The Rose Valley Museum, in Thunderbird Lodge, holds an extraordinary history of this area of Media. It started out as a collection of mills and workers' cottages. In 1901, architect William Lightfoot Price bought over 30 acres along with the old buildings. Inspired by the book “News from Nowhere” by William Morris, a leader of the Arts & Crafts Movement in England, Price started a utopian community similar to Morris’ description.
The Arts & Crafts Movement was a reaction to the industrial revolution and the losing of individual artistic expression. Price wasn’t just inspired by Morris, he wanted to support artists and culture wholeheartedly. He repurposed an old bank barn into two large artist studios, one each for Alice Barber Stephens and Charles Stephens; renowned illustrators in Philadelphia at the turn of the century. He then connected the studios to an Arts & Crafts home by way of an octagonal stairway.
Charles Stephens was a respected scholar of Native American culture, and he named the home Thunderbird Lodge; a reference to the Thunderbird which is a powerful symbol in Native American folklore.
Rose Valley Museum’s president, Sue Keilbaugh, tells us that Thunderbird Lodge was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1989, just a year after the museum was founded, and is considered to be Price's finest example of a home reflecting the Arts & Crafts philosophy. “The Arts and Crafts community lost its leader in 1916 when Price passed away,” says Keilbaugh, “but the spirit and much of the philosophy of the original community are still present.”
Afterwards, the lodge earned a pair of new owners; Mildred and Alan Olmsted. Mildred is known as one of the founders of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, and Alan is one of the originators of the ACLU-PA. In 2015, when Thunderbird Lodge was given to a non-profit, the Rose Valley Centennial Foundation accepted the property on the condition that the Rose Valley Museum would occupy the building and make it a sustainable entity.
According to Keilbaugh, visitors are most often surprised at the volume and variety of history associated with the building and the borough. “Visitors are intrigued by Thunderbird Lodge itself, and its collection of art, Rose Valley furniture, pottery and the stories of the people who built the community,” says Keilbaugh. “It all depends upon the interests of the visitor.”
There are a number of things to do! Though it is a small museum, a guided tour can take 2 hours, because there is a lot of information to share. The volunteers are passionate about this place.
The museum now has the largest collection of Rose Valley Shops furniture (from 1901 to 1906) and Rose Valley pottery (from 1904 to 1905) in the world, and people are able to admire the artistry and craftsmanship that has gone into them. On open weekends, the museum offers an event—a lecture or a workshop—in an effort to serve and engage the community. They also hold garden parties and picnics annually throughout the month of May. These parties are planned around families, so bring the little ones for a lovely outing. In December, the museum opens up the holidays with Christmas carols and tree. Generally open one weekend a month, you can always book an appointment. A 1 hour tour of the Museum along with the current exhibit in the lower studio comes with the price of admission.
Rose Valley is packed with rich history and beautiful pieces of art. “I think our Board would agree that the Museum is reminding the community of the extraordinary history that led to the neighborhood that is Rose Valley today,” says Keilbaugh. “We are gratified by the involvement and appreciation of so many in Rose Valley and beyond who participate in and support the museum.”