OUR HISTORY

How Our Group Was Formed

In 1959, Sunny Delo, wife of the President of The University of Tampa, was searching the basement of Plant Hall for tiles she could use to restore the facings of the ballroom fireplaces. There, she discovered beautiful glass fireplace tiles previously removed from the building, covered with heavy mortar. Commercial tile setters refused to contract removal of the mortar as it required tedious, time consuming hand labor. Not one to give up easily, Sunny asked three of her friends, Martha Ferman, Bertha Fletcher, and Sue Klintworth for ideas. They invited five other friends to join them for lunch, a swim in Bertha's pool, and an afternoon removing mortar with a chisel and muriatic acid. Sunny's determination to preserve Plant Hall was so contagious, these friends decided to complete the job they had started.

The enthusiasm and dedication of these hard-working ladies inspired other members to attend each succeeding B.Y.O.M. (Bring Your Own Muriatic Acid) party. Soon, the workers grew to twenty-seven. One day Ruth Hendry proclaimed, "We are just a bunch of chiselers." From that day forward, the organization has been referred to as "The Chiselers."

This energetic group of women quickly decided to continue their work to restore and preserve Plant Hall and return it to its former grandeur. In July 1959, they formed an organization dedicated to that purpose, incorporating in October 1959 as The Chiselers, Inc.

A coat of arms was designed to include a glove, chisel & hammer, a minaret, the founding date 1959 and the Latin word "caementarii" meaning to chisel, mold or carve.

Today that group of twenty-seven has grown to 270 members.

ACHIEVEMENTS

Since its founding The Chiselers, Inc. has raised $11 million for the restoration of Plant Hall. Funding is acquired through an annual market, galas, community generosity, and sizable grants.
The Chiselers’ largest fundraising events are the annual Market, Tampa’s largest one day thrift sale, and the Preview Party held the previous evening.
The third largest event of the Chiselers was the bi-annual Fashion Show co-sponsored by the Henry B. Plant Museum Society and Neiman Marcus.
In addition to raising funds for restoration the Chiselers support The University of Tampa with an endowed scholarship which provides annual financial assistance to a deserving student.
The Chiselers’ 270 members contribute approximately 15,000 volunteer hours annually, an equivalent of $394,800. (Independent Sector, 2020, FL, $26.32 value of a volunteer hour.)
In 1996 the Chiselers co-founded the Tampa Bay Hotel Advisory Council to include representatives from the City of Tampa, The University of Tampa, Henry B. Plant Museum, The Chiselers, Inc., and the preservation community. The council was charged with approving a Master Plan for restoration and preservation of the building and assuring that all work is done in accordance with the Master Plan and the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation of Historic Buildings

Member Login

We rely on your support to ensure the preservation of the historic Henry B. Plant Hall.

DONATE

The Chiselers, Inc.

EIN # 59-6200154. Registration #CH51363. A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL FREE (800-435-7352) WITHIN THE STATE. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE.

Connect with Us

Sign up to Receive News

Powered by Wild Apricot Membership Software