[iamgesource:LynwoodHallPreservationSociety]

Lynnewood Hall in Pennsylvania was once referred to as “The Last American Versailles.”

Built by Peter A. B. Widener in 1897, this 137,000 square-metre estate was originally intended to be a family mansion for Widener’s son George, daughter-in-law Eleanor, and grandson Harry.

Tragedy, however, struck the family when all three of his relatives perished in the Titanic disaster in 1912. After the family’s loss, Peter A.B. Widener’s health was never the same.

He passed away on November 6, 1915, and his surviving son Joseph became the executor of the estate until his own death in October 1943.

The Wideners estate left vast portions of their wealth and holdings to the public and helped establish various charities, schools, and foundations.

Uncommon of their time, or frankly anytime, the Wideners would open their home from October to June of each year to allow the public to view their collected works of art. It was in this spirit that upon Joseph’s death, the entirety of the priceless art collection was donated to the National Gallery in Washington, D.C. To this day, their art comprises a bulk of that museum’s permanent collection numbering well over 2000 works.

“Art belongs to those who appreciate it. Others merely own it.”

It includes Lynnewood Hall, Lynnewood Lodge, and the Gatehouse. The main mansion features a 1,000-person ballroom, an indoor swimming pool, and multiple gardens and fountains. ⁠

The Duveen Brothers, well-known art dealers who combed the world for the most precious and sought-after items, provided a large amount of Lynnewood Hall’s interior furnishings. They furnished the property with carved wood panelling from a French chateau, labelled furniture from Versailles, and tapestries from European lords’ collections.

The house’s entrance doors are made of Florentine bronze, and the Main Hall has a variety of marble and Caen stone, while the tea room includes a Louis Comfort Tiffany skylight.

The majority of the light fixtures in the home came from the atelier E.F. Caldwell, which was a leading designer and manufacturer of electric light fixtures and ornamental metalwork in the late nineteenth century.

The original gardens and estate grounds were designed by head gardener William Kleinheinz. Jaques Greber developed and installed the estate’s French gardens as part of a makeover in 1916, and they eventually became world-renowned. At the time it was widely known as one of America’s best French gardens.

Today, very little of the garden artistry is visible.

“Lynnewood Hall is not just another mansion of the American Gilded Age. It is unique in that its history tells the story of the American Dream. Peter A.B. Widener is the epitome of a rags-to-riches story, and his kindness made him one of the most generous donors of his time.”

It is in this spirit that the Lynwood Hall Preservation Society purchased the estate for over $9 million (R165 million) with plans to restore it to its former glory, and “to honour the past and enlighten our future by restoring the estate and returning it to the community as an art museum, cultural centre, and multifaceted recreational facility.”

What a truly beautiful place with a wonderful, yet tragic history.

 

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[source:LynwoodHallPreservationSociety]