This spectacular neo-classical revival masterpiece is considered one of the greatest surviving Gilded Age mansions in America. The stately home was once one of the finest pieces of real estate in Pennsylvania, but due to a complex and sad history, the magnificent house fell into disrepair – but it still harbours its fair share of secrets. From ornate interiors and hidden tunnels to its tragic Titanic connection, click or scroll on to uncover the mysteries of this fascinating abandoned estate...

Known as Lynnewood Hall, this turn-of-the-century estate in Philadelphia was built between 1897 and 1900 for US tycoon, prolific art collector and an investor in the ill-fated Titanic, Peter Arrell Browne Widener. When it was first built, the property stood on a staggeringly large 480-acre estate in Elkins Park in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. 

Captured here by Leland Kent of Abandoned Southeast, Lynnewood Hall is an estate born from tragedy. Widener lost his wife Hannah in 1896 when she died on board the family's yacht off the coast of Maine. In the throes of mourning, Widener wanted to vacate their townhouse on Broad Street, Philadelphia and turned his attention towards the creation of a great family seat. Of course, this was not the only accident at sea that would afflict them...

Widener turned to notable American architect Horace Trumbauer to design him a new home after he was widowed; somewhere 'comfortable' for him and his children to live. Covering 70,000 square feet, Lynnewood Hall was constructed from limestone and designed in a T-shape, which can be seen in this original floor plan. 

Trumbauer is said to have taken inspiration for the estate's curation from two architectural gems: Prior Park in Bath, England, and Ballingarry in New Jersey, USA. This impressive frontage shows the sumptuous style of the house, enough to rival the world's greatest stately homes.

This picture shows Lynnewood Hall from the rear, showing the sheer size of the house. It is thought to have cost $8 million (£5.7m) to build and has 110 rooms, of which 55 are bedrooms and 20 are bathrooms, as well as an art gallery and a ballroom large enough to accommodate 1,000 guests.

Widener put his heart and soul into the house and it was decorated with the finest furnishings. Back in its heyday, it required 37 permanent staff members to run it and a further 60 employees to look after the extensive garden. No doubt he hoped the house would stay within the family for centuries, but that was not to be...

Widener was fanatical about art and antiquities and The Philadelphia Inquirer once described the property's interior as "dripping with silk, velvet, and gilded mouldings, the rooms furnished with chairs from Louis XV's palace, Persian rugs, and Chinese pottery, the halls crammed with art by Raphael, Rembrandt, El Greco, Van Dyck, Donatello".

The extravagant hallway also featured dramatic Renaissance-style columns and a centralised staircase, providing a truly regal entrance. This photograph shows how the hall looks today. It remains one of the building's best-preserved rooms. But all the luxury came to nothing for the family and the house came to be inextricably linked with a tragedy...

Leading off from the grand hall, this photograph captures the exquisite stonework throughout the house, from the decorative archways to the ornate alcoves and columns. Still in a surprisingly immaculate condition, vandals and trespassers are reportedly kept out by a caretaker and his guard dogs, who are said to watch over the property.

Other notable rooms include the Baumgarten-designed dining room, which was once panelled in rich French walnut and later decorated with green and white marble. The room was adorned with two Gobelin tapestries, as well as a bust known as The Grand Condé, which depicted 17th-century French military general Prince Louis II de Bourbon.

Widener and his family lived at Lynnewood Hall from 1900 and stayed for 15 years. After persistent spells of ill health, which many put down to grief, Widener passed away at the property in November of 1915, at the age of 80. His eldest son, George Dunton Widener Sr, should have inherited the property, but tragedy had struck the unfortunate family just three years prior...

Widener had been an investor in iconic passenger liner, RMS Titanic. In 1912, George, his wife Eleanor, and their son Harry, planned to travel home on the ship's maiden voyage, following a family holiday in Europe. George is said to have hosted a luxurious dinner party aboard the ship, celebrating its splendour (and his father's investment). The lavish event was attended by Titanic's now-famous captain, E.J. Smith, whose death was never officially confirmed and subject to much mystery and speculation.

