Sadly, the Retreat house is no longer operational, though there may be some sisters living there. A developer (maybe Wetrum?) had planned to buy it and turn it into senior care (which would be a non-profit) but backed out at the last minute. They have a sign posted for an auction that may or may not have happened yet. The property is again up for sale.

It's really sad on how derelict Lynnewood Hall is, and has been for some time. There is a wrought iron fence around it, and I'm not sure how guarded it is but I don't believe I've seen any trespassing signs there or the like.

Mrs. Baring's mansion 3511 Baring St. in Powelton.

__________________

*Apathy rules

*unless apathy doesn't rule

The auction happened a couple weeks ago (I went to it just to see the house).

The houses were fantastic, both designed by Horace Trumbauer -the main house is Elstowe House, the smaller, Tudor-style mansion up the hill is Chelten House.

The guy who bought the property also bought the massive grandfather clock in the entrance hall, and asked that a custom-fitted tapestry in the stair hall be left in place, so maybe there's hope for the property.

The Dominicans have actually been running a retirement community for their sisters at the back of the property, so the conversion to a continuing care facility wouldn't be to hard.

We drove around the Lynnewood Hall property, too. I was shocked at the condition it's in, and more shocked to see that someone torn down the gallery wings, which once housed one of the best private collections of art in the US (the Widener collection is now at the National Gallery in DC).

Do you know who bought the property? I hadn't heard about any progress at the site.

I heard it was the owner or one of the owners of Westrum. I was told that they planned to run a continuing care facility on part of the site but that they hadn't told anyone what their plans for the two houses were.

Basically, everything I heard the day before the auction from the nuns and the auction staff matched up with this article:

http://www.cst-phl.com/060817/fifth.htm

Hmm...last I heard Westrum backed out, and the Dominicans were pretty disappointed. That articles is from 2006, but maybe the deal is back on?

I can't imagine they would have gone through with the auction if there wasn't a sale agreement in place.

The auction came up really quickly (I got about a week's notice it was happening), which was unusual. Also, I was very specifically told that the tapestries in the stair hall were staying with the house (they were listed in the auction catalog) at the request of the buyer.

This is a great thread! I also enjoy learning and seeking out interesting and grand architecture in the area. One of my favorites outside of Philly is the Lindenwold Castle in Ambler on Bethlehem Pike (which is now a children's home, I believe).

There is another cool house in Bucks County, on Second Street Pike that had a small profile in the Weird PA book. It's hard to describe, but the house has a lot of really strange and overgrown small, old-fashioned carnival rides in the front. The house itself has many decorative mercer tiles on the front.

There was also a really cool thread about the mid-century style houses located in and around Philly.

-Katie

I met the guy (Bill) who owns that house. Eccentric, to say the least. The house itself is built, spanish style, against a mountainside, by the previous owner. The house has extensive tiling inside and out. The two story water slide that goes to the now overgrown pool with gazebo in the center, hides the tennis court (also overgrown) behind it. Everything is terracotta or tiled or stucco'd. In addition, there is a garage, a large veranda, and a guest house all done in the same style. Sadly, the creek next door to the property has come over its banks MANY times, and the owner grew tired of cleaning out the pool each time. Thus, the neglect began... The owner ran a car restoration business in Frankford in a former Studebaker dealership in the 90's, before, I understand, the IRS took it for non-payment of taxes. I think he may have retired, since he was of an advancing age at that time.