Found Mansions on the Main Line TAKE A DRIVING TOUR OF HISTORIC ESTATES LOST AND FOUND Edwin Malet
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FAVORITE PASTIME OF MANY LOCALS IS TO ogle grand old estates, especially those situated in leafy neighborhoods. I was able to enjoy just such a driving tour after Winterthur Museum’s estate historian, Jeff Groff, was kind enough to share his very particular expertise with me about Main Line mansions. Jeff grew up on the Main Line and, for 40 years, he’s been studying the history and significant architecture of the area. To get a more complete look at area mansions, join Jeff’s virtual tour on May 12, titled “Lost Mansions of the Main Line,” featuring 20 or so fabulous old estates. (Register for this Chester County History Center-sponsored illustrated talk at Eventbrite.com.) For even more, there’s a second lecture on July 22nd, called “Back of the House and Beyond: The Millionaire’s Household, 1900–1942.” I hope you’ll join a more circumscribed driving tour focusing on what we’re calling “found” mansions: mansions that still exist and can be seen. Our tour begins near Devon. From there, we head east, visiting Wayne, Villanova, Bryn Mawr and Haverford. 62
County Lines | February 2021 | CountyLinesMagazine.com
GREY CRAIG First stop is Grey Craig (680 Wetherby Drive, Devon)—with Romanesque, Gothic and Tudor elements and set on the crest of a hill on 76 acres. Designed in 1902 by noted architect William Price, it was a hunting lodge for James Patterson, whose family founded the Patterson Whiting Paper Company. James’ son William and his wife were known to entertain there in a grand fashion befitting the mansion. After William died, the mansion was to be sold to a junior college in 1968, but the sale fell through. Although the land was taken over by a developer, the main house still stands and is a private residence. No longer commanding 76 acres, Grey Craig is now surrounded by modern homes, like too many of the mansions in the area. HILLTOP HOUSE Hilltop House (570 Beaumont Road, Devon) is located on 23 sunny south-sloping acres. Initially called Idlewild Farm, the mansion
