Page 52 - Bernardon Response to Request for Proposal-Dennis Farm

Audubon Center Master Site Development Plan
Audubon, Pennsylvania

Owners Mill Grove was the first home in America of renowned painter,
National Audubon Society and author and naturalist, John James Audubon, who arrived in 1803
Montgomery County
from France to help his father with farming and mining operations
Architect on the 175-acre estate. He stayed for five years, walking the
Atkin Olshin Schade Architects woodlands and fields, dutifully recording through sketches and
Size / Completion notes the native wildlife.
175 acres / 2011
The property was sold in 1813 to a private buyer in whose family
it remained until its sale to Montgomery County in 1951. In 2003
the National Audubon Society and Montgomery County signed an
agreement that created the Mill Grove Audubon Center.
A business plan adopted in 2010 set forth a strategy to protect
and preserve Mill Grove’s natural, cultural and historic assets while
ensuring long-term financial stability for daily operations. Soon
after, a master site development plan (MSDP) was commissioned
to provide a framework for expanding and enriching the visitor
experience.

The MSDP’s focus is on the property’s heavily visited historic core area,
which contains the Audubon homestead and historic barn. The design
team was tasked with developing an interpretive strategy for the core
area and structures; a program for exhibits and expanded educational
activities to support the interpretation of the site and the design of a
new visitor center. BBA subsequently completed the design for the
homestead and barn.

Photos © Halkin Mason Photography