Janet Lloyd Murphy is a lifelong resident of Delaware County, Pennsylvania. Her family's connection to the region runs deep—her maternal relatives trace their roots in Chester back to the early 1800s.

Janet's late father, George Lloyd, often spoke about the powerful experience of hearing the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. preach at a church in Chester during the civil rights era. Those stories sparked Janet's lifelong interest in preserving the local history connected to Dr. King's time in the community.

Janet's husband, Ray, encouraged that interest when he gifted her a book that would ultimately inspire a movement.

Crozer Theological Seminary closed in 1970 after merging with Rochester Theological Seminary, leaving Old Main as one of the last remaining structures tied directly to Dr. King's formative years.

While researching his book in 2016, Patrick Parr visited Old Main. Joining him on the tour was Dr. James Beshai, one of Martin Luther King Jr.'s classmates at Crozer.

During that visit, Dr. Beshai proposed a powerful idea:

"Old Main could be reopened as a center for social justice."

"We brainstormed ideas about what such a center might include. Classes and lectures on social activism and the principles of nonviolence could be held on the first floor where the chapel used to be. On the second floor, visitors could take a trip back in time to 1950, entering a restored version of ML's dorm room, with a collection of books to peruse and a radio room…with King's sermons available for listening. Such a center would be a far greater tribute to King's legacy than yet another highway bearing his name."

— Patrick Parr, The Seminarian, p.213

Inspired by this vision and the historical importance of the site, Janet Lloyd Murphy formed a committee in Spring 2023 dedicated to preserving Old Main. At the time, the building was owned by Prospect Medical Holdings.