Widener ii, most famous actually for his autobiography with the curious book title. Horace trumbauers lynnewood hall is back on the market. Jul 26, 2018 when the titanic sunk in 1912, the widener family left behind lynnewood hall, a 110room gilded age mansion. Nevertheless the rice moved in and promptly began to entertain lavishly. April 11, 2017 lynnewood hall is a 110room neoclassical revival mansion in elkins park, montgomery county designed by architect horace trumbauer for industrialist peter a. It is four station stops from center city philadelphia on septa regional rail. With all three men dead, the art gone and the books donated to harvard, there was little life left in lynnewood s 70,000squarefoot expanse, rowland said. History lynnewood hall mansion, elkins park pennsylvania in 1898, peter arrell brown widener more commonly referred to as p. Yoon in 1996 at a sheriffs sale, and he planned to turn it into a branch of his church, the first korean church of new york. The property, totalling a few dozen acres, sits in the center of a bustling.
That area is a housing development called lynnewood gardens today. It was designed by architect horace trumbauer for industrialist peter a. He moved to the area during the high noon of the areas estate period. In the 1940s a developer purchased the bulk of the land the racetrack area and more for a little less. Cosbys neighbor is a crumbling 110room palace pillaged by. The ballroom, with its louis xv and xvi furniture, its chinese vases, its four crystal chandeliers, was filled with tables. Memorial for lynnewood hall at this is a page dedicated to the lynnewood hall in elkins park, pennsylvania built by joseph e. This post was originally published in july 2014 and has been updated with the most recent information. The library was designed by horace trumbauer who designed several buildings in philadelphia, and the widener families mansions lynnewood hall post on that tomorrow. Few architects, who built his home, captured the cream of the trade as successfully as.
More recently it has been owned by the minister of a korean christian church based in new york. Pictures 1 lynnewood hall mansion, elkins park pennsylvania. Widener was a major art collector and worked with all the most fashionable art dealers of the period to assemble a remarkable group of english, french, dutch, italian and spanish old master paintings. Photo courtesy of wikicommons clearly the young trumbauer was combing his architecture books and travel postcards for design references that would be suitably magnificent for his client, who was then one of the richest men in the u. Like the titanic, lynnewood hall slowly began to sink after p. Rare video of the interior of lynnewood hall emerges.
British and modern french schools, philadelphia, 1915. Elkins park this affluent community in cheltenham township, montgomery county, pennsylvania although predominantly jewish is the home to many other ethnic groups including irish and korean. Traction and tobacco financier expires at 80 at his home in elkins park. History lynnewood hall mansion, elkins park pennsylvania tweet in 1898, peter arrell brown widener more commonly referred to as p.
The ground floor held the stair hall, men and ladies reception rooms, the servants hall and the kitchens. Never finding a permanent resident, the property has been decaying since. The property records show lynnewood hall is currently owned by the first korean church of new york, which was founded by dr. When the titanic sunk in 1912, the widener family left behind lynnewood hall, a 110room gilded age mansion. Widener at lynnewood hall, elkins park, pennsylvania, british and modern french schools book. Victorian gilded ageedwardianworld war historical biographies and books about british. In the meantime, the house has deteriorated and the gardens are overgrown. The estate grounds were designed by famed lancscape architect jacques greber and work on the design of the gardens and surround acreage continued for several years after. Author of the valuable furnishings and objects of art at lynnewood hall, the residence of the late joseph e.
Widener and his family lived at lynnewood hall from 1900 and stayed for 15 years. Lynnewood hall was owned first by the faith theological seminary, which resorted to selling off garden sculptures and some interior fittings as its finances deteriorated. For the first time, lynnewood hall became vacant, although a caretaker was hired to keep watch over the mansion and grounds. Aug 30, 2019 but lynnewood hall also has that attached rear gallery wing that was constructed to house wideners huge collection of paintings. Lynnewood hall, also built in 1900 and designed by horace trumbauer, has sat empty for decades and is in an advanced state of disrepair. History of the harry elkins widener collection houghton. History of the harry elkins widener collection houghton library harvard university. However, formatting rules can vary widely between applications and fields of interest or study. It is split between cheltenham and abington townships in the northern suburbs of philadelphia, which it borders along cheltenham avenue roughly 6 miles 9. A native philadelphian, trumbauer is also associated with grandiose buildings in new york and newport, the main library at harvard university and much of the campus of duke university. Here are selected photos on this topic, but full relevance is not guaranteed. One can only hope a private buyer will take over the property and not a developer. I used to live across the street from lynnewood hall widener estate and i used to ride my bike through the grounds of the elkins estate all the time.
