THE ELKINS ESTATE

Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to introduce The Elkins Estate preservation project.

This historic 42-acre Estate dates back to the late 1800’s and sits just outside the northern border of Philadelphia in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania.   The Estate was the summer home of Philadelphia multi-millionaire William L. Elkins, a turn-of-the-century railway magnate and titan of industry and philanthropy.  Elkins commissioned renowned architect Horace Trumbauer to design Elstowe Park - two magnificent mansions on the property, a 64,000 square foot Italian Renaissance Palace named Elstowe Manor and an elegant 31,000 square foot English Tudor called Chelten House.  

In February 2009, this magnificent Estate was rescued from demolition and development when it changed hands for just the third time in its storied history and is now held in the name of Land Conservancy of Elkins Park, Inc.  With partner Food For Life, a Pennsylvania non-profit that has served the greater Philadelphia community for 25 years, our mission is to carefully restore this architectural treasure while upgrading the buildings, gardens and open space to ensure continued preservation and protection.

Through adaptive reuse of the estate as a wellness and education retreat center, along with weddings and special occasions, the Land Conservancy of Elkins Park, Inc. is on track to transform the Elkins Estate to a self-sustaining, environmentally responsible model for historic preservation.