by I went to the Glencairn Museum in Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania, to fill some time while Doug was working. I had no idea something like this was lurking in the area, as I’d lived in the vicinity for many years without knowing anything about it.
Though it looks like a castle or cathedral, it was actually home to the Pitcairn family for more than 40 years. Raymond Pitcairn (1885–1966) was a wealthy businessman and lawyer who – though he had no formal architecture training – designed the home and had it built between 1928 and 1939.
It is named Glencairn in a blending of the name of his wife, Mildred Glenn, and his family name.
The Romanesque-style building has more than 90 rooms on 10 floors, with features such as a nine-story tower, a great hall, and many carved doorways and wall insets. There are elaborate mosaics, stained glass windows, metalworks, and many other touches that leave a visitor with their jaw dropped.
Nothing about it feels like a “home,” and it’s hard to imagine this couple and their eight children living there.
The home is adjacent to the Gothic Revival Bryn Athyn Cathedral (also designed by Raymond), of which we had a lovely view from the tower. We could also see the city of Philadelphia floating in the distance.
Today the collection contains about 8,000 artworks, mostly of a religious nature, but from around the globe and across the centuries. I took the 90 minute “Highlights Tour,” which means we barely scratched the surface of this crazy place! At the time of my visit it was set for Christmas, with an astounding exhibit of nativities from around the world.
