cairnwood estate

This is an absolutely beautiful estate where visitors get an inside take on the Cairnwood family and their way of life. There are two mansions on the property and a magnificant cathedral, that employed over 100 workers while it was being built during the Great Depression. Visitors are welcomed anytime, but look for scheduled events that are held on the property throughout the year. You will not be disappointed.

From the outside this castle takes your breath away sitting high on a hill. Our tour guide, Tara, was very informative and pleasant. The entrance foyer with huge Christmas tree was so beautiful. The history of the family and servants was most interesting. I was disappointed that the nursery was turned into a coatroom. Lots of empty rooms! It was well worth the trip to see this estate but I was expecting more Christmas decorations and more furnishings in the empty rooms. It's a great place for weddings and private parties. I highly recommend a tour!

I have driven by this place many time before and I actually called and made a tour reservation. The group was small but the tour guide Lisa, was very knowledgable. The grounds the home are beautiful, I highly recommend if you are looking for something to do please take the moment, this is truly a gem of history and . The fee is 10.00 and the tour is 1 no more than 2 hours long. There is a calendar for wine tastings, beer hops, Halloween and so much more. I really do look forward to going back and exploring the museum and church.

They have an open house once a year in the summer when you can go and walk around freely and take pictures. It is a wonderful piece of history in Huntingdon Valley.

I called ahead to make tour reservations. I never heard back from anyone at Glencairn, so I assumed everything was OK. We got there and found that the mansion was closed for a photo shoot. Lisa apologized, set us up with the introductory video and gave us an abbreviated tour of the house and garage. The abbreviated tour (only the dining & music rooms on the 1st floor, the 2nd and 3rd floors as well as the family chapel) ended up being quite extensive and because there were just 3 of us, we were able to ask questions and talk about the house and Pitcairn family. The rooms we saw were mostly decorated as the family lived in the house. For a family with such great wealth, they lived simply. She also recommended the Be Well Café for lunch, an excellent choice. We made a day of the Bryn Athyn Historic district with a 10:00 tour at Cairnwood, lunch, a 1:00 tour of the cathedral and a 2:30 tour of Glencairn.

My friends and I enjoy touring historic houses, both for the architecture and a glimpse of life in prior times. Through the 15 minute introductory video, and the extensive knowledge of our docent Carol, we learned a great deal of the history of the Bryn Athyn community. The Cairnwood Estate is a beautiful example of Guilded Age architecture which reflects the values of the man who commissioned it, rather than the outright opulence of most other homes of the industrial barons of the era. It is maintained by the revenue generated as a venue for weddings and corporate events, so the ground floor is devoid of period furnishings, allowing the visitor to focus on the architectural details of the space. The upper floors do display the family's furniture and belongings. The Carriage house has a large collection of restored sleighs and carriages. Combine your visit with a reservation at the Glencairn Museum next door and a free tour of the beautiful Bryn Athyn Cathedral and grounds and you have a very full day.

Our tour guide Beth was knowledgeable and enthusiastic, and gave a delightful tour starting at the Garden House Visitor Ctr, Carriage House, and the main house. She provided architectural and stylistic detailed info, how orig paint color was discovered, how rooms were used. It's true that the main floor is mostly empty/no orig furnishing but it's still interesting to see the grand design. Newly opened is a 3rd floor display room with many of the Pitcairn family items: jewelry, the orig dining table set with family silver & cut glass pieces, & lots more. We toured the entire Byrn Athyn Historic District & suggest that you start with the Cairnwood Mansion (Pitcairn family's start & history), then move to the Glencairn Museum (started by son of Pitcairn), and finally the Cathedral tour. Beth also recomm the Be Well Cafe for lunch or snacks.

Recently I attended a corporate celebration event at Cairnwood Estate. What a beautiful and delightful place for it. Cairnwood is a 28 room mansion built in 1895 for the president of Pittsburgh Plate Glass, John Pitcairn, Jr., in the style of a French country estate. It is now listed in the National Register of Historic Places.The estate is owned by Bryn Athyn College, affiliated with The Academy of the New Church, one of the branches of the Swedenborgian Church which has its headquarters on the site in Bryn Athyn. Pitcairn was a devout follower of Emanuel Swedenborg, the founder of the Swedenborgians. Also on the site is the beautiful Bryn Athyn Cathedral.Our event took place on the first floor of the mansion which is quite large. In addition to the expected living room, dining room and kitchen, there is a library, a music room, a reception room, a billiard room, a study, a large terrace under tent for this affair, another open terrace and a large veranda.The guests at the event were given the opportunity to explore the first and second floors, and a docent was present on the second floor to provide background on the estate, the Pitcairn family, and, for anyone interested, on the Swedenborgians. She wasn't too busy, because the guests focused on the excellent food and drink downstairs. But I gave her the opportunity to share her knowledge, and found the family history fascinating. An unusual feature of the mansion, which is basically 2 1/2 stories, is an octagonal tower which extends well above the roof line and which contains Pitcairn's chapel.Today the estate is used for special events such as I attended, weddings and educational /events.