Lynnewood hall elaborate and grand was lynnewood hall, pab wideners other son and heir joseph called it the last of the american versailles. Lynnewood hall, designed by horace trumbauer in the late 1890s, is back on the market. This was the fate of trumbauers equally beautiful whitemarsh hall which lay vacant for years with no buyer to save it, restore it and preserve it. Lynnewood hall had been designed as a showcase for peter and joseph wideners art, and harry elkins wideners expansive collection of books. The second floor held the salon, second floor hall, the dining room and the pantries. Jun 01, 2017 lynnewood hall was purchased by richard s. But for all its gilded grandeur, lynnewood halls stint as a happy home for three generations of wideners was shortlived. The townhouse has been demolished, but lynnewood hall still exists. After persistent spells of ill health, which many put down to grief, widener passed away at the property in. It was, and still is, lynnewood hall, the neoclassical revival home designed for peter arrell brown widener by horace trumbauer. I first became interested in trumbauer in researching whitemarsh hall, as well as lynnewood hall and miramar, both constructed for the widener families. The lavish interiors were centered around a large courtyard. In 2004, an arcadia paperback book on the keswick theater was published, written by judith katherine herbst. As usual, his mothers presents to him were very fine and expensive books for his collection.
Widener, the albert rosenthal art collection and furnishings, valuable original etchings by benson, bishop, brockhurst, durer, hayden, mcbey, pennell, rembrant, whistler, zorn, and others, rare currier and ives, lithographs, early philadelphia views, from the collection of the late. May 19, 2017 lynnewood hall, the 110room mansion by horace trumbauer, is a lesson in opulence. Horace trumbauers lynnewood hall is back on the market for. A1 ashbourne rd, elkins park, pa 55 bed, 20 bath 8. Paintings in the collection of joseph widener at lynnewood hall. Philadelphia architecture philadelphia historic preservation. I recently drove by lynnewood hall and was deeply saddened to see how the property has been allowed to fall into ruin. Buy phillys storied, cannibalized lynnewood hall for. Paintings in the collection of joseph widener at lynnewood hall by widener, joseph e and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. In all, thirtyeight of his works are represented, with a fabulous array of photos, floor plans, and written history of each. His career was launched with the creation of lynnewood hall in elkins park, the georgian revival palace commissioned by streetcar tycoon peter a. As far as news goes, i have very little to give you. Step inside the majestic lynnewood hall curbed phillyclockmenumorearrownoyes. A1 ashbourne rd, elkins park, pa 19027 is a 70,000 sqft, 55 bed, 20 bath home.
Nov 10, 2017 mix play all mix rnk all day youtube abandoned italian renaissance palace from a tobacco tycoon bros of decay urbex duration. See some rare interior photos of horace trumbauers gilded age masterpiece in elkins park lynnewood hall lynnwood hall elkins park vintage new york abandoned mansions neoclassical maine house history historia abandoned homes. As long as lynnewood hall was owned and occupied, the preservation efforts of cheltenham township were thwarted. Cosbys neighbor is a crumbling 110room palace pillaged by one of the nuttiest preachers in evangelical history ruin porn it was a temple to excess brimming with priceless art. Jul 29, 2010 to see floor plans and to read chapter on lynnewood hall from michael kathrens book, american splendor acanthus press 2002 click here please note, the first page is not lynnewood hall, it is elstowe, another great trumbauer house across from lynnewood, built for the elkins family. Widener at lynnewood hall, elkins park, pennsylvania.
Built between 1898 and 1900, its architecture recaps the aspirations of a family who made it in the gilded age, begun by a man who went from being a. Its a stark contrast to the nearby widener estate, lynnewood hall, which was stripped to the bones by its successive owners and is now a crumbling shell. The keswick theater was named best local entertainment in best of glenside. In the book, he described his gilded upbringing, referring to lynnewood hall as a mausoleum. Elkins park is an unincorporated community in montgomery county, pennsylvania, united states.
Titanic history rms titanic titanic underwater elkins park owl books harvard university bibliophile lynnwood hall mr harry widener was the son of george d. If you find that some photos violates or have unacceptable properties, please inform us about it. For the first time in its more than 100 year history, lynnewood hall is now abandoned. Wilhelm reinhold valentiner and a great selection of related books. Mix play all mix rnk all day youtube abandoned italian renaissance palace from a tobacco tycoon bros of decay urbex duration. Early german, dutch and flemish schools classic reprint widener, peter arrell brown on. A noted bibliophile, harrys mother eleanor founded the widener memorial library at harvard in his memory. Completed in 1900, it was named lynnewood hall and was situated on 300 acres. Lynnewood hall, a centuryold stunner of a building just outside philadelphia, silently, almost invisibly, languishes 200 feet beyond a twolane blacktop road like a crumbling little versailles. To see floor plans and to read chapter on lynnewood hall from michael kathrens book, american splendor acanthus press 2002 click here please note, the first page is not lynnewood hall, it is elstowe, another great trumbauer house across from lynnewood, built for the elkins family. The occupancy of lynnewood hall these past 30 to 40 years has prevented the mansion from being vacant and a tempting target of vandals bent on destroying even further the condition of the building.
