Expanding the Presence of a Preeminent Conservation Organization
Mill Grove, the first home in America of artist and ornithologist John James Audubon, is owned and operated as an education and conservation center by the National Audubon Society and Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. The 247-year-old farmhouse and rolling acres of pastoral fields and forests that make up the estate have enormous historical, cultural, and aesthetic significance. Our master site development plan for the John James Audubon Center is the result of a community-based strategic planning effort. It sets forth a comprehensive vision for managing and interpreting the historic, artistic and natural heritage of the property.
Our master site development plan focuses on improvements to the historic core of the property and incorporates all of its structures, while adding a new centrally-located visitor center to provide education and exhibit display space. We tied together and built upon prior planning efforts in order to streamline processes and conserve funding. All of these efforts support our central goal of celebrating the legacy of John James Audubon by providing unique and meaningful experiences through teaching environmental stewardship, demonstrating best conservation practices, protecting the site’s rich natural and cultural resources, and enhancing habitats for birds and other wildlife.
Project Team
Owner’s Project Manager: CVM; MEP Engineer: Bruce E. Brooks & Associates; Landscape Architect: Viridian Landscape Studio; Civil Engineer: Melioria; Exhibit Design: Metcalfe Architecture & Design; Interpretive Planner: Remer & Talbott
One of the primary objectives of the Master Plan is the continued viability and future economic success of the Center.
