UPPER DUBLIN In 1912, Richard V. Mattison transformed his
Upper Dublin mansion into a castle, befitting a man who could be called a baron
of industry.
Mattison, a pharmacist and founder of an Ambler company that
was once a leading asbestos manufacturer, created what became a stone monument
to the area's history and a backdrop in the 1966 movie The Trouble With Angels.
But decades later, the majestic structure once known as
Lindenwold Castle and its 45 acres of rustic surroundings are slated to be sold
to developers who want to build more than 350 houses marketed primarily to
seniors and empty-nesters.
Neighbors and other residents are concerned about the
potential change for their Montgomery County community and its most recognizable
monument.
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"We want to make sure our history is preserved,"
said Brett Pulli, whose great-grandfather emigrated from Italy and worked for
Mattison as a stonemason.
Officials of the project developer, the Mattison Estate, say
they plan to preserve the castle, two gatehouses, and parts of the formal
gardens and lake on the property along Bethlehem Pike between Lindenwold and
Highland Avenues. The development group is a joint venture of the Endeavor
Property Group in Devon and two Blue Bell firms, Guidi Homes and the Goldenberg
Group.
"We are not only developers of the site, but stewards
of this site, and we take that responsibility seriously," said Brad Guidi
of Guidi Homes.
The developers have a conditional agreement to buy the
property from the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth.
The Des Plaines, Ill., religious community, which operates
Holy Family University in Northeast Philadelphia and Newtown, Bucks County, has
owned the property since 1936.
The nuns formerly operated St. Mary's Villa for Children and
Families on the estate for orphaned and abandoned children.
The religious community did not return calls seeking
comment.
Guidi said the sisters had decided to sell the property
because it no longer served their mission. The religious community leases the
property to the Public Health Management Corp. of Philadelphia (PHMC) which
runs a residence and day school for troubled youth called the Villa. About 70
youngsters live there and 10 attend its day program, said Diana Fryer, Villa
executive director. The program, which serves youths ages 12 to 20, will
continue no matter what happens with the Upper Dublin site.
The Mattison Estate's purchase is conditional upon a change
in the property's zoning designation from institutional to residential.
The proposed development calls for 34 carriage houses, 54
townhouses, 40 condominiums, and 250 senior independent-living apartments. Prices
could range from $300,000 to $750,000, the developers say.
No formal plans have yet been filed. If they are, the
approval process could take 12 to 18 months before construction begins.
Last week, the developers discussed plans with neighbors in
meetings at the Upper Dublin Township Building.
At the Tuesday meeting, neighbors asked questions about
preservation issues, the density of the project, and potential increases in
traffic.
Vanessa Anthony Klein, a member of a Facebook group called
the Concerned Neighbors of the St. Mary's Villa, asked whether developers had
considered building single-family houses, which would reduce the overall number
of dwellings.
Peter Guidi of Guidi Homes said the proposed number of units
was necessary for the project's economic viability.
The buildings on the estate are not protected by a
government ordinance that would prevent demolition under any circumstance. But
an effort is underway to include the parcel in a federal application to
establish a national historic district in the area, said Mary Lou McFarland, a
neighbor and senior preservation specialist with the Heritage Conservancy.
Including the property in the district would mean project
plans could be reviewed by federal authorities, McFarland said.
The proposed district includes all properties affiliated
with Mattison and his partner, Henry G. Keasbey, who built the Keasbey &
Mattison Co. of Ambler into an asbestos powerhouse in the late 19th and early
20th centuries.
Mattison also built many of the community's landmarks with
the help of his architect, Milton B. Bean of Lansdale, who designed the castle,
the Ambler Gazette building, and eight stone mansions on Lindenwold Avenue
Mattison had built for his executives, said Leopoldo Montoya, a retired
librarian from Wyncote who has studied Bean's work.
In the 1960s, Bean's Lindenwold Castle was used in the
filming of the movies The Trouble With Angels and its sequel, Where Angels Go,
Trouble Follows, both starring Rosalind Russell as a nun coping with
mischievous students.
Nearly five decades later, the Sisters of the Holy Family of
Nazareth - who in real life mentored students at the site - may be cutting all
ties, but many want the property's historic features to remain.
"You can't go back and buy your heritage," Pulli
said. "Once it's gone. It's gone."
Source: Philly.com
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