Ownership After Elkins
In 1932 William H. Elkins, grandson of William L. Elkins, sold the Elstowe manor property to the Dominican Sisters of St. Catherine de' Ricci. Chelten House was owned by Philadelphia Cigarette Manufacturer, Stephen X. Stephano. After the death of his wife Penelope he sold Chelten House to the Dominican Sisters in 1948.
The Sisters operated both buildings (know as the Dominican Retreat House) as a women’s religious retreat and preserved the grounds and historical integrity of the buildings. Thousands of women and men attended retreats, days of prayer and other spiritual programs for 75 years. Women would come to pray, meditate and find a place of refuge and reflection. At its peak as many as 14,000 women and men came to the Dominican Retreat House in one year. The dedication of the sisters to preservation of the historic mansions on the estate was extraordinary and today, in 2013, the original features and architectural details remain intact. It was described as the most significant example of Gilded Age architecture in the region by John Gallery, of the Philadelphia Preservation Alliance.
Over time the needs of people coming on retreat changed and the economic challenges of operating the buildings became unsustainable for the Dominican Sisters. The Dominican Retreat House was at the time of its closing in 2006, the oldest retreat house for women in the United States.
In February, 2009, the Dominican Sisters sold the 42 acre property to the Land Conservancy of Elkins Park, PA who intended to use the facility for group spiritual, health and wellness education retreats, and also as a backdrop for elegant special events. The property was reopened in September of 2009 as aElkins Estate and has hosted a number of wedding receptions and events. But Land Conservancy could not keep up payments to the sisters who held the mortgage. In November 2010, because of numerous missed payments, including a $250,000 payment on the principle, the Dominican congregation foreclosed on the property,, and Land Conservancy of Elkins Park filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The property was in bankruptcy reorganization until October, 2012 when the case was dismissed.
The Congregation filed a motion to evict Land Conservancy in March 2012 after it defaulted on a Revised Settlement Agreement. The agreement held that if Land Conservancy defaulted on its first payment of $300,000 it would vacate the premises, but they refused to leave and continued to hold events there until November, 2012. The legal battle continued. The Philadelphia Inquirer ran an extensive story] describing the legal dispute October 31, 2012.
On January 24, 2013 the Dominican Sisters and Land Conservancy reached an agreement in which Land Conservancy would vacate the premises and relinquish control back to the sisters by January 30, 2013. The Dominican Sisters regained possession of the property and are in the process of repairing damage and working with other partners to develop plans for the future of the estate. See this story in Citizens Call. The Philadelphia Inquirer also reported on the story here.
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