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Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites seeks new Burnside Plantation gardener
November 1st, 2023 | In The News
BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites needs a new gardener for Burnside Plantation, as Pat Corpora has stepped aside after a decade.
During his years at the 6.5-acre farm at 1461 Schoenersville Road, Bethlehem, Corpora doubled the size of the volunteer group at the Colonial garden, helped provide fresh produce to food pantries and changed the work mode at the garden from solitary to communal, making it more of a team activity.
The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society recognized his efforts with a Blue Ribbon, and under his stewardship, Burnside Plantation appeared on Chef Walter Staib’s PBS program, “A Taste of History.”
“Volunteering at Burnside has been a highlight of my life over the last 10 years,” Corpora said in a statement distributed by Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites (HBMS).
“Pat’s impact extend beyond the garden’s white picket fence, as he’s touched the lives of fellow gardeners and countless Lehigh Valley guests,” the HBMS statement said. “His generosity, time, thoughtful organization and expertise have cultivated a sense of unity and camaraderie throughout our community.”
HBMS is looking for Corpora’s successor. Applications may be made on Historic Bethlehem’s website.
The garden has community partners, including the Hotel Bethlehem, which has served Burnside produce, and the New Bethany and Northeast Community Center food pantries.
Burnside Plantation along the Monocacy Creek includes a restored farmhouse, two bank barns (built into a slope to provide access to the upper floor), outbuildings and the Colonial garden. The farm is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
HBMS holds its annual Blueberry Festival and Apple Days event at Burnside.
Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites is a non-profit organization that promotes three centuries of Bethlehem history, starting with the city’s founding in 1741 as a Moravian community. Among its sites are Burnside, the Kemerer Museum of Decorative Arts and the Moravian Museum of Bethlehem.
HBMS also promotes the effort to make the Historic Moravian Church Settlements of Bethlehem a World Heritage Site. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization chooses World Heritage sites, which include the Great Wall of China, the Great Barrier Reef off Australia and the Tower of London.
Jeff Ward
WFMZ.com Reporter
