Boarders and Stewards

*The sheep barn on the historic millworker’s house site at 1027 Kitchens Lane with springhouse in foreground.*

The Boarders and Stewards of the Monastery (BSM) is a non-profit organization that stewards the Monastery site with oversight by the Fairmount Park Conservancy. This complex sits on five acres located at the end of Kitchen’s Lane, and is comprised of five historic structures: a mansion that dates back to 1747, a barn dating to the late-18th century, a millworker’s cottage with its own barn, and a springhouse. These buildings are a vivid reminder of the 18th- and 19th-century way of life in the Philadelphia area.

BSM preserves this property and continues the long tradition of horseback riding and carriage driving in the Wissahickon Valley. It is the site of one of the few thriving horseback riding and boarding facilities within the City of Philadelphia.

BSM is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation. It relies on donations to preserve and improve the buildings and maintain the grounds for the public to enjoy. This includes capital improvements such as roofing, masonry, plumbing, fencing, electrical work, and land management.