Milford Community House celebrates 100 years of public use

The historic Milford Community House, at the intersection of Broad and Harford Streets in Milford Borough achieved a milestone on July 1: the 100th anniversary of the deed signing, which transferred ownership of the property from the Pinchot family to the Milford Community House Board of Directors, expressly for public purposes.

Today, the Milford Community House continues with the Pinchot family vision of being a space for public use. “We continue to meet the goals and the spirit of the conveyance outlined in the original deed, which states that the premises ‘shall never be used for private purposes,’” said Milford Community House President Matthew Osterberg.

In an announcement celebrating the anniversary, the Milford Community House provided the following history: Once known as the Pinchot Homestead, the property served as a private residence for the Pinchot family beginning in 1824. It was eventually acquired by Cyrill Pinchot in the 1850s and was subsequently owned by James Pinchot, and Gifford and Amos Pinchot. The New York City Architecture firm of Heins & LaFarge remodeled it in the late 19th century to be used by the Yale School of Forestry. Gifford and his wife Cornelia, and Amos and his wife Ruth conveyed the property to the Community House Board of Directors with the express intention that the premises “be open and free to the public forever and in perpetuity.”

In “All Road Lead to Milford, Pennsylvania Postcards from the Past,” by Skip Gregory, he said the Community House Board “accepted responsibility for the maintenance of the house and property and agreed with the stipulation that the home would continue to function as a free public library.”

The building housed the Pike County Public Library from 1924 until the library was relocated into the newly constructed Dorothy E. Warner Building in 2013.

Other uses reportedly listed in the Milford Community House deed include: a historical room; a public bureau of free information; public meetings; lectures; or meetings of patriotic, civic, and charitable organizations.

For many years, Pike County Historical Society occupied the second floor of the Milford Community House.

The building underwent an extensive restoration in 2016 in consultation with Richard Pedranti, an architect and Community House Board Member.

According to the Milford Community House, current plans for the property include construction of a public restroom and a multi-purpose outdoor performance stage, which will host cultural and community activities such as music, theater, educational seminars, poetry readings, story hours for children, and holiday events.

If you are interested in supporting the Milford Community House, donations can be made to at PO Box 361, Milford, PA 18337.