An ancient oak tree towers over the former greenhouses at Oakwell, which Natural Lands plans to “thoughtfully restore.” Photo by David Korbonita.
Nearly two years after Lower Merion School District agreed to sell the once-embattled Oakwell estate, the deal is finally done.
Conservation nonprofit Natural Lands announced today that it has officially acquired the 10-acre Villanova property, reuniting Oakwell with neighboring Stoneleigh after more than a century apart. The purchase expands the treasured public garden from 42 acres to more than 52.
“It is not an exaggeration to say that this is the culmination of years of work by our staff, our supporters, and members of the Lower Merion community,” said Oliver Bass, president of Natural Lands.
In a separate transaction, the Wyncote Foundation purchased an additional three acres that include Oakwell’s stately 104-year-old mansion, with plans to restore and preserve the historic home.
Built in 1922, Oakwell mansion is a Class 2 Historic Resource in Lower Merion Township.
Natural Lands also unveiled a master plan for an expanded Stoneleigh that envisions new garden spaces, gathering areas, a year-round Welcome Center, and the adaptive reuse of Oakwell’s historic structures for educational programming and special events.
“We look forward to future collaborations that might allow our students to explore and learn at Stoneleigh,” said Frank Ranalli, superintendent of Lower Merion School District.
This turn-of-the-century Japanese Tea House at Oakwell will be adaptively reused for education. Historians believe was designed by renowned Philadelphia architect Frank Miles Day. Other historic assets include original greenhouses and a caretaker’s cottage.
The closing of the sale brings a definitive end to one of the most contentious land-use battles in recent Main Line memory.
Lower Merion School District acquired Oakwell through eminent domain in 2018, intending to clear much of the estate’s heirloom forest to build athletic fields for nearby Black Rock Middle School. The proposal ignited years of organized opposition from neighbors, environmentalists, historic preservationists, naturalists — and even some of the school’s teachers and students.
In 2024, the district gave up and agreed to sell the property to Natural Lands in the transaction that just closed.
Stoneleigh will remain free and open to the public Tuesdays through Sundays while Natural Lands prepares Oakwell for visitors. For a property once defined by protests, petitions and court battles, its next chapter promises something quieter: shaded trails, outdoor classrooms and a deeper connection to natural beauty and a historic heritage that nearly slipped away.
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