Lynnewood Hall, the mansion tucked away just off Rt. 611 in Elkins Park has sat vacant for decades, but that will soon change.

Last year, the Lynnewood Hall Preservation Foundation purchased the estate with plans to restore this relic of the Gilded Age. Photographer Sherman Cahal explores the mansion’s fascinating history on the Pennsylvania subreddit on Reddit.

The hall originally belonged to real estate mogul Peter A. B. Widener. It was completed in 1899 and spanned 800 acres. The stunning 110-room mansion boasted 55 bedrooms, an art gallery, a library, a swimming pool, wine cellars, a bakery, and even its own electrical power plant.

Also on the property was a horse track, a smaller residence known as the Conklin Lodge, and a 33-acre garden. The estate was home to one of the largest collections of artwork from the Gilded Age.

When Widener died in 1915, Lynnewood Hall went to his younger son, Joseph. Peter’s elder son, George, died three years earlier on the RMS Titanic.

Following Joseph’s death in 1943, the southern property was sold for development, and the rest was purchased by a radio evangelist. However, the evangelist suffered mounting financial issues, which eventually led to the property being abandoned for years.

With the purchase last year, the Lynnewood Hall Preservation Foundation plans to fully restore the mansion and convert the garden into a public park.

Read more about this Elkins Park mansion’s history on the Pennsylvania subreddit on Reddit.