Visit Bryn Athyn Cathedral in Bryn Athyn, PA...In Montgomery County, very close to Huntingdon Valley PA. An oasis!!!! ADMISSION FREELandscape magnificent with beautiful gardens and fountains. Surrounded by Gothic Cathedral and Gothic Estates built by the Pitcarin family in the early to mid 1900's. The architecture is taken from medieval times and duplicated on site of Bryn Athyn.Don't miss the exquisite stained glass windows each telling a story from the bible. See the sanctuary where services are held every week. They practice the "New Jerusalem" religion...but do not work as evangelists. Congregation in our area is about 1000.

Attended a wedding at the Estate - for this one special day the groom must feel like a king. To do so Cairnwood Estate may be the ideal spot. The Estate gives a glimpse into the past - how the aristocracy lived, how they entertained.

We took the tour of Cairnwood before touring Glencairn Museum right next door. This home is a fine example of guilded age construction and wealth. The first floor and parts of the second floor are used for events (a wedding was taking place the day we arrived, so we had to tour around the caterer and wedding planner). The first floor rooms do not have period furnishings; very little furnishings at all, do to hosting events. Still, we could get a sense of the beauty, warmth and family of this home. The second floor had more period furnishings, but not all rooms are open to view as there is still restoration in progress. On the third floor the only open area is the chapel in the tower. We had an outstanding guide, very knowledgable and engaging. Tour includes the carriage house with a fine collection of carriages, sleighs and a period car. There is no elevator for those that cannot go steps. Reasonably priced for a 1 1/2 hour guided tour.

Bryn Athyn is a unique "suburban" enclave and surrounded by the Pennypack Trust as well as home to this magnificent tribute to the culture, grandeur and contributions of the Pitcairn Family. Home to the extraordinary American industrialist and visionary beliefs of the Pitcairns, the Cathedral and Estate grounds manifest the work ethic and values of a generation that helped shape the great businesses of he 20th Century.

I recently attended a wedding reception at Cairnwood and was impressed beyond words. As I am not a resident of the area, I had never heard of this property and was pleasantly surprised! While I did not get an 'official tour' I did do some self exploration of the second floor and found the period furniture and historical information fascinating. Even moreso, this was an incredibly romantic and beautiful place for a wedding reception with its beautiful grounds, handsome first floor interior and amazingly helpful staff. Because it was set up within different rooms, it felt very homey and comfortable. The food was outstanding as well. It was by far one of the best receptions I have attended in a while and I was so impressed with this place that I went home and researched it further just to complete my understanding of its historical value. In summary, I could see myself returning to Cairnwood Estate ANYTIME I found myself in the area again! I'll try to post some pics soon!

We took the guided tour at Cairnwood. As a fan of historic house tours, I was disappointed somewhat by the house itself. Cairnwood is more of a "working" house - the house is used for events, probably on a very frequent basis. As a result there are limited period furnishings, and not really much furniture at all on the first floor when I was there (except for tables set up for a wedding that afternoon). So, the interior doesn't really match the grandeur of the exterior. Nonetheless the house itself and grounds are beautiful, and it IS worth seeing, but primarily for the carriage house. The carriage house holds amazing restored carriages and sleighs that were used by the Pitcairn family. There are a few motor vehicles as well.Unlike many historic homes, you are allowed to take pictures in Cairnwood, both in the house and carriage house.The Bryn Athyn Cathedral, Cairnwood, and Glencairn are all within a short walk of one another. There are guided tours at all three. You can definitely do two in one day; all three is harder, since the Cathedral is only open from 1:00 to 4:00 PM.

Beautiful grounds, architecture, religious philosophy. They do not proselytize, but if you ask they will share. Great tour guide. Founder and developer was an aviation visionary and important person in the late 1800's and early 1900's.