Lynnewood Hall
Encyclopedia
Lynnewood Hall is a 110-room Neoclassical Revival mansion in Elkins Park, Montgomery County
designed by architect Horace Trumbauer
for industrialist Peter A. B. Widener
between 1897 and 1900. Considered the largest surviving Gilded Age
mansion in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
area, it housed one of the most important Gilded Age private art collections of European masterpieces and decorative arts assembled by Widener and his younger son Joseph
.
Peter A. B. Widener died at Lynnewood Hall at the age of 80 on November 6, 1915 after prolonged poor health. He was predeceased by his elder son George Dunton Widener
and grandson Harry
who died when the Titanic sank in 1912.
Built from Indiana limestone
, the "T"-shaped Lynnewood Hall (dubbed "The last of the American Versailles
" by Widener's grandson) measures 325 feet (99.1 m) long by 215 feet (65.5 m) deep. In addition to the large art gallery, the 110-room estate also included a ballroom, swimming pool, wine cellars, a farm and an electrical power plant. From 1915 to 1940, the spectacular art collection at Lynnewood Hall was open to the public by appointment between June and October. In 1940, Joseph E. Widener donated more than 2,000 sculptures, paintings, decorative art, and porcelains to the National Gallery of Art
.
TIME
magazine published an account of a lavish party held at Lynnewood Hall in 1932.
during World War II
, and parcels of the land outside the property fence (see below) were sold to others after 1943.
Lynnewood Hall suffered a general decline under the ownership of the Faith Theological Seminary, a religious group headed by Carl McIntire
, which purchased it in 1952 for $192,000.
During that ownership much interior detailing, such as mantels
, walnut paneling, and landscape ornamentation was sold off in order to raise funds. This is evidenced by the 2006 auction of a French bronze
figural fountain—one of only two major surviving Henri-Leon Greber
commissions in America—originally installed at Lynnewood Hall.
Lynnewood Hall was added to the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia's 2003 list for most endangered historic properties and is eligible for the National Register of Historic Places
. It is cited in Cheltenham Township's Comprehensive Plan as one of the township's cultural and historical resources, and in the township's Open Space Plan as a priority for preservation, warranting a conservation easement.
The seminary and property was eventually foreclosed upon by the second-mortgagee
, reportedly a one-time follower of McIntire.
At 33.85 acres (according to Montgomery County Board of Assessment data), Lynnewood Hall currently is owned by the First Korean Church of New York. However, Lynnewood is not in use by that church and remains vacant. As of 2007 no significant stabilization or repair efforts have been evident. On June 25, 2007, the Cheltenham Township Planning Commission reviewed and denied a submitted request (Appeal No. 3225) by the First Korean Church of New York, Inc., owner of premises known as 920 Spring Avenue, Elkins Park, Pennsylvania from the Decision of the Zoning Officer for a variance from the rules and regulations of the Class R-2 Residence District as outlined in CCS 295-14. for the use of the premises as a Church and a Domicile for a Caretaker/Assistant Pastor instead of one of the permitted enumerated uses.
This was the second such request, the first submitted in 1998, for a variance. That resulted in a lawsuit [see First Korean Church of New York v. Twp. of Cheltenham Zoning Bd; submitted to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court May 2001], which upheld Cheltenham's denial of the request.
There are current negotiations ongoing of new ownership and possible renovations to the estate, which hopefully will be concluded by the end of 2011. The proposed renovation will take the estate back to a private residence, and offer guest rooms to social elite and that of a high society bed and breakfast. The official renovation status is to be released in late May of 2011. Ongoing searches for previous pieces of the estate that belonged to Lynnewood Hall have been undergone, and the total cost to the renovation and landscaping is ranging in the near 12 million dollar mark.
The mansion's grounds, bordered by Ashbourne Road, Spring Avenue and Cedar Lane, are surrounded by their original wrought-iron fencing and gates with stone base and pillars, in marked contrast to that of nearby Trumbauer contemporary Whitemarsh Hall
whose similar fencing (which encompassed a much greater acreage) was sacrificed for wartime scrap and rapid postwar development. A gatehouse
and another staff outbuilding, of the same materials as Lynnewood, also still exist within the fence. The property within the fence has remained contiguous, never having been subdivided
.
Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
Montgomery County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of 2010, the population was 799,874, making it the third most populous county in Pennsylvania . The county seat is Norristown.The county was created on September 10, 1784, out of land originally part...
designed by architect Horace Trumbauer
Horace Trumbauer
Horace Trumbauer was a prominent American architect of the Gilded Age, known for designing residential manors for the wealthy. Later in his career he also designed hotels, office buildings, and much of the campus of Duke University...
for industrialist Peter A. B. Widener
Peter Arrell Brown Widener
Peter Arrell Brown Widener was an American businessman and head of the prominent Widener family of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.-Biography:...
between 1897 and 1900. Considered the largest surviving Gilded Age
Gilded Age
In United States history, the Gilded Age refers to the era of rapid economic and population growth in the United States during the post–Civil War and post-Reconstruction eras of the late 19th century. The term "Gilded Age" was coined by Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner in their book The Gilded...
mansion in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
area, it housed one of the most important Gilded Age private art collections of European masterpieces and decorative arts assembled by Widener and his younger son Joseph
Joseph E. Widener
Joseph Early Widener was a wealthy American art collector who was a founding benefactor of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C...
.
Peter A. B. Widener died at Lynnewood Hall at the age of 80 on November 6, 1915 after prolonged poor health. He was predeceased by his elder son George Dunton Widener
George Dunton Widener
George Dunton Widener was an American businessman who died in the sinking of the RMS Titanic.-Biography:...
and grandson Harry
Harry Elkins Widener
Harry Elkins Widener was a businessman and book collector from the United States.-Biography:Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he was the son of George Dunton Widener and Eleanor Elkins Widener, and the grandson of the extremely wealthy entrepreneur, Peter A. B...
who died when the Titanic sank in 1912.
Built from Indiana limestone
Indiana Limestone
Indiana Limestone, also known as Bedford Limestone is a common regional term for Salem limestone, a geological formation primarily quarried in south central Indiana between Bloomington and Bedford....
, the "T"-shaped Lynnewood Hall (dubbed "The last of the American Versailles
Palace of Versailles
The Palace of Versailles , or simply Versailles, is a royal château in Versailles in the Île-de-France region of France. In French it is the Château de Versailles....
" by Widener's grandson) measures 325 feet (99.1 m) long by 215 feet (65.5 m) deep. In addition to the large art gallery, the 110-room estate also included a ballroom, swimming pool, wine cellars, a farm and an electrical power plant. From 1915 to 1940, the spectacular art collection at Lynnewood Hall was open to the public by appointment between June and October. In 1940, Joseph E. Widener donated more than 2,000 sculptures, paintings, decorative art, and porcelains to the National Gallery of Art
National Gallery of Art
The National Gallery of Art and its Sculpture Garden is a national art museum, located on the National Mall between 3rd and 9th Streets at Constitution Avenue NW, in Washington, DC...
.
TIME
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
magazine published an account of a lavish party held at Lynnewood Hall in 1932.
Lynnewood Hall after Widener ownership
The grounds were used for training military dogsDogs in warfare
Dogs in warfare have a long history starting in ancient times. From 'war dogs' trained in combat to their use as scouts, sentries and trackers, their uses have been varied and some continue to exist in modern military usage.-History:...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and parcels of the land outside the property fence (see below) were sold to others after 1943.
Lynnewood Hall suffered a general decline under the ownership of the Faith Theological Seminary, a religious group headed by Carl McIntire
Carl McIntire
Carl McIntire was a founder of, and minister in, the Bible Presbyterian Church, founder and long president of the and the American Council of Christian Churches, and a popular religious radio broadcaster, who proudly identified himself as a fundamentalist.-Youth and education:Born in Ypsilanti,...
, which purchased it in 1952 for $192,000.
