The Pennhurst Campus


Pennhurst's historic lower campus, 1922
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Landscaped campus interior, 1922
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Admin from recreation area, 1954

The historic 112-acre campus of over twenty Jacobean Revival buildings is found outside Spring City, Pennsylvania, high on a hill overlooking the Schuylkill River. It is adjacent to the Schuylkill River Trail and within the Schuylkill River National and State Heritage Area. Routes 422 and 724 bracket the campus. Click the photos and see the potential beauty of the restored campus, as well as the opportunity for spaces for recreation and contemplation.

Pennhurst's history makes it the most appropriate place for a center of conscience. Its physical plant and location are also uniquely suited for the purposes proposed. The number of buildings and size of the campus allow for multi-use and recreational facilities, enabling inclusiveness and public participation essential to a meaningful user experience and profitable re-use of the site.

Our mission is to find sensitive reuses for the Pennhurst site that re-use as much of the existing fabric as practicable. To accurately convey our message, the campus-feel must be retained and hence we are not focused on merely one building or two buildings. The campus must be considered as a whole; what is saved and what is added must be considered in that context

While our efforts include a memorial, the memorial is a core to a larger whole which includes innovative and fiscally responsible uses that will bring people to the campus to engage and experience. We advocate for the rebirth of the Pennhurst site as a center of conscience, learning, and remembrance.

Click here for the current building conditions of the Pennhurst property as of May 6th, 2009.  (Adobe Reader required)