Elkins Estate

Elkins Estate is a 42-acre property in Elkins Park containing seven buildings, including the main residence Elstowe Manor with 45 rooms and ornate architectural details. The complex features several smaller structures and varied landscape areas that together form an extensive residential compound.

Industrialist William L. Elkins commissioned architect Horace Trumbauer to build Elstowe Manor in 1898 on his family's former summer residence site. In the 1920s, the Dominican Sisters acquired the estate and operated it for decades as a spiritual retreat center.

The interior of Elstowe Manor displays European craftsmanship through marble columns, carved wood details, and frescoed ceilings in Italian High Renaissance style. These ornaments reflect the original owner's collecting passion and continue to define the character of the rooms today.

The property accommodates up to 300 guests for events with multiple indoor and outdoor spaces for ceremonies and celebrations. Visitors should dress appropriately as the interiors contain formal décor and delicate details.

The estate functioned for 75 years as one of the oldest women's retreat centers in the United States after Dominican Sisters took over in the 1920s. This religious use shaped the property's story in unexpected ways and set it apart from typical large estates of its era.