About Us

The Christian C. Sanderson Museum is a private, non-profit enterprise located in the historic village of Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania. The museum exhibits the eclectic collection of historical relics, artifacts, and memorabilia acquired by Christian Sanderson over a period of more than 75 years. The museum was founded in 1967, and is operated almost entirely by volunteers.

OUR MISSION

The Sanderson Museum interprets our Nation’s history through one man’s life and through his collection, by providing a captivating and personal museum experience in an historic 19th century home, for families, students, historians, and educators.

OUR VISION

The Sanderson Museum will be a unique small museum experience in the Brandywine Valley, by providing a personal and interactive trip through our Nation’s history, bringing ever-increasing visitation and public support.

“He has given his life to things that mean most – in understanding American history, and understanding the American purpose.”

– DR. KENNETH D. WELLS, PRESIDENT, FREEDOMS FOUNDATION AT VALLEY FORGE, 1963

 

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

FOUNDING MEMBERS (1967)

Andrew Wyeth, President
Arthur J. Beard
Dr. Frank V. Rich
William A. Hoffman
Thomas R. Thompson, Curator

 

CURRENT MEMBERS (2023)

OFFICERS

President (vacant)

Sanderson_Board_Gorman_xDSC1070*Hollie Gorman, Treasurer
Hollie earned her B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Florida. A Certified Insurance Counselor, she is Executive Vice President of the Brown & Brown Private Client Group of Delaware, which develops customized insurance solutions for clients. Hollie has assisted other museums in determing how to apply insurance and risk management to preserving and protecting their assets. She is also an active Board member with Junior Achievement of Delaware. Hollie joined the Sanderson Museum in 2012, becoming a member of the Board of Directors.

 

DIRECTORS

Linda Banks
Linda has been a guide at the museum for 10 years. In the past she has also helped with group visits, both adults and children, and has written articles for us in various web sites.  Linda has a BA in English from Bucknell University and a Masters in Education from Widener University. She has taught at Montessori School – London – from 1971 to 1976.  She also taught at Launfal Montessori School & Summer Day Camp – Villanova – from 1978 to 1984.  She has taught English at Henderson Senior High School from 1984 to 2010.  While at Henderson Senior High School she also Sponsored and advised Girls’ & Boys’ Speaking Contests, The Warrior monthly school newspaper, Calliope annual literary magazine, and Speech & Debate Club.  Barbara was elected to the Board of Directors in 2022.

Sanderson_Board_Camp_xDSC0523Dean Camp
Dean is a Financial Advisor and Managing Director – Investments for Camp Wilcox Group of Wells Fargo Advisors. Dean joined the Sanderson Museum in May of 2005 and was elected to the Board in September of 2005. In addition to serving on several nonprofit boards, he has also served as the treasurer and president of two separate condominium boards. He has a B.S. in Business with a concentration in business management.

Diane Camp
Diane began her career as a legal secretary for a law firm in Wilmington, Delaware.  After three years, she joined the Legal Department of the Du Pont Company, where  she worked for 20 years before retiring to raise two sons. Since 2011, Diane has been a volunteer at the Museum, where she has been especially effective in working with student interns. She was elected to the Board of Directors in 2017.

*Jim Christ
Jim is the President of the Paoli Battlefield Preservation Fund, Vice President of both the American Revolution Round Table of Philadelphia, and the Brandywine Valley Civil War Round Table.  He is also the Treasurer Historical Military Impressions a reenactment group the preforms in several states.  Jim is also a board member of the Paoli Memorial Association.  Jim is also on the Chester County 250th Committee.   Jim graduated with an Associates Degree in Business Management from the Harrisburg Area Community College.  Jim is currently Director of Client Services at Shelby Financial Corporation and has been with the company since 1993.  Jim was elected to the Board of Directors and the steering committee in 2018.

Tom Hoey

Tom holds a Bachelor’s degree in music education from the School of Music at West Chester University. and taught for 33 years, principally as Band Director in the Garnet Valley district.

In the 1980’s he ran Hoey Brothers Music Management bringing musicians to Delaware County such as singer Frank Sinatra, Jr. and trumpeter Maynard Ferguson. As a member of the board of Garnet Valley Band Parents he raised money by convincing the Wawa Dairy to market the group’s cause on their milk cartons.  He also served two terms on the board of directors of the 250-member Association of Church Musicians of Philadelphia.

In addition, he has managed and marketed several successful music groups including the Montels and Main Street, former house band of the Mendenhall Inn ballroom events. Currently he manages the Lenape Brass which went from new ensemble to being invited to perform at Winterthur in less than 2 years.

Tom has been a behind the scenes volunteer at the Sanderson Museum for 9 years. In 2014 he researched the music and organization of the Pocopson Valley Boys and formed a 10-piece tribute band with two of the original members, that performed on the Sanderson side porch to an enthusiastic audience. Later in 2022 he spun his research into a story for The Historian.

*Michael Lynch
Michael is an educator, researcher, and a projection artist from West Chester Pennsylvania. He combines technology, space, and light to create images on walls, parking lots, fields, and trees. The projection installations he creates are temporary – sometimes lasting hours, and sometimes only for moments. For
nearly three years, he has been the lead coordinator for a historical research and conceptual art project entitled Projected in Place, where he superimpose historic photographs and paintings – to real-life scale – onto the original spaces depicted in the images. Michael has a B.A. in Sociology, West Chester University, West Chester Pennsylvania 2006, M.A. in Science & Technology Studies, Drexel University, Philadelphia Pennsylvania 2008, Ph.D. in Sociology, Temple University, Philadelphia Pennsylvania.  Michael was elected to the Board of Directors in 2022.

Sanderson_Board_Ulmann_xDSC0534*Charles E. Ulmann (Curator)
Chuck graduated from Hobart College with a B.A. in Mathematics. He worked in various Information Services areas at Wyeth Labs. In addition to his love of local history, Chuck serves as a tour leader for various West Chester, Pennsylvania local history walks. Chuck became a Sanderson Museum volunteer in 2004 and succeeded Tom Thompson as Curator in 2006. He joined the Board of Directors in 2017.

 

*Member, Steering Committee. The Steering Committee manages the day-to-day affairs of the Sanderson Museum.

“It has always been my conviction that the good Lord put Christian Sanderson on this earth just to make us forget all the mean and evil people we meet during one lifetime.”
MUSEUM VOLUNTEERS
  • Linda Banks
  • Steve Beard
  • Dean Camp
  • Diane Camp
  • Jim Christ
  • Abigail Ezell
  • Hollie Gorman
  • Sally Hoey
  • Tom Hoey
  • Carol Little
  • Michael Lynch
  • Andy Moynihan
  • Karen Moynihan
  • Gene Pisasale
  • Barbara Pratt
  • Amber Pulcher
  • Gary Sharp
  • Mara Sharp
  • Charles Ulmann
  • Mary Ann Ulmann
  • Tom Walsh
  • Ed Worteck
  • George Zahorcak