A New Way to Experience Lynnewood Hall

Join us as we embark on the restoration and preservation of one of America’s most important residential properties. Gain access to exclusive weekly video content as we begin to give you an exclusive look in and around the Widener Estate!

Architectural drawing of Lynnewood Hall juxtaposed with a modern view of the front facade of Lynnewood Hall in Elkins Park, Philadelphia

The Lynnewood Hall Preservation Foundation is committed to seeing Lynnewood Hall return to being an active contributor to the local community and beyond. Using only the highest standards of conservation craftsmanship, sustainability principles and research, the Foundation will create an important cultural site while providing educational, recreational, and work opportunities for the communities of Greater Philadelphia.

Lynnewood Hall provides a venue to display world-class art, showcase a bygone era of architectural design, and act as a foreground for historical, architectural, landscape, and preservation education. Through the estate, the Foundation strives to inspire positive urban growth by incorporating sustainability best practices, reducing environmental impact by restoring the building and landscape, and returning the estate to a community amenity as a pastoral green space that is not only breathtaking but environmentally responsible.

The Foundation will strive to see the buildings and grounds accessible and open to the public as a cultural institution for recreational and educational purposes. 

We look to the past to inspire the future.

Lynnewood Hall is arguably one of the largest and most exciting restoration and education projects ever proposed in the United States. It is with sound principles that Lynnewood Hall Preservation Foundation is committed to delivering high quality, creative and relevant visitor experiences along with an empowered and educational work environment.

We serve in stewardship the following purposes:

1.  To raise money for the stabilization and and restoration processes associated with Lynnewood Hall.

2. To preserve the house and grounds on a long-term sustainable basis with extensive public openings to be phased in over time as restoration progress permits.

3. To create a multi-faceted project that provides a once in a lifetime experience to guests.

LHPF has been established to secure the long-term future for Lynnewood Hall so that it may be celebrated and enjoyed as an inspiring place for the arts, education, and public green space by all, for generations to come.

LHPF will strive to cultivate an astute awareness and appreciation for history, including the value of the architectural arts. It is the desire of the Foundation that the estate will be a leader in cultural engagement through the pursuit of knowledge.

LHPF intends Lynnewood Hall to be a bridge to community engagement in its many forms.  The mansion will serve as a cultural home to the public, a place to foster and enrich community, evoke memory, provide educational opportunity, and prove that as a society, we can preserve our architectural integrity and find priceless value in the pursuit of it.

We need your help!

In order to preserve Lynnewood Hall for generations to come, including the near thirty-four acres of land the estate encompasses, we need to raise funds. We cannot risk that this grand estate could fall into the hands of an insensitive property developer or owner that will develop out the green-space or worse yet, have the mansion follow in the fateful footsteps of her long lost sister: Whitemarsh Hall.

Our immediate need is capital to purchase the property and support the initial costs of taxes, insurance, and urgent stabilization measures.  Once the property is secured, we will finish out our master plan for the property with a focus on phased restoration to get the grounds open to the public as soon as possible. The main house and two additional buildings will be the subject of conditions assessments and historic structure reports. These studies will inform our long-term plan for the estate and will be shared with our supporters and community.

As a thank you to our supporters,  you will be sent a small token of our appreciation for your contribution. Beyond monetary donations, you can support our efforts by sharing our campaign with your network, and signing up for our newsletter.

Download our Plan Brochure

We are thrilled to share more details about our goals, plans, and what it’ll take to achieve those. By downloading this brochure, you'll be added to our email list for future updates. We will not sell or share your email address with any outside parties.

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