Rutledge Ad Hoc Historic Committee 2025.10.08

10/8/2025 Meeting

Call to order:
- The Rutledge Ad Hoc Historic Committee was called to order at 6:32 pm, Wednesday 10/8/2025 at 212 Unity Terrace, Rutledge, PA 19070 (Rutledge’s Lower Hall).
Roll call:
- Jody Roberts–Present
- Andrew Marques–Present
- Robert Morbeck–Present
- Alan McPherson–Present
- Roxanne H. Ward–Present
- Also in attendance:
  - Mike Karpyn
  - Christine Gradel
  - Caitlyn Mierau
Reading and approval of minutes: approved
Special orders:
- Project ideas: Generate a list of potential projects and identify members interested in leading or participating: [See Project Delegation Document]
  - George Raymond Historical Marker commemorating the birthplace of the Pennsylvania Fair Housing Act
    - Suggested by Robert Morbeck
    - In 1958, George Raymond, head of the Chester branch of the NAACP, purchased the Dingley-Dell house at 236 Sylvan Ave in Rutledge
    - Purchase facilitated by Friends Suburban Housing (Quaker group in Swarthmore that aimed to enable blacks to purchase homes)
    - The house burned down the night before the Raymonds were to move in
    - They decided to rebuild, but Borough Council condemned the property, suggesting that they would move Borough Hall to that corner. Also, they had trouble with the building permit, because the foundation was only 9 feet from the property line.
    - The Raymonds brought a suit based on racial prejudice, which was settled in the Raymonds’ favor
    - As a result, the PA Fair Housing Act was brought to Harrisburg and passed in 1961
  - Pocket Park
    - Suggested by Christine Gradel
    - Pocket park location: intersection of Linden and Melrose (the grassy area leading to the bridge)
    - Set up a park with a bench and a sign commemorating the end of the trolley line that formerly ran down Linden Ave.
  - Event series:
    - Suggested by Andrew Marques and Roxanne Ward
    - Host a series of events with speakers
    - Potential topics: the items listed above, architecture, labor force, public transportation, public works (fire/police), etc.
    - Find a way to feature voices from the community
    - Could plan to host four events in 2026
  - Pop-up community-sourced exhibit:
    - Suggested by Alan McPherson
    - Solicit historic objects and photographs from the community to display for a period of time
    - An “Antiques Roadshow” approach
    - Could make use of the firehouse cabinet for display, or coordinate display in the lower hall (similar to Delco Arts Week)
  - Website archive:
    - Suggested by Andrew Marques
    - Hosting historical documents online
  - Document Digitization and Archiving
    - Suggested by Andrew Marques
    - Scanning and cataloging materials to preserve them
    - Using OCR to make primary source documents searchable
  - Semiquin as a project in itself
  - Updating the architectural audio tour
  - Children’s book of Rutledge history
  - Working with Chambers Memorial
- Semiquincentennial planning: All members are encouraged to bring their ideas to support preparations for the 250th anniversary. Alan shared a list of Delco “semiquin” events.
  - 4th of July:
    - Add a costume category to the parade
    - Have a float in the parade
  - Assist with Delco’s events for America 250
    - Find opportunities to co-host events
    - Shade Tree Commission may want to get involved too
    - Have a presence in any parade
    - Amplifying any themes/threads that are already happening (such as we did recently with Delco Arts Week)
- 2026 Historic Committee budget: Determine how much funding to request from council for next year (a best guess since the fiscal year is being approved soon).
  - Roxanne Ward drafted a budget for discussion
  - The group prioritized budget items, removing costs related to website hosting and document scanning
- Public engagement: Discuss strategies to gather input from residents about what they’d like the committee to accomplish.
  - Flyers
  - Newsletter: connect with Communications Committee on getting into the last physical newsletter of the year
  - Email: continue to include notes in the Mayor’s update and the regular eBlast
  - Ask for feedback at our own events
  - Have a presence at other town events (like the planning commission did)
  - Engagement with newer Rutledge residents, so they feel like part of the town’s history
New business:
- none
Announcements:
- Our next meeting will be 11/19/2025 Wednesday 6:30pm.
  - Note: moving to the third Wednesday of the month
- Additional updates here:
  - America 250 Delco Chat Session
    - Virtual office hours can answer your questions related to how individuals and organizations can get involved in Delco’s celebration of America’s 250th, whether it’s creating a specific program or legacy goal for the anniversary or just general understanding of what’s happening in Delco, PA and nationally for this milestone event.
  - America 250 Delco Kickoff:
    - ‘We the People Party’ Delco Semiquin Kick Off Party
    - 12/03/2025 06:00 PM – 09:00 PM 1001 Eagle Rd, Wayne, PA 19087, USA
    - A sneak peek moment for We The People of Delco! Join us to see a sampler of the events, projects and programs planned for America’s 250th Birthday Celebration in Delco for 2026. Enjoy a festive evening touring selected stories of Delco history while enjoying historic culinary delights and musical entertainment.
    - Admission: $140 per ticket
Adjournment:
- The meeting adjourned at 7:39 pm.