Sadly, neither George nor Harry lived to inherited Lynnewood Hall. Widener’s only surviving child, Joseph, took over responsibility for the expensive estate and received an estimated fortune of around $60 million (£45m). Joseph shared his father's love of art and took over the curation of the estate’s renowned collection, opening the home's private gallery to the public between 1915 and 1940. For this reason, the property became known as 'the house that art built'.

After the sinking of the Titanic, the library was turned into an extravagant ballroom. It was the largest space in the entire property and measured an impressive 2,550 square feet. The space was decorated with walnut panelled walls, fluted columns and gold leaf embellishments. Its extravagant ceiling boasted filigree plaster and floral motif mouldings accented with gold leaf. This photograph shows the grandeur of the original room.

This historic photograph shows the estate's original Private Gallery, once home to an extensive art collection curated by both Widener and his son, Joseph. At one time, the collection was considered the most important private collection of Gilded Age European masterpieces in the world.

Between 1915 and 1940, the spectacular collection was open to the public by appointment only. In 1940, Joseph donated more than 2,000 pieces, including sculptures, paintings and porcelains, to the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC. In the same year, the collection was valued at $19 million (£13m).

Gréber created a rose garden and a formal garden with a fountain, while a long driveway wound through the estate, offering guests the ultimate regal welcome. He also filled the garden with original statues that further enhanced the estate's elegance.

Joseph passed away in 1943, but neither of his children wanted to take on the epic responsibility of Lynnewood Hall. The old property was left abandoned and quickly fell into disrepair. If it weren't for the Titanic, the house could well still be in the Widener family, but in 1948, a developer purchased the mansion and its acreage for the astonishingly low sum of just $130,000 (£92k).

In 1952, the estate was purchased by the Faith Theological Seminary, a branch of evangelical Christians. The group bought the house for $192,000 (£136k) but it was left to suffer further decline when much of Lynnewood's valuable assets were sold off, including more than 350 acres of land. The house now has only 33 acres.

If you visit the National Gallery of Art in Washington you can view the Dream of Rinaldo tapestry, created by François Boucher in 1751. The piece once hung in Lynnewood Hall’s reception room. In 1903, Joseph’s wife, Ella Pancoast, had her portrait painted by John Singer Sargent in front of the tapestry.

From great luxury to a sadly derelict condition, this is one unbelievably expensive abandoned mansion. Other rooms, including this crumbling space, have suffered the same sad fate as the forlorn art gallery, with many of their breathtaking interior fixtures stripped away and sold off over the decades. 

The Lynnewood Hall Instagram account continues to share beautiful pictures and the fascinating history of the building with like-minded architecture lovers. Age can't hide the amazing bones that this grand old dame of a building still has, from the elaborate wrought-iron stair banisters to awe-inspiring great hall that's still fit for royalty. 

Despite its towering ceiling and vast mirror over the fireplace, this formally grand reception room is in a sorry state. In 2003, Lynnewood Hall was added to the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia, a list of endangered historic properties in the region. There is also an ongoing campaign to save the esteemed estate. Today, the property is among the largest historic houses in the United States and has been described as "the last American Versailles" due to its intricate architectural beauty. 

When Leland Kent of Abandoned Southeast toured the property, he stumbled upon a mysterious underground tunnel deep in the basement of the mansion. Little is known about the secret feature and it's not clear what exactly it was used for, though it could've offered a route for servants and staff to navigate the house out of sight of the Wideners and their guests.

Branching off in multiple directions, it's thought that the hidden tunnel could perhaps lead to the estate's carriage house and the gatehouse in the grounds. While Leland only explored a few feet of the subterranean passage, he says it seemed to go on forever. Strewn with debris, it's clear that no one has ventured down here for some time. 

One thing's for sure, if someone has since bought the house, they must have deep pockets! A historical restoration architect has estimated that it would cost approximately $50 million (£35m) to restore it to its former glory. Who said you can't put a price on history?

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