PHILADELPHIA, PA.- The future at last looks bright for the neglected Lynnewood Hall Estate in Elkins Park, PA. The Lynnewood Hall Preservation Foundation now owns the deed to the magnificent 19th century mansion on 34 acres outside of Philadelphia.

“Lynnewood Hall is arguably the largest and most exciting residential preservation and restoration project ever proposed in the United States,” said Angie Van Scyoc, Chief Operating Officer, Lynnewood Hall Preservation Foundation. “Designed by Horace Trumbauer, perhaps Philadelphia’s greatest architect, for Peter Widener, the City’s wealthiest industrialist, Lynnewood has been derelict for decades. Now the restoration begins.”

Purchased through the generosity of Scott and Susan Bentley, the Foundation plans to sustainably preserve and restore the 110-room, 100,000-sq ft house and grounds, while also providing public programming and educational opportunities in the skilled trades and preservation arts. As restoration progress permits, the foundation will begin hosting periodic public openings phased over time.

“Susan and I are thrilled to have played a key role in funding the acquisition of Lynnewood Hall and making it available to everyone, particularly its neighbors in Cheltenham Township” said Scott Bentley, LHPF Chairman. “Since our first tour of the property, we’ve been fascinated by its potential in bringing the Gilded Age experience to current and future generations.”

With the purchase finalized, LHPF dives headlong into fundraising for a multi-phased restoration project for the grounds and three main buildings. Stabilization progress is underway to protect the estate from further decline.

"We passionately believe that Lynnewood Hall is a work of art that needs to be curated and made available for generations to come to experience and enjoy," said Edward Thome, LHPF Executive Director. “LHPF is committed to delivering a venue that will entertain and inspire visitors, while providing educational and employment opportunities for the community. Our goal is to create a legacy project that can bring people together and inspire future generations to learn about art, history and architecture.”

Lynnewood Hall is the largest surviving Gilded Age mansion in the Philadelphia area. It was built of Indiana limestone, granite and brick, between 1897-1900 in the Neoclassical Revival style. The manor has 55 bedrooms, an art gallery, a ballroom large enough for several hundred guests, a swimming pool, wine cellars, carpentry and upholstery studios. The Widener art collection, comprised of several hundred works by Rembrandt, Vermeer, El Greco, Raphael, Donatello and others, was donated to the National Gallery of Art in 1943. Not long after the completion of the construction of Lynnewood Hall, Peter Widener’s son and grandson were lost in the sinking of the Titanic.