| Welcome to your new Wild Apricot website |
2025 2026 Donors Campaign
The
Robeson Rolling Mill has endured 335 years of hurricanes, freshets/floods, and
industrial change, but cumulative structural damage and increased flood
frequency now threaten this irreplaceable landmark. The Philadelphia Canoe Club
has been a proud steward of the Mill for over 120 years; in 2024, the Mill
served as the base for 56 training events and had the most participants (732) among
the American Canoe Club member clubs. ACA-certified, unpaid PCC
instructors manage all events.
This year’s annual campaign is directed at raising funds for two projects
critical to the maintenance and restoration of the mill building: 1. replacing
lime mortar at a dozen interior places where degradation has occurred, and 2. installing
a new column(s) in the basement below the fireplace to stop its sagging.
The lime mortar restoration is mostly needed
due to flood damage. The repairs require a specialized lime mortar, but the good
news is that it can be applied on a Do-It-Yourself (DIY) basis during Work Days
2026-2027.
The fireplace
support project is more complicated and will require several bids from
contractors. The picture below shows the sag created by work that involved
routing pipes from the locker room bathroom into the basement many decades ago.
The work to support the fireplace will be completed in the basement (new
support, not raise or restore), with some mortar repairs in the locker room where
the sagging appears to have created cracks.
Our target is to raise $40,000 for these two projects: $15,000 for the lime mortar and some tools, and $25,000 for the fireplace support project. Hopefully, we’ll raise more, and overage will go to funding for 50-50 Matching Grants: Grant Applications
In a separate effort, we are applying for a full‑coverage
$365,000 preservation grant to repair the porch and Steward’s basement. More
on this grant effort and others is described here: Grant Applications.
Please consider a generous donation to support our efforts to protect this historic treasure and community paddle-sports instruction center.
Your donation is appreciated - link below.
See this link for 2026 Tax News for WMF Donors