Bryn Athyn Historic District

February 5, 2020

The United States is a relatively new country at only a few hundred years old so there are not many places you can go to experience the grand medieval architecture so prevalent in old-world Europe. Bryn Athyn, although technically not that old, has a distinct European-grandeur ambiance. Located just 15 miles north of Philadelphia, this former religious colony boasts a tight concentration of some of the region’s best architecture situated among lovely grounds. In 2008, the borough was declared a National Historic Landmark and the buildings opened to the public for tours and special events.

Founded in the late 19^th century by a congregation of New Church members from Philadelphia, the grounds had been used for a number of years as a retreat from the city, and it was decided it would make a perfect location to settle permanently. Eventually a cathedral, two mansions, and a college formed the nucleus of the community. Congregants follow the teachings of Emanuel Swedenborg (1688-1772), a Swedish philosopher, scientist, and mystic. The resulting denomination is known as Swedenborgianism, which still has a small but active presence in the United States and abroad. The patriarch of Bryn Athyn was John Pitcairn Jr., an enormously wealthy businessman involved in the railroad industry along with founding a plate glass company in Pittsburgh. Three historic structures are open for tours in Bryn Athyn.

Cairnwood Estate

Built in the Beaux Arts style, blending influences from Greek and Roman architecture along with French Renaissance concepts, this magnificent home was the first structure on the grounds housing the patriarch John and his wife Gertrude and their children. Unfortunately just three years after moving in, his wife passed away and heartbroken, John never remarried, in part due to Swedenborg beliefs which states marriage lasts for eternity. Cairnwood was the first building we toured and it really appealed to my personal preferences in style. Light, airy, simple, yet extremely elegant, it had the look of a somewhat typical mansion of the time. The two-story French-inspired main room complete with columns and commanding staircase make a lovely backdrop for a wedding reception, which is a typical use of the space currently. Some of my other favorites were the pink piano room and the museum on an upper floor. Just as interesting was learning about the lives of the servant girls who lived here. Often it was their first job and they were local girls from the community. The grounds include a carriage house, entrance gate, Garden house, pergola, and formal garden. We toured on an absolutely spectacular day in June. The sky was bright, the weather simply perfect, which really made the superbly landscaped grounds looks extra amazing! I loved taking pictures and strolling around the gardens and fountains. It truly felt like we were transported to another time and place.

Glencairn Museum

After assuming ownership of Cairnwood for a few years, John Pitcairn’s eldest son Raymond, along with his wife and 9 children decided the estate was getting a wee bit cramped, so work commenced on a new mansion right next door. After about ten years, Glencairn was ready to occupy. Looking much more like a combination of a cathedral and medieval castle than a home, this spacious dwelling now contains a museum dedicated to religious art and history. Collections include ancient cultures, Christianity, Islam, Asian, and Native American religious artifacts. Several rooms are set up as a residence. Although grandiose and fascinating, I couldn’t imagine living there! The interior walls are stone and the living space has a tremendously high cathedral ceiling giving it an eerie feel. The enormous mosaic-tiled arch in the living room gives the look of an Egyptian Pharaoh’s tomb.

Plenty of little oddities and curious items await on this interesting tour. I loved the outdoor sleeping porch which was a fantastic idea for summer sleeping before air conditioning, but my absolute favorite part is the 9-story high lookout tower on top of the home. Complete with an antique elevator to get to the top, the unobstructed 360 degree views of the surrounding Montgomery county countryside are simply incredible! I could even see the Philadelphia skyline, a dim gray silhouette many miles away. With just a low iron-wrought gate keeping you from falling to your death, many people felt nervous getting too close to the edge, including my husband.

*View from the tower in Glencairn, Cathedral looks small in comparison!*

*View of upper sleeping porch from courtyard*

I tried hard to imagine how terrifying it would have been to raise 9 children here; wouldn’t you have always been worried one of them would have gone over at some point while playing? I loved that the two mansions were so completely different from each other and therefore the tours did not feel redundant.

Bryn Athyn Cathedral

At around 100 years old, this impressive church building is perhaps the newest medieval-style edifice to be built. Besides being beautiful, the cathedral is totally unique in that no two parts of it are the same. It is very unsymmetrical, lines are not straight, and all measurements are just eyeballed instead of precise. The Pitcairns had a fondness for medieval architecture and particularly the art of stained glass-making. Each window is unique and made in the ancient way, taking 20 years to make all of them.

This tour was so engrossing because there are so many peculiarities to point out. We also enjoyed learning about the beliefs of the Swedenborgian Church as religious history is a favorite topic for us. I will say that our tour guide was very excited to share every detail of his church, but it did go a little longer than I was expecting and we had to cut out early to meet our next tour appointment. Yet again, the cathedral tour was very different from the mansion tours so it didn’t feel like more of the same, making this triple play worthwhile for a single day trip!

*No precise measuring to make this door, looks like something out of Dr. Seuss!*

Ironically I lived in the next town over until middle school but do not really have memories of the borough of Bryn Athyn. I imagine it is probably because it has only recently become open to the public as a tourist attraction. What a treasure that can now be explored by Pennsylvanians. I highly recommend putting this little trip on your day trip bucket list. It would make a great romantic getaway like we did, but is also great for families. Make sure to visit on a fair weather day as the outdoor delights are an important component to your visit. So stop dreaming of a European vacation you can’t afford and head over to Bryn Athyn for the day…it’s easy and economical!

Special Note: If you stay overnight, there are no hotels in Bryn Athyn. You will have to search nearby towns including Willow Grove which is where we stayed.

Admission: $25/adult for all 3 tours ($10 for each mansion and $5 for the cathedral), $19/children, students, and seniors.

Hours: Tuesday-Sunday (closed Mondays). Specific tour times vary for each building. See website for all the details. Always check before visiting as special events and church activities may alter these times.