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PENNSYLVANIA.
UBKARIE5
THE GILDED AGE ESTATES
OF LOWER MERION TOWNSHIP, PENNSYLVANIA:
A HISTORY AND PRESERVATION PLAN
A THESIS
in
MASTER OF SCIENCE
1987
F^NE
ARTs/AJ/^/:);i/if^7/c 6^6
UNIVERSITY
OF
PENNSYLVANIA
LIBRARIES
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS vii
INTRODUCTION 1
Chapter
ILLUSTRATIONS 74
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY 93
111
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
IV
s
vii
INTRODUCTION
mansions that had been built since his last visit to Ameri-
landscape designers.
proper context.
NOTES TO INTRODUCTION
ness. "°
explained in 1904:
Gilded Age country estate: the scale of its main house was
estate living.
areas.
The other reason, said Godkin, and the most serious argu-
Gilded Age New York and Newport, "[His later houses] are so
10
.
sionately "^^
instances, be preserved.
11
. .
NOTES TO CHAPTER I
12. Lewis, X.
12
NOTES TO CHAPTER I, continued
17. Ibid.
18. Ibid.
13
CHAPTER II
THE COUNTRY ESTATES OF LOWER MERION TOWNSHIP
than fight the farmers along the way, the Railroad bought
14
into the real estate business, selling large tracts to
15
the land having been absorbed into the property of the
1908.
16
existed before or since. Table 1 shows the residential
17
TABLE l--Lower Merion Township Residential Projects of
Five Philadelphia Architects Between 1880 and 1915
1881
TABLE 1- -continued
1877
TABLE l--continued
It is important to emphasize that despite the new,
in Newport and New York. The local estates are often tamed
pretentious, and the more modest fortunes of, the Main Line
Philadelphia gentry.
21
"
castle. 10
22
The "castle" was actually designed by George W. Hewitt
23
as "Maybrook" can be attributed to the fact that the final
source.
tional. All of the floors are oak except that of the hall,
rated with many works from Henry Gibson's noted art collec-
tion.
24
1906 by then-owner Mary Gibson. When the house first
opened, the basement contained two hot-air furnaces and the
tion. '^
Hunt was building for his wealthy New York and Newport
25
.
nership with brother Frank, who had been working with Frank
achievements
26
.
27
the Schuylkill River. (Illustration 16). Roberts, presi-
sheep. The barns and dairy were immaculate, and the natu-
springs to a water tower near the main house from which the
28
private homes. ^3 sadly, this scenario became the rule
29
NOTES TO CHAPTER II
4. Maier, 309.
6. Maier, 320.
7. Ibid.
8. Ibid.
9. Doebley, 6.
13.
NOTES TO CHAPTER 2, continued
22. Ibid.
23. Ibid.
31
CHAPTER III
SUBURBANIZATION ENCROACHES:
THE BREAK-UP OF THE ESTATES IN LOWER MERION
32
^
Mcllvain and Company owned many lots and built and sold
the Depression and World War II, when labor and materials
were lacking.'^ Just before the Second War, one of the last
II, and there may have been more of it going on in the last
of the large tracts were split in the 1950s and 1960s, and
33
^
it was 2 , 556 .
34
TABLE 2. --Patterns of Change in Estates
of 100 Acres or More in 1908 ^^
ties 11
Gladwyne
TABLE 4--Privately Owned Estates of Five Acres
or More in Lower Merion Township in 1984 ^^
OWNER ESTATE
1.
TABLE 4--continued
26. Macintosh, W. J. 12
28. Rosengarten, A. H. 11
34. Ott, J. R. 8
39. Mcllvain, E. L. 7
42. Harper, J. M. 6
38
TABLE 4 — continued
OWNER ESTATE ACREAGE
45. Rauch, F. B. 6
39
Thus, of the dozens of estates that existed at the peak
40
value to unsupportable levels and forcing the owner to
41
2
sell. 21
and retained its rural setting through World War II. But
necessity.
42
NOTES TO CHAPTER III
2. Ibid.
4. Maier, 327.
5. Ibid.
6. Ibid.
Neighbors Section, 3.
