. ~ Sept '09