Pearl S. Buck House renovations near completion

The eighth annual Taste of the World fundraising event, hosted by Pearl S. Buck International May 18 at the home of Pulitzer- and Noble Prize-winning author and humanitarian Pearl S. Buck, highlighted the sites on-going restoration efforts.

Located in Hilltown, the Pearl S. Buck House is a National Historic Landmark honoring the life of its former inhabitant. In addition to her accomplishments as a writer, Buck also founded the Welcome House at the site as the first international, inter-racial adoption agency in the United States.

In fact, the current chairman of the board, David Yoder, was the first Welcome House child in 1948 and was in attendance at the event May 18.

Ive watched this annual event grow from just 50 attendees to over 300 people this year, Yoder said. Its incredible the attention the work of Pearl S. Buck, whom I considered a grandmother, is getting.

Attendees of the event, ranging from board members to interested community members, could take tours of the house to view the restoration progress.

The restoration of the Pearl S. Buck House began in 2006, when the structure was considered in disrepair, according to the curator, Donna Rhoads.

Phase one involved sprucing up the envelope of the home, she said. Phase two focused on the structural issues, while the third and final phase focuses on the finishing touches from restoring the outdoor patio to re-painting the walls the exact color they were when Buck lived in the home.

The restoration is expected to be completed next spring, and the Taste of the World event, the largest fundraiser of the year, helps the nonprofit get closer to its goal.

In addition to enjoying international hors doeuvers, entrees and beverages from local restaurants, attendees could participate in live and silent auctions, while enjoying live music by a quartet. Continued...

Before her death in 1973, Buck gave her 68-acre Bucks County estate, Green Hills Farm, to the organization that formed Pearl S. Buck International. Many of the same fixtures that were in the house when she lived there remain today.

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Pearl S. Buck House renovations near completion