Item Info
Source: Print and Picture Collection
Notes:
Image taken by Philadelphia Evening Bulletin photographer Charles T. Higgins. Notes on the negative's envelope read: "Elkins Mansion, June 1932"
The Elkins Estate is an American 42-acre estate located in Elkins Park, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. The estate contains seven buildings, the most notable being Elstowe Manor and Chelten House, mansions designed by Horace Trumbauer. This 1932 image is an interior view of Elstowe Manor. (For more details of the interior, see #pdch00036.)
The 45-room manor was built in 1898, in the style of Italian High Renaissance. The interior was designed by renowned French interior decor experts Allard et Fils, which accounts for the distinctly French feel.
In 1948, the manor was sold by the Elkins grandson to the Dominican Sisters of St. Catherine d'Ricci, to be used as a women's retreat. It closed in 2006, and in 2014, the estate was zoned for future developement as a hotel, public arts and cultural destination.
Creation Year: 1932
Geocode Latitude: Geocode Longitude:-75.137595
Geocode Latitude:40.073594
Creator Name: Higgins, Charles - Photographer