Real Estate

‘Last American Versailles’: Inside a long-abandoned manor, with Titanic ties, before it’s restored

By
Social Links for Hannah Frishberg
Published June 18, 2024, 12:22 p.m. ET

This palatial estate has a dark past, but hopefully a bright future. 

Located in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, about a 30-minute drive from Philadelphia, the historic Lynnewood Hall had a long and varied history before being abandoned, neglected and, as a result, falling into its current state of disrepair. 

Last June, though, the 127-year-old mansion was purchased for a bit over $9 million by the Lynnewood Hall Preservation Foundation which plans to restore the stunning 32-bedroom, 28-bathroom property to its former glory, Business insider recently reported. 

lynnewood hall abandoned restoration
The great hall. Abandoned Southeast / mediadrumw
lynnewood hall abandoned restoration
This room was originally Peter Widener’s office and was later repurposed to be the office for the First Korean Church of New York. Abandoned Southeast / mediadrumw
lynnewood hall abandoned restoration
A bedroom on the north wing where most of the furnishings date from the seminary period. Abandoned Southeast / mediadrumw

Built in 1897 by architect Horace Trumbauer for butcher baron and philanthropist Peter a. B. Widener, the 34-acre Lynnewood Hall was intended to be a home for him to share with his children and their families — but then his son George and grandson Harry tragically became victims to the Titanic. 

Still, Peter occupied Lynnewood until his death in 1915, at which point his only surviving son, Joseph, inherited it and occupied it until his own death, in 1943. Subsequently, a variety of entities became successive owners of “The Last American Versailles,” as Harry called it before he passed. 

In the early 2010s, during a period when it stood empty, it became a hot spot for urban explorers, who documented the damage done to the 70,000-square-foot space, construction of which cost approximately $8 million, the equivalent of $300 million in 2023. 

lynnewood hall abandoned restoration
An aerial view of the property. Abandoned Southeast / mediadrumw
lynnewood hall abandoned restoration
The butler’s pantry, located on the main floor. Abandoned Southeast / mediadrumw
lynnewood hall abandoned restoration
The indoor swimming pool. Abandoned Southeast / mediadrumw
lynnewood hall abandoned restoration
Peter A. B. Widener, 1902. Heritage Images via Getty Images

“Once among the most spectacular homes in the United States, to refer to Lynnewood Hall as simply a mansion is an understatement,” the urbex outlet Abandoned Southeast said after exploring the property in 2021, The Post reported at the time. 

“It’s really unfortunate that this once-desirable estate and landmark has fallen into such disrepair,” Main Line Luxury real estate agent Harry Cherry told The Post. “While many of Horace Trumbauer’s creations have stood the test of time on the Main Line, the location of Lynnewood Hall is just not a desired location by wealthy families today.”