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ABOUT US

The Bucks County Designer House Committee of the Village Improvement Association of Doylestown

The Bucks County Designer House & Gardens is out largest committee and the now-50+ members have set up and run this biggest fundraiser since 1971. We begin work on the next House in the summer and start contacting our designer, landscaper, and boutique partners. We hold our Designer Preview in September, if possible. Then it’s the race to determine which partners get which design area or boutique space and we go on from there. We have groups to contact sponsors, run our Marketing, do our website and computer work, manage each partner group, plan parking and all other activities that come with a big event. If possible, we hold an Empty House Party in February, when we usually take possession of the empty house. That’s a chance for visitors to see the “before” so they can really learn how our talented partners create the “after” beauty.  After that it’s the mad dash toward the end of April, the final design and landscaping work, our Media Day, and the always-stunning Preview Gala, the month of tours, and then the close out. The benefits are many: we work hard and raise money for our various VIA focus areas, but we also create a month of wonderful experiences and lasting friendships with our committee members, our partners, and our guests. We hope you enjoy this year’s House as much as we enjoyed bringing it to you!

The Bucks County Designer House & Gardens supports Doylestown Health and the mission of the VIA.


OUR CAUSE

Our cause is always the mission of the VIA: “to enhance the health and welfare of Central Bucks County and the surrounding communities.” We accomplish this through Doylestown Hospital (the hospital we founded in 1923 and still govern), the Doylestown Health System, and through our welfare, community recognition, veterans, scholarships, and other community support activities. To fund our work, the VIA held its first Bucks County Designer House & Gardens fundraiser in 1971. With community support and member dedication, this event is now the VIA’s largest annual fundraiser. It has allowed us to raise millions to benefit Doylestown Hospital, the Doylestown Health system, and our community activities.

Proceeds from the 48th Bucks County Designer House & Gardens will support the continued clinical and programmatic needs of the VIA Maternity Center and Doylestown Health enters its second century of care. Funds will be used to enhance the patient experience, improve technology throughout the center, and aid in the delivery of personalized care for mothers and newborns. The generous support received from the 2024 Designer House will play a significant role in bringing approximately 1,300 babies into the world every year at Doylestown Hospital.

The Village Improvement Association Of Doylestown

Since its founding in 1895, the VIA has been committed to enhancing the health and welfare of the community it serves. The VIA supports those in need, awards educational scholarships, provides community improvement grants, and much more. The VIA started a visiting nurse program for Doylestown and then founded Doylestown Hospital in 1923. For many years, the members did almost all of the non-medical work, including yelling up the stairs of the original 8-bed hospital to see if pork chops would be OK for dinner! The VIA still governs Doylestown Hospital and Doylestown Health as part of Doylestown Hospital and Doylestown Health Foundations: the chairman of the Boards is always an experienced, knowledgeable VIA member. But we are much more than that. Our mission-focused committees include Welfare, Women’s Scholarships, (adult scholarships), Education (high school scholarships), HOBY, Veterans, Community Response and Recognition, and Welfare. Click the link, below, to learn more about this active group of women.

Learn more about the VIA HERE.

Doylestown Health

The VIA recognized the need for public health initiatives and community healthcare services and began with employment of a Visiting Nurse in 1916. The VIA, together with local medical professionals and the Doylestown community, opened the Doylestown Emergency Hospital, an eight-bed facility, at Pine and Oakland Streets in 1923. VIA members mopped floors, cleaned rooms, made beds, and cooked meals. In 1975 the hospital moved to its present location on West State Street, where it continues to grow to meet our communities’ many growing needs.

Under the continued governance and stewardship of the VIA and throughout its 100-year history, Doylestown Hospital has maintained its patient-first philosophy. Their many local, state, and national awards show they are doing exactly the right things. Doylestown Hospital and the Doylestown Health System continue to be pioneers in innovation, advancing the delivery of quality healthcare.

Learn more about Doylestown Health’s services, classes, doctors, and events at http://doylestownhealth.org/.
Learn more about the Doylestown Health Foundation at https://doylestownhealthfoundation.org/.

Past Bucks County Designer Houses and Gardens

We started presenting the Bucks County Designer House & Gardens in 1971. We skipped a few years in the beginning, when we were still learning, but since 1978 we have run a Designer House every year, with only one year lost to the COVID pandemic. And it’s all run by volunteers! Here are some examples of our past houses.

Want more? Click HERE to see our guidebooks from recent years.

Thank you for supporting our 48th Bucks County Designer House & Gardens.
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