WYNCOTE, Pa. (WLVT) - At the turn of the 20th century, newspaper baron Cyrus Curtis used to hold opulent parties at his estate in Cheltenham Township. More than 100 years later, Curtis Arboretum is celebrating a major renovation. They held a grand reopening at Curtis Hall May 7.
The arboretum was originally designed in 1893 by Frederick Law Olmsted, considered the “father” of landscape architecture. Curtis Hall was estate’s music ballroom. It is now owned by Cheltenham Township, which has used the property for Board of Commissioner meetings and private events. But the township didn’t have the funds needed to fully renovate the building for modern use.
“This hall has a great history,” said Daniel Norris, president of the Cheltenham Township Board of Commissioners. “It’s been an underutilized asset in the community.”
Cheltenham entered into a public-private partnership in 2018 with Jeffrey A. Miller Catering. The catering company invested more than $600,000 restoring the gardens and renovating the building. Improvements include a new Beaux Arts mural, a downstairs bar and lounge area, and an expanded courtyard with a climate-controlled tent. Jeffrey Miller, the catering business’ founder and owner, said investing in old properties helps preserve local history, but also makes for a better event space.
“A typical catering hall just doesn’t have a lot of soul and character,” Miller said. “If we can work with a venue, an organization that has got a little more history or some meaning in the town or community where it’s from, it’s a lot more significant.”
Cheltenham Township invested an additional $750,000 on a 100-car parking lot, upgraded electrical system and connection to the public sewer.
“It really is a great opportunity for the township,” Norris said. “We still own the property. The caterer will use it Friday, Saturday, Sunday for events, and the township will use it other days.”
Local residents and stakeholders attended Curtis Hall’s grand reopening event last night. Jeffrey A. Miller Catering provided food and drinks, a preview of what parties there might look like.
Several weddings are already scheduled, starting this weekend. One engaged couple, Brian Taylor and Jessica Bower, came to the grand reopening event to check out the renovated space; they have already booked their wedding ceremony and party at Curtis Hall in October.
“We knew there were going to be a lot of renovations done and they had sent us the designer work of what they were going to do, but it looks a million times better than you ever could have imagined it looking,” Bower said.
The engaged couple will also be supporting Cheltenham Township government, which will take in a minimum of $30,000 in rent and event revenue annually.
“They want to do good while doing well at the same time,” Miller said. “The money that they pay for an event here helps support the organization, helps renovate the building, helps preserve a piece of history.”
The contract with Jeffrey A. Miller Catering lasts 10 years and is renewable. Officials said the deal was a win-win situation for all parties, and will provide funds for future renovations.
“A lot of people have used this for many years. Now it will get used much more fully,” Norris said.
Jeffrey A. Miller Catering is already working with several other historic sites in the region; the caterer just signed a contract to help fund renovations and manage the event space at Mercer Museum and Fonthill Castle in Doylestown.
