Pen Ryn History

Question

History

Answer

Established in 1993. Pen Ryn Estate is a 100 acre private estate, located along the Delaware River. Notable families as the Bickleys, Whartons, and Drexels sought the tranquility and beauty of a riverfront country estate. The original tract of land was know as Belle Voir, yet in 1744 Abraham Bickley, a wealthy shipping merchant, build the mansion and renamed the estate, Pen Ryn. The estate has been visited by Benjamin Franklin, Francis Hopkinson, and Benjamin West. Then, at the turn of the century, the Drexel family enlarged the mansion with the addition of the gallery, library, servant quarters and carriage house. Year later, the estate was purchased and maintained by the neighboring Biddle Family was allowed private use to the Pen Ryn School. In 1988, the entire estate was sold to a developer who soon declared bankruptcy. The property was left abandoned and severely vandalized. In 1993, the property was privately purchased and meticulously restored to its original grandeur. The estate is not listed on the National Register of Historic Places.