The Bird Mansion

The Bird Mansion was originally a home built in 1751 by William Bird. It is located in Birdsboro, PA and is still open to this day. The name was changed to the Birdsboro Community Memorial Center, which is still its current name, when it was deeded over in 1912. The Bird Mansion started as a home, but now it is known for being a recreational and learning center for the youth. It is very accessible to get to since it is located on one of the main streets in Birdsboro.

William Bird, born in 1706, was an iron forger that had his own iron works forge, in which the town of Birdsboro, PA was built around. He was originally born in New Jersey but moved to the area of what we now know as Birdsboro. Starting in 1744, Bird started building his mansion for him and his family. The mansion, made of brownstone, was finally finished construction in 1751. The building was built for the family’s personal residence and for an office for their iron works company. This historical mansion was known as the Bird Mansion.^[1][2]

When William Bird died in 1761, he passed on his iron work companies and the Bird Mansion to his son, Mark Bird. Mark ended up expanding the size of the two story mansion. He also used the house for residence and for office space to continue the business. Forwarding to 1796, is when Matthew and Elizabeth Brooke bought the Bird Mansion and Iron Works Company.^[1]

The Schuylkill canal was dug in between the Schuylkill River and the mansion in 1821. The current front of the mansion used to be the back of it when the Bird and Brooke families owned it. The front used to face the Schuylkill canal. Present day, it is opposite. After the Brooke family left, the mansion became a hotel, and it served the purpose of being a pit stop for traffic through the canal. Once the canal business faded, the mansion became a private residence once again.^[3]

In 1921, a company known as the E&G Brooke Land company transferred the rights of the Bird Mansion to the YMCA and to the Birdsboro Community Memorial Center. The mansion only sold for $1.00. The goal of this transfer was to make the Bird Mansion into a recreational center for the youth. This is when the name was changed to the Birdsboro Community Memorial Center.^[1]

The Bird Mansion went through a lot of unexpected weather events throughout the years. In 1972, there was Hurricane Agnes that caused water to flow all the way up to the second floor of the house. The community wanted to help restore the mansion since it was part of Birdsboro’s history. Then in 1996, a huge winter storm brought 45 inches of snow and collapsed the back roof. This was also fixed by the community.^[1]

Today, the Bird mansion is known as the Birdsboro Community Memorial Center located in the middle of downtown Birdsboro. This stone building now has blue doors and white shutters. They provide a lot of recreational and learning opportunities for the youth, including summer camps. There is a dance studio, gym and game room that gives plenty of options for youth. Memberships are available, as well as rentals of the rooms for private events. Today, the Birdsboro Community Memorial Center is still apart of Birdsboro’s history and offers a lot of opportunity for the neighborhood.

1. Accessed July 4th 2022. http://bcmcbirdsboro.com/about/.
2. Graham, Daniel A. William Bird 1706-1761 Ironmaster.
3. Hoffman, Bruce A. The People and Places of Mill and Furnace in Birdsboro, PA.