Kern gift creates presidential residence
For years, the stately brick Tudor at 3906 State Street with its elegant leaded glass windows and steeply pitched slate roof served as the family home of Bruce and Nancy Kern. Thanks to a generous gift from the Kern family, the 4,295 square feet of spacious rooms, gleaming hardwood foors, and ornate black walnut woodwork is now the ofcial Presidential Residence of Mercyhurst University. President Michael Victor says the home – now known as the Kern House – promises to become a social and cultural center where the university can host alumni, students, faculty, and other special guests. While he doesn’t plan to move from his family home in Millcreek, it will also be the home of future Mercyhurst presidents. Bruce and Nancy Kern are longtime supporters of Mercyhurst; their son, Scott, currently serves on the board of trustees. When they decided to part with the home they had lived in for nearly 30 years, they wanted it in the hands of someone who could appreciate its architectural integrity and take responsibility as good stewards. “Architecturally, the house is a natural ft for Mercyhurst,” Nancy said. “It looks like it could be sitting right on campus and not be out of place. We knew we’d be putting it in good hands.” During the years the Kerns lived there, it had a cozy, casual vibe. In its new role, it will be decidedly more formal.
Betsy Frank, director of executive ofce projects and events, has overseen the renovation. For months, she haunted high-end consignment boutiques throughout the region in search of furnishings and décor that would match the home’s 1920s origins. She didn’t need to locate a dining set, though – the set that belonged to original owners James and Anna Dwyer had remained in the house. But she did locate a mural of the Virginia countryside that will enhance the dining room. The kitchen will be functional for a presidential family in the future, but it also boasts three ovens, a wine refrigerator, and other equipment needed for catering ofcial Mercyhurst events. Outside, the university painted the trim in a rich brown-and-cream combination to refect the classic Tudor style, and repaired the nearly 90-year-old slate roof. The frst phase of improvements included the exterior work and the frst- foor public spaces. Eventually the four bedrooms and three baths on the second foor will be restored; the third foor could be converted into additional living space. The newly renovated Kern House will be open to the public Nov. 9 and 10 as a stop on the ffth annual Holiday Tour of Homes to beneft the Erie Philharmonic.
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