Hibernia Mansion, as experienced today, is largely the work of Colonel Franklin Swayne, who between 1895 and 1910 modified and enlarged the house to create his image of an English country house. The earliest portion of the house was built as a farmhouse that was expanded to become the ironmaster's house for Hibernia Iron Works in the middle of the 19th century. Today, the main block of the house is a three-story museum with significant collections.
When the decision was made to provide air conditioning to the main block as a way of stabilizing the interior environment for collections, the County of Chester decided to pursue a geothermal air conditioning system. Frens and Frens, LLC and its mechanical consultant, Advanced Engineering, Inc. were charged with the task of inserting air conditioning into the building without visible ductwork and equipment. We accomplished this goal for the first and third floors by placing air handlers and ductwork in the attic and cellar. At the first floor, floor registers are placed under cast iron radiators, so that their appearance is minimal and furniture layout is unaffected by the registers. At the second floor, min-split ducted units were placed in closets in the center of the building, so that the only visible features of the system are supply grills centered over the closet doors. At the exterior, the well field is placed in a parking lot, so that disturbance to site landscaping is minimal.
When the decision was made to provide air conditioning to the main block as a way of stabilizing the interior environment for collections, the County of Chester decided to pursue a geothermal air conditioning system. Frens and Frens, LLC and its mechanical consultant, Advanced Engineering, Inc. were charged with the task of inserting air conditioning into the building without visible ductwork and equipment. We accomplished this goal for the first and third floors by placing air handlers and ductwork in the attic and cellar. At the first floor, floor registers are placed under cast iron radiators, so that their appearance is minimal and furniture layout is unaffected by the registers. At the second floor, min-split ducted units were placed in closets in the center of the building, so that the only visible features of the system are supply grills centered over the closet doors. At the exterior, the well field is placed in a parking lot, so that disturbance to site landscaping is minimal.