Radnor Township faces a $4 million price tag to overhaul the Creutzburg Center, a Frank Furness-designed mansion in Harford Park. The building has housed Main Line School Night for more than 55 years.

The estimate came from Douglas Hertsenberg of Archer & Buchannon Architecture during the Radnor Board of Commissioners' September meeting, as first reported by Main Line Media News. The board discussed the building's future at both its August and September meetings but has not approved any spending.

Hertsenberg identified three core problems: water infiltration from the roof, a deteriorating front porch and inadequate accessibility. The building's third floor is not currently in use.

"There's water infiltration, which we see from the roofing. There's the front porch, which is really deteriorating and needs to be redone," Hertsenberg said at the September meeting.

The Victorian-era mansion was completed in the early 1880s as a summer home for Judge John Innes Clark Hare. Architects Frank Furness and Allen Evans designed it. Radnor Township acquired the land in 1969 through the Open Space Program. Main Line School Night has rented the building since 1970.

Grant complications

Township Engineer Stephen Norcini told commissioners that an $800,000 grant has been issued for interior renovations. But the township must first complete exterior work, including the roof and a veranda Norcini described as falling apart, at its own expense.

The grant also requires a dollar-for-dollar match. Main Line School Night must raise $800,000 of its own to unlock the funds.

Norcini highlighted the nonprofit's upkeep of the building at the August meeting, saying it "is well painted. It is welcoming. It is bright when you go in."

Tabled proposal

Commissioners tabled a $491,200 proposal in August that would have authorized architectural services for design and bidding documents. Board members cited cost concerns and said they wanted to visit the building themselves before committing funds.

Main Line School Night, a nonprofit offering close to 800 non-credit courses, trips and events, was founded in 1938 by Radnor businessman Harry Creutzburg. The center bears his name.

The next scheduled Radnor Board of Commissioners public hearing is Monday, Oct. 12, for the "A Vision for Wayne" downtown master plan. Whether the Creutzburg renovation will appear on that agenda has not been confirmed.