Shimer House - Erik Brunetti Foundation for the Arts

Dr. Porter W. Shimer House Preservation Program

Elderwell, residence of Dr Porter W. Shimer, circa 1900.

The Porter William Shimer House stands as an architectural and intellectual landmark of the American industrial era. Completed in 1892 with stone quarried from the adjacent hillside, the residence exemplifies Colonial Revival sensibilities executed in enduring masonry. It was designed and inhabited by Dr. Porter William Shimer—chemist, metallurgist, and recipient of the John Scott Medal for his work in ceramic metallurgy, including the discovery of titanium carbide.

Now under the stewardship of the Erik Brunetti Foundation for the Arts, the Shimer House functions as a non-governmental model of cultural preservation infrastructure. It houses the Foundation’s archival operations, curatorial research rooms, and administrative offices. Its continued maintenance substitutes for public sector custodianship—preserving a historically significant site that would otherwise be lost to neglect, subdivision, or sale.

The property remains accessible through structured engagement. Academic institutions, nonprofit organizations, and curatorial entities may initiate inquiries for guided access, research use, or programmatic collaboration. The Foundation accommodates these requests on a scheduled basis, ensuring that the site serves its public benefit function while maintaining historical integrity.

The program asserts the Foundation’s commitment to cultural preservation as a public function. In doing so, it addresses an unmet governmental burden by maintaining, programming, and interpreting a historic structure outside the scope of state capacity.

For stewardship inquiries related to the maintenance, restoration, or activation of the Shimer House and Sanctuary grounds, contact: foundation@erikbrunettifoundation.org

A 501(c)(3) public charity. Contributions may be tax-deductible. Operates pursuant to the statutory criteria set forth in Pennsylvania’s Institutions of Purely Public Charity Act (10 P.S. § 371 et seq.).