Facing the Future:
GSP Capital Campaign 2024-2027
For more than 130 years, 611 Spring Garden Street has been more than just a building. It has been a symbol of the German Society of Pennsylvania's rich history, hosting countless concerts, language classes, cultural events, and gatherings. This building has been the heart of our community, providing a gathering space for German culture and connections through the generations.
But now, time has taken its toll. The exterior façade, windows, and structural elements of our historic building are in urgent need of repair. We are facing significant renovations that are critical to preserve our home for future generations. The estimated cost of these repairs stands around $2,000,000.
Thankfully, through the generosity of outside grants and commitments, we have already secured almost $1,000,000. We are actively seeking additional funding from government organizations and foundations to cover another $500,000. However, the final $500,000 must come from within--our members. It is up to us to protect and maintain the building that has served as our cultural home since 1888.
Help Preserve Our Cultural Home for Future Generations!
View drone footage of our building's façade:
The Details
Our building has been central to our efforts to promote and preserve German culture. It is the headquarters for our concert series, language classes, and cultural and social events like our Konversationsabend, Bierfest, and Christkindlmarkt. It also houses the largest collection of German-language books outside of universities in the United States in our Horner Memorial Library.
But the exterior façade is now in need of critical repairs. This includes brick pointing, replacing leaking windows, and reinforcing structural elements. Though some of these items may sound cosmetic, they are crucial to the building's structural integrity and function.
The first phase of the project will begin in November of 2024 with replacing the library windows, followed by restoring brickwork and repairing decorative elements and their support structures, which will likely begin next spring.
Your Part
We are launching a Capital Campaign to raise the necessary $500,000 over the next three years. Please make your choice about how to respond from the buttons above:
- Donate instantly online, or over time
- Make a pledge
- Print a pledge form and email it to info@germansociety.org
- Print a pledge form and mail it to
611 Spring Garden St, Philadelphia, PA 19123 - Call the office here:
(215) 627-2332
No donation is too small, and every contribution is tax deductible. Donations made directly from IRAs or other retirement accounts to the Society are not taxed upon withdrawal. If your employer offers a matching gift program, we encourage you to take advantage of it.
Your support is vital to ensure that our building will continue to serve as a hub for German culture and community for years to come. If you have any questions, members of the Capital Campaign Committee are available to assist you.
Thank you for your generosity and commitment to preserving the German Society of Pennsylvania for future generations.
Sincerely,
The Capital Campaign Committee
Ed Cattell, Director
Bill Hardham, Secretary
Liesl Jandrey, Executive Director
Daniel Lippard, Director
Mark McGuigan, President
Tony Michels, VP of Operations
Stephanie Vogel, Director
Ernie Weiler, VP of Advancement and Committee Chair
Baufortschrittsberichte
Past Meets Present: A Facelift for the Future
Article from the Summer 2025 issue of the Staatsbote
I see the facade of the German Society building as an ambassador of our organization; its appearance, service, security, and functionality are all important. As a GSP officer for the past 18 years, I have been responsible for the GSP property and the operational tasks that come with it. Since I began my work here in 2008, it has always been important to me to find a balance between preservation and modernization/repair and replacement. The façade project brings special challenges from financial limitations to the need to continue day-to-day operation, business, and programming.
Looking at the façade from 100 yards away, the overall appearance of the Townhouse and the Main Building has not changed very much in the past 30 years. However significant elements have been replaced (Auditorium windows) or been remodeled (roof, entrances). Unfortunately, emergency repairs in and outside the building have often taken priority over other things, but I am glad that, with your help through the Facade Capital Campaign and that of other organizations who support our mission, we are now finally able to renovate the outside structure.
Some challenges are quite visible. For example, during initial construction of the building the three-dimensional ornamental elements surrounding the library windows on the third floor level were built to make them look like carved sandstone, but were actually made by shaping galvanized sheet metal into wooden molds and then painting it to look like sandstone. Since 1888 they have been repainted multiple times. All of those layers of paint must be removed without damaging the underlying structure and the metal ornaments repaired and repainted. There are other defects involving brick, brownstone, and mortar deterioration since 1829 (Townhouse) and 1888 (Main Building), which are less immediately visible, but cause problems from structural safety to HVAC issues.
In 2022/23 we worked with a preservation consulting company to evaluate the needs of the project and to recommend possible contractors. After receiving their report, we began with some investigative deconstruction of windows and ornamental metal elements on the Library level in 2023, and, in 2024, we scheduled a timeline for the project and started Phase 1. The installation of Window #5 in the librarian’s office on the third floor southwest corner of the Main Building was completed earlier this year.
The installation of a 600-pound (16-foot high, 6-foot wide) heavy preassembled window frame requires weeks of preparation inside the building and out, including street closures and specialized equipment and crew.
In the third week of July we will begin the installation of Library Level windows #1-4 by first relocating all indoor equipment in the 20 x 50 foot east section of the Main Reading Room. We will then create a large framed plastic barrier, top to bottom and side to side, to keep the Main Reading Room safe from exposure to any potential hazards from the installation. During this disruption, the day-to-day business of the GSP must and will continue. The plan is for this part of the façade project to be complete by the end of August. Anyone with questions about the façade project is welcome to call me at 302-345-5672.
Enjoy your summer of 2025; see you in the fall at the German Society.
- Tony Michels, VP of Operations and President Emeritus
Three-dimensional ornamental elements surrounding the library windows on the third floor level
Three-dimensional ornamental elements surrounding the library windows on the third floor level
Three-dimensional ornamental elements surrounding the library windows on the third floor level
The installation of Window #5 in the librarian’s office on the third floor southwest corner of the Main Building was completed earlier this year.
