George Frey Trust
The Trust is a private charity incorporated June 20, 1839, by the late George Frey to run the Emaus Orphan House. The Orphan House having closed many years ago, the Trust now has a relationship with Diakon Lutheran Social Ministries, the operator of Frey Village, a senior citizen assisted living facility, on the site of the former orphanage on Red Hill; 1020 N. Union Street.
According to his book "Milton S. Hershey" by John F. Halbleib, the George Frey Trust and the Emuas Orphan House served as examples to Hershey when he established the Milton Hershey Trust and the Milton Hershey School in nearby Hershey, Pennsylvania.
The Trust not only owns the land where Frey Village sits but still owns much of the real estate throughout Middletown. The Trust has a Board of Trustees, which monitors the management of the Trust’s assets and charitable giving. The Administrator of the Trust is currently Mr. John Davidson, Esq., of Yost and Davidson law firm in Hershey.
Those people who own homes on Trust land also have a long term “transferable” lease for the ground beneath their homes. This lease extends to the homeowner certain rights and obligations include the right to sell your house and transfer the lease to whomever you wish. It also contains the obligation to pay annual rent to the Trust and all the taxes for both the property and your home. The ground lease rent is different for different properties and does receive a significant adjustment at the conclusion of each term. This “land trust” arrangement is not uncommon in Pennsylvania.
Even the Borough, the School District, and the Fire Company pay land rents to the George Frey Trust. One can “buy-out” the lease and free yourself and the property from annual payments. Please contact the Administrator to determine a price for such a transaction.
The Borough has no relationship with the Frey Trust, we do not sit on the Board of Trustees, nor do they report to us their finances as it is a private charity.
Permission of the Trust is sometimes required for land development plans