During that ownership much interior detailing, such as mantels
Mantel
Mantel is a municipality in the district of Neustadt in Bavaria in Germany....
, walnut paneling, and landscape ornamentation was sold off in order to raise funds. This is evidenced by the 2006 auction of a French bronze
French Bronze
French Bronze is a form of bronze typically consisting of 91% copper, 2% tin, 6% zinc, and 1% lead.-Other uses:The term French bronze was also used in connection with cheap zinc statuettes and other articles, which were finished to resemble real bronze, and some older texts call the faux-bronze...
figural fountain—one of only two major surviving Henri-Leon Greber
Henri-Léon Gréber
Henri Léon Greber was a French sculptor. His son was the architect Jacques Gréber. Active in the United States of America, he produced a fountain sculpture of 4 equestrian statues for Harbor Hill and the copy of The Kiss in the Philadelphia Rodin Museum.-See also:*Monument...
commissions in America—originally installed at Lynnewood Hall.
Lynnewood Hall was added to the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia's 2003 list for most endangered historic properties and is eligible for the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. It is cited in Cheltenham Township's Comprehensive Plan as one of the township's cultural and historical resources, and in the township's Open Space Plan as a priority for preservation, warranting a conservation easement.
The seminary and property was eventually foreclosed upon by the second-mortgagee
Second mortgage
A second mortgage typically refers to a secured loan that is subordinate to another loan against the same property.In real estate, a property can have multiple loans or liens against it. The loan which is registered with county or city registry first is called the first mortgage or first position...
, reportedly a one-time follower of McIntire.
At 33.85 acres (according to Montgomery County Board of Assessment data), Lynnewood Hall currently is owned by the First Korean Church of New York. However, Lynnewood is not in use by that church and remains vacant. As of 2007 no significant stabilization or repair efforts have been evident. On June 25, 2007, the Cheltenham Township Planning Commission reviewed and denied a submitted request (Appeal No. 3225) by the First Korean Church of New York, Inc., owner of premises known as 920 Spring Avenue, Elkins Park, Pennsylvania from the Decision of the Zoning Officer for a variance from the rules and regulations of the Class R-2 Residence District as outlined in CCS 295-14. for the use of the premises as a Church and a Domicile for a Caretaker/Assistant Pastor instead of one of the permitted enumerated uses.
This was the second such request, the first submitted in 1998, for a variance. That resulted in a lawsuit [see First Korean Church of New York v. Twp. of Cheltenham Zoning Bd; submitted to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court May 2001], which upheld Cheltenham's denial of the request.
There are current negotiations ongoing of new ownership and possible renovations to the estate, which hopefully will be concluded by the end of 2011. The proposed renovation will take the estate back to a private residence, and offer guest rooms to social elite and that of a high society bed and breakfast. The official renovation status is to be released in late May of 2011. Ongoing searches for previous pieces of the estate that belonged to Lynnewood Hall have been undergone, and the total cost to the renovation and landscaping is ranging in the near 12 million dollar mark.
The mansion's grounds, bordered by Ashbourne Road, Spring Avenue and Cedar Lane, are surrounded by their original wrought-iron fencing and gates with stone base and pillars, in marked contrast to that of nearby Trumbauer contemporary Whitemarsh Hall
Whitemarsh Hall
Whitemarsh Hall was a huge estate located on of land in Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania, USA, and owned by banking executive Edward T. Stotesbury and his wife, Eva...
whose similar fencing (which encompassed a much greater acreage) was sacrificed for wartime scrap and rapid postwar development. A gatehouse
Gatehouse
A gatehouse, in architectural terminology, is a building enclosing or accompanying a gateway for a castle, manor house, fort, town or similar buildings of importance.-History:...
and another staff outbuilding, of the same materials as Lynnewood, also still exist within the fence. The property within the fence has remained contiguous, never having been subdivided
Subdivision (land)
Subdivision is the act of dividing land into pieces that are easier to sell or otherwise develop, usually via a plat. The former single piece as a whole is then known in the United States as a subdivision...
.