by Gatti were used throughout the year at several special events. Many students from past years
have remained involved with Cairnwood and returned as volunteers or applied for job positions.
For example, nine former interns from six colleges, including Bryn Athyn College, returned to
Cairnwood and offered assistance during the annual Cairnwood by Candlelight event in December
2012.
Customized to fit the curriculum and teacher
requests, Cairnwood provided classes focusing on
local history, Victorian America, and the Gilded
Age. The Bryn Athyn Church School 7th grade
girls learned about the rules of Victorian etiquette
and fashion with a “proper” tea. The 8th grade boys
visited the estate as an introduction to their study
of local history and to learn more about how suburban communities developed at the turn of the
century. The ANCSS junior girls visit each year to
study the Industrial Era. Students are encouraged
to compare and contrast the accomplishments of
well-known Industrialists such as Carnegie and
Rockefeller and the rules of “high society,” with
the principles and motivations of John and Gertrude Pitcairn.
Dr. Gyllenhaal incorporated several classes at
Cairnwood in conjunction with the Bryn Athyn
College Fine Arts history course 213/313, “Topics in Twentieth Century Architecture.” Students
enjoyed hands-on opportunities to explore Cairnwood in new ways, conducting material culture
case studies. For the first time, BAC biology students participated in the landscape restoration
program this past spring by assisting with the site
analysis preparing for the “Historic Tree Walk”
program.
Students are welcomed to Cairnwood at social
events throughout the year. Tools 4 Life hosted a
networking dinner during the summer program.
The annual ANCSS Sadie Hawkins dance was held
at the estate for the juniors and senior students.
College aged students attended the Freshers Ball
in the fall, the popular White Hot Club Night in
the winter, and athletes’ were honored at the BAC
Athletics Banquet in the spring. The Garden
House was also used for smaller gatherings such
as the the Factores Dinner and BAC College Conversations.
Parents of new ANCSS students are welcomed
to the estate twice a year during the Christmas
and Easter holiday seasons for a Connector Event
hosted by the Admissions Department. Use of
Cairnwood for these gatherings orient parents to
the historic section of campus.
Special Events
We have continued growing attendance and
have received positive feedback regarding the
“open-to-the public” special events. Many visitors return to the estate and attend multiple events
throughout the calendar year. The Candy Apple
Workshop and Trim the Tree are popular with
families with young children. Events such as the
annual Summer Wine Tasting, Cairnwood by Candlelight and Hearts & Hops have quickly become
tradition with members and visitors. Customized
historic exhibits or interactive programs are created for each special event.
For the first time this year, Cairnwood sold advanced tickets to a special event. 200 guests purchased tickets for Hearts & Hops on Valentine’s
Day making it “sold out” prior to the event opening. By offering advanced ticket sales, the staff was
able to control the quality of the evening and guest
experience. They were also able to plan for the appropriate amount of visitors. This procedure for
ticket sales may be used in the future for other
events.
An unprecedented 1,000 visitors attended the
Cairnwood Victorian Easter Egg Hunt. Cairnwood received feedback that the event was overly
crowded and caused inconvenient traffic for community members. We will be taking time away
from this event in the upcoming year and will replace the Egg Hunt with a family friendly Carriage
Event on Mother’s Day 2014.
The Garden House has become a popular location for small events. It is the location for the
bi-monthly Cairnwood Literary Guild meetings,
a unique book club experience where Gilded Age
and Victorian literature enthusiasts gather to explore the rich and intriguing cultural and social
history of the 19th century. Recently the BAC
Alumni Association began to host an open forum
for the community with Dr. Kristin King, Bryn
Athyn College faculty and staff. These meetings,
“College Conversations with Dr. King” provide an
opportunity to regularly meet with the President,
hear about the direction of the college programs,
and participate in an open dialog.
The estate has an ever growing membership
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