the academy journal
tees continue to focus on building an informative
adult tour program with an emphasis on securing
group and bus tours. Analysis of visitor records
determined that the core audience for tours this
year were retired professionals seeking cultural
activities through historical societies, rotary clubs,
church groups, and retired living communities,
and also young professionals (30 to 50) generally
working full time with families, seeking cultural
activities with a social element to attend with or
without children. Due to this diversity, the Historic District Marketing Committee has worked
closely with the Tour Committee to effectively target projects to support the Historic District tours
and visitor experience.
Name recognition and location clarity of the
Historic District, and therefore Cairnwood Estate,
are some of the objectives vital to laying the foundation for growth of tour and event programs.
Visitor services were improved with the creation
of a shared Historic District tour calendar on Outlook to facilitate a streamline booking process.
Periodic advertisements in local magazines have
been placed and the Marketing Committee continued to be an active member of the Montgomery
County, Bucks County, and Philadelphia Visitor
Bureaus. This participation increased networking
opportunities with other cultural institutions and
museums in the Philadelphia area.
Cairnwood Estate, Glencairn Museum, and
the Bryn Athyn Cathedral co-hosted the annual
Bryn Athyn Historic District Landmarks in Lights
on the evening of June 25th. This year’s event celebrated the 5th anniversary of the landmark district.
Approximately 1,000 visitors enjoyed an evening
of quiet reflection and classical music while they
experienced the buildings in the district. Future
shared events, with coordinated complementary
timing that will allow visitors the opportunity to
enjoy an array of programs, are being considered.
Student Experience:
Cairnwood has proudly offered internships
throughout the year with a focus on marketing,
hospitality, education and history. We have accepted applications from Bryn Athyn College, as
well as from other universities, encouraging collaboration and cross pollination of ideas. Intern
Kathlyn Gatti (BAC, 2013) completed 200 hours
as a certified historic tour guide and developed
graphic design skills. Marketing materials created
ed paint and wood analysis and prepared a report
for completing the restoration of the Library. The
work will be broken down into two phases; completion will be determined by the funding available for capital improvements in the next fiscal
year.
Partnership with the Bryn Athyn Historic
District
The goal of the Historic District tour is to provide a professional, cohesive story which resonates
with visitors on many levels. This year the History
and Education program at Cairnwood focused on
the visitor experience and relationship between
the Cairnwood tours within the context of Historic District tours. All guests are welcomed to Cairnwood at the Garden House, the welcome center of
the Historic District, and are introduced to the history of Bryn Athyn, the founding of the Academy
of the New Church, and the role of Cairnwood as
a New Church home. Tours of Cairnwood provide
the social and cultural foundation for the Historic
District tours in which visitors continue on to the
Bryn Athyn Cathedral and conclude their visit at
Glencairn Museum.
As a National Historic Landmark, we recognize
that the estate itself is our most valuable “collection,” and the rooms and grounds are the “classrooms.” The Historic Tour program operated
daily throughout the year with a 40% increase in
attendance. Tour admission prices were evaluated
and an increase implemented on January 1, 2013.
A highlight during the spring was developing
and leading a Historic District landscape and garden tour for the Cultural Landscape Foundation,
a Washington D.C. based non-profit education
advocacy organization, on May 18, 2013. As a result of hosting the program, the Cairnwood Estate
and Bryn Athyn Cathedral landscapes were added
into the Cultural Landscape Foundation searchable online data base of significant landscapes in
America.
The Historic District Tour Committee and
Marketing Committee, with representation from
Glencairn Museum, the B ryn Athyn Cathedral
and Cairnwood Estate and under the guidance of
the Historic District Council, have made notable
headway with outreach initiatives. The commit-
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