A recent article by Philly’s Hidden City titled “More is More: Reimagining Relics of the Gilded Age” gives Elkins Park’s Lynnewood Hall a nod as it delves into the historic property’s past and present. The article also includes a photo (above) from an August 1938 issue of Life Magazine.

From the article:

Lynnewood Hall in Elkins Park, built between 1897 and 1899 for Peter A.B. Widener by architect Horace Trumbauer, is the largest surviving Gilded Age mansion in the immediate region. Once called ‘the last of the American Versailles’ by Widener’s grandson, the Neoclassical Revival behemoth clocks in at 110 rooms and is outfitted with five art galleries, which were open to the public by appointment during Widener’s days. The mansion was home to our generations of Wideners until it was purchased in 1944 to house the Faith Theological Seminary (seminaries and convents being another common second life for lavish, oversized properties). The ensuing years defined a period of deferred maintenance. Some pieces were sold to help support operations and maintenance costs, but when part of the roof began to leak, the seminary moved out.

The article goes on to detail plans by the Lynnewood Hall Preservation Foundation, Inc. The newly formed group wants “to raise funds to acquire the property, preserve it, and to put it back into productive use for the community,” which includes seeking nomination from the National Register of Historic Places. A nomination would potentially lead to tax credits for the property’s rehabilitation.

Edward Thome, 24, his friend and partner Angie Van Scyoc created the Foundation in 2019, and are spearheading the purchase. Chestnut Hill resident George Coates, a business and public policy consultant, joined their Foundation’s board and helped them get their nonprofit status, and investors Scott and Susan Bentley of Pottstown have helped as well. 

For the group’s plans for the property and their motivations for taking it on, you can read Chestnut Hill Local’s article here. For more on the Foundation, you can visit their website.