That same year, a philadelphia developer, harry robinson, purchased the 220 acre farm of the original lynnewood hall. Lynnewood hall is a 110room gilded age mansion with 55 bedrooms. Lynnewood hall reception room pic courtesy of stephan barron. Paintings collection joseph widener lynnewood hall abebooks. The home on the cover lynnewood hall still exists but is practically in ruin. The most important one, the princess cataneo and the boy slave, is nine feet long and four feet wide, he said. It was such a majestic place and has been pillaged over the years. At home at lynnewood hall on new years eve, 1911, harry wrote his friend, new york bookseller luther livingston, about his christmas holidays. Widener left for philadelphia on the 2 oclock train from. Our readers are lucky enough to have such an incredible venue in the community. The graceful fountain that welcomed hundreds of wellheeled visitors, president franklin roosevelt among them, was dismantled and sold years ago. Lynnewood hall colorization by chris chalkley lynnwood hall.
Inside lynnewood hall abandoned titanic mansion youtube. Widener was a traction and tobacco magnate with large holdings in the american tobacco company, standard oil and u. See more ideas about lynnwood hall, elkins park and hall. It was, and still is, lynnewood hall, the neoclassical revival home designed. Ownership inscription of swedish art historian johnny roosval, dated lynnewood hall 1929. Lynnewood hall devoted to the history and preservation of. Lynnewood hall, the 110room mansion by horace trumbauer, is a lesson in opulence. What i would give to be able to have seen them in their original glory. Anyone posting links here or anywhere on fb or the internet to videos, drone videos, or photographs taken by. Very impressive to see first hand if you enjoy the gilded age of architecture, this book. One is saddened by the loss of some of these monuments like whitemarsh hall and lynnewood hall, and horrified to think that the elms, as recent as the 1960s, was slated for demolition. Devoted to the history and preservation of lynnewood hall.
Lynnewood hall devoted to the history and preservation. Step inside the majestic lynnewood hall curbed philly. Jun 04, 2019 widener and his family lived at lynnewood hall from 1900 and stayed for 15 years. The 110room lynnewood hall is the main building on a property currently owned by the first korean church of new york, which is headed by dr.
Rare video of the interior of lynnewood hall emerges castle. The abandoned mansion with a tragic titanic connection. Widener, a founding benefactor of the national gallery of art in washington, d. Cosbys neighbor is a crumbling 110room palace pillaged. Edward townsend stotesbury, one of the wealthiest philadelphians in the early twentieth century, commissioned renowned architect horace trumbauer to build the onehundredfortyseven room mansion in 1916 on three hundred acres just outside.
Peter arrell browne widener ii june 25, 1895 april 20, 1948 was a prominent american racehorse owner and breeder. Jan 17, 2020 110 room, 55 bedroom, 62,000 sq ft mansion in elkins park, pa on 33. All royalties from the book went to the ella pancoast widener memorial fund, which provided medical school scholarships. One of the last neoclassic revival estates currently in the fight for its life with the wrecking ball.
In 1940, widener published an autobiography with the title without drums. Lynnewood hall 1900 was a huge georgian mansion in elkins park pa. Search the history of over 424 billion web pages on the internet. More information and pictures main page for this structure history pictures 1 pictures 2. But for all its gilded grandeur, lynnewood hall s stint as a happy home for three generations of wideners was shortlived. Lynnewood hall is a 110room neoclassical revival vacant mansion in elkins park, montgomery county, pennsylvania. Considered the largest surviving gilded age mansion in the philadelphia area, it housed one of the most important. Abbreviated edition of the threevolume catalogue published in 1916, with brief descriptive notes and pictures of 100 pictures in joseph wideners art collection. Thought of as the largest surviving mansion in the philadelphia area, it. Jul 12, 2018 like the titanic, lynnewood hall slowly began to sink after p. Lynnewood hall is a 110room neoclassical revival vacant mansion in elkins park. Whitemarsh hall, known as the versailles of america, was one of the largest and most exquisite estates in north america.