Lynnewood Hall, the 34-acre Gilded Age estate in Elkins Park, was sold Friday, after spending nearly a decade on the market. The property was purchased by the nonprofit Lynnewood Hall Preservation Foundation from longtime owner Richard S. Yoon, pastor of the First Korean Church of New York.
Led by executive director Edward Thome, the group behind the purchase was only officially designated a nonprofit a year ago, but it has collectively been working toward this goal since 2018. The group intends to restore and preserve the 110-room mansion and sprawling estate, with an emphasis on education and community. Eventually, it plans to open it to the public.
The purchase marks a major step toward salvation for the 123-year-old house, whose condition has been deteriorating since the 1970s. Its most opulent features were long ago stripped and sold by previous owners, but its exceptionally built bones — and even some precious details — are still intact and worth saving.