8. Ibid, 2.
10. Ibid.
12. Ibid.
13. Ibid.
15. Ibid.
16. Ibid.
43
NOTES TO CHAPTER III, continued
21. Ibid.
44
CHAPTER IV
DEALING WITH CHANGE: INSTITUTIONS AND SUBDIVISION
six GIs and their families to live in the main house. Ten
acres, and then another seventeen, were sold to Jack
45
to donate the estate to a worthy institution such as a
the tax rolls. ' The Lower Main Line YMCA, for instance, is
remained his home until 1933, when it was sold to the Agnes
46
The examples of institutional conversions in Lower
used for the school and convent of the Sisters of the Holy
1953, the house was vacant and the land reduced to seventy-
47
However, difficulties with the conversion from private
social sense.
48
there are more estates than there are institutions able to
method.
49
^
50
.
success
51
eluded provisions that they would retain "Framar" on a
five-acre tract and that few trees and other natural fea-
the homes, which are priced at $500,000 and up, are designed
arrangement that flatters both the old and the new. (Illus-
tration 28 ) .
52
site. The older of the two, "Waver ly Heights," takes its
to the side and rear of the house, and the house's loca-
53
tures built-in carved furniture, original light fixtures,
54
many of the wood floors. Clearly, this development is not
estate.
55
NOTES FOR CHAPTER IV
3. Ibid., 328.
4. Ibid., 318.
6. Maier, 319.
8. Ibid.
56
CHAPTER V
57
In general, local government's role in historic pre-
ning Commission.
58
National Register of Historic Places.'^ Surveys such as this
59
' s
vation. °
60
°
ties.
61
.
ges to the zoning codes that will reduce the density for
both the R-A and R-AA zones. For single-family houses, the
R-A zones allowed one unit per acre; in the R-AA zone two
homes
62
teristic of the neighborhood, as a motivating factor in
63
tion of the buildings and grounds with only minimal impact
64
.. .
3. Ibid.
9. Ibid.
65
CONCLUSION:
66
An examination of the different methods of reuse leads
to the conclusion that the best hope for these grand homes,
estate.
that the main house, which has eighteen rooms, might lend
67
Conversions of this type have been successfully
Hall" came up for sale in 1970 after the death of its last
68
ments--a precedent which some neighbors felt would begin
vince the local zoning board that his development plan for
the forty-two rooms into six apartments. The last unit was
69
this type in Lower Merion, there could be a clear-cut
new units should be compatible with the old, and new mate-
70
near the perimeter of the tract. The extent to which trees
also be stipulated.
and developers;
71
The time has come for Lower Merion Township, like a
swallowed up by suburbanization.
72
NOTES TO CONCLUSION
3. Ibid.
4. Ibid.
73
ILLUSTRATIONS
74
JLOWER MERION
75
3. CHESWOLD, Alexander Cassatt residence, Haverford, Pa. Demolished.
76
5. TY'N-Y-COED, Effingham Morris residence, Arditiore, Pa.
77
7. INGEBORG, Williaiti Simpson Jr. residence, Wynnewood, Pa. Demolished.
79
11. MAYBROOK, Henry Gibson residence, Wynnewood, Pa., 1886.
80
13. BRIAR CREST, William Henry Maule residence, Villanova, PA., 1901. Demolished.
81
17. PENCOYD, John Roberts residence, Bala
Cynwyd, Pa., 1878. Demolished.
*>. _.
83
19. CLAIREMONT FARM, Villanova, Pa., now Northeastern Christian Junior College.
0. 1 -W^W&t
,iJ''*^ -.»^
"^"^i
0§§
84
21. BALLYTORE, now the Armenian Church of St. Sahag and St. Mesrob.
22. WILLIAM JOYCE RESIDENCE, Rosemont, Pa., now Convent of the Sisters of the Holy Child Jesus.
23. SUBDIVISION, Villanova, Pa., 1987.
86
25. THE HERMITAGE, Gladwyne, Pa. Boulders were substituted for the trees that were cut down.
•r*«^V#t~?: -r
t.'
**^^fi*S&^^jpfsg^«^
87
27. WRENFIELD, Gladwyne, Pa. Ryckel estate is in background.
'^%^
89
,
m// Zf^'K-
31. 1946 ATLAS VIEW OF BEAUMONT, William Austin estate, Bryn Mawr, Pa.
32. BEAUMONT. Model showing Austin mansion in the center of new complex.
90
33. BEAUMONT. Life-care faciities under construction in October, 1986.
34. AERIAL VIEW OF BEAUMONT BEFORE DEVELOPMENT. Grounds were once densely wooded.
91
35. HARRITON, Anna Shinn Maier estate, Bryn Mawr, Pa.
92
s
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
93
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY, continued
1985.
94
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY, continued
95
'fine arts ubrarv
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