About Us
Mission Statement
The mission of the Fairmount Park Historic Preservation Trust, a nonprofit organization, is to provide leadership, technical assistance, and advocacy to preserve, develop, and manage historic properties and other cultural resources in Philadelphia's Fairmount Park.
The Trust formed in 1992 as a public/private venture to innovate historic preservation in Fairmount Park. The William Penn Foundation, the Pew Charitable Trusts, and the Stockton Rush Bartol Foundation provided start-up funding and, in 1993, Philadelphia City Council passed City Ordinance #505 authorizing the Trust to secure long term leases for historic properties. The Fairmount Park Historic Preservation is a 501c3 organization dedicated to improving the preservation, management, and development of historic buildings, sculpture, and landscapes in Philadelphia's public park system and other city-owned properties. The Trust also provides architectural conservation services throughout the Philadelphia metro area.
Our Senior Staff
Lucy Strackhouse
Executive Director
Lucy Strackhouse has been Executive Director of the Fairmount Park Historic Preservation Trust since 2006 and has served in various capacities at the Trust since 2002. Ms. Strackhouse holds an anthropology degree from Penn State University and a historic preservation certificate from Bucks County Community College. Significant projects include the leasing, restoration and adaptive reuse of Ohio House, one of two buildings remaining from the Centennial Exhibition, the leasing of Bathey House for use as a café, and the leasing of Allen’s Lane Art Center. Prior to 2001, Ms Strackhouse voluntarily served as Chair of Heritage Markham, a historic architecture review board in Markham, Canada. Board and committee positions include; Abington Township Planning Commission, Lower Moreland’s HARB, the Friends of Lemon Hill, the Preservation Alliance Old House Fair Committee and the Abington Orthodox Meeting House Restoration Committee.
Ray Tschoepe
Director of Conservaton
Ray Tschoepe grew up in Philadelphia and attended the University of Pennsylvania as an undergraduate. After spending a number of years in medicine as both a researcher and scientific illustrator, he returned to Penn and was graduated from the Master’s program in Historic Preservation. Mr. Tschoepe worked for almost 10 years as an independent restoration contractor before joining the staff of the Fairmount Park Historic Preservation Trust in the summer of 2000. As the Trust’s Director of Conservation, he leads a talented staff of conservators and apprentices in architectural conservation projects throughout the Philadelphia metropolitan area. Mr. Tschoepe is a longtime member of the adjunct faculty of the historic preservation program of Bucks Co. Community College where he teaches a core course in Building Conservation. He lectures at conferences and workshops throughout the country and was recently appointed to the position of contributing editor for the Old House Journal. Mr. Tschoepe also serves as Chair of North Wales HARB.
Jessica Baumert
Senior Conservator
Jessica Baumert has been on the conservation staff at the Trust since 2001. Prior to working at the Trust, Ms. Baumert received her degree in Historic Preservation from the Savannah College of Art and Design. Once graduated, she worked with David Via and Associates conserving historic cemeteries throughout the southeast United States including the James Madison Family Cemetery in Montpelier Station, Virginia and Colonial Park Cemetery in Savannah, Georgia. As the Trust’s Senior Conservator, Ms. Baumert has been the lead conservator on dozens of projects including the award winning Graff Memorial and Water Works South Garden, Lemon Hill Gazebo and Christ Church Burial Ground restoration. Ms. Baumert also aids in teaching the Trust’s Hands-on Workshops and has presented for groups such as the Association for Preservation Technology and the Americans for the Arts. Ms. Baumert is an active member of the Cedar Park Neighbors Cedar Park Garden Committee in West Philadelphia.
Tom McPoyle
Conservation Technician
Tom McPoyle, conservation technician, has been with the Trust since 2006. Mr. McPoyle started his career in preservation at the Pennsylvania State Capital building, where he worked for several years restoring historic finishes. Mr. McPoyle also developed an appreciation for architectural form and building technique while attending the University of Delaware, where he earned a BFA in sculpture and an art history minor. During his tenure with the Trust, Mr. McPoyle has been involved in a major staircase reattachment and stabilization at Bellaire Mansion, the window, shutter and front porch restoration of Chamounix Mansion, the exterior restoration of the Abington Orthodox Quaker Meeting House and serves as project leader for the Fox Chase Farm window restoration.
