Natural Lands and Lower Merion School District Reach Agreement for Sale of Oakwell
VILLANOVA, Pa., August 20, 2024 – Natural Lands and Lower Merion School District (LMSD) announced today that the LMSD Board of Directors has authorized the sale of the 13-acre site in Villanova, PA, known as Oakwell. The property is directly adjacent to Natural Lands’ Stoneleigh: a natural garden. Natural Lands is the intended buyer for approximately 10 acres of the property, which would expand Stoneleigh and reunite two important landscapes. The buyer for the remaining three acres—including Oakwell mansion, which would be restored—is a separate non-profit entity whose use will be complementary to Stoneleigh.
LMSD purchased the properties at 1800 W. Montgomery Avenue and 1835 County Line Road in 2018 as a site for athletic fields for Black Rock Middle School. In response to community sentiment for preservation of those properties (“Oakwell”), in January 2023, Haverford Township, Lower Merion Township, and LMSD announced an agreement to allow baseball and softball teams from Black Rock Middle School to have priority use of two fields on the Polo Field, located at 109 County Line Road in the Bryn Mawr section of Haverford Township. With the addition of these fields, as well as continued use of Gladwyne Park, the District is confident that the needs of our athletic teams at Black Rock Middle School are currently being met.
The Board’s resolution makes way for an agreement of sale, the first step in what will be a lengthy process. “Conservation projects like this one have many moving parts and take time and patience,” said Natural Lands President Oliver Bass. “This is just the first step, albeit an essential one.”
“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to expand Stoneleigh and immensely grateful to the leadership of the Lower Merion School District,” added Bass. “They have worked diligently with us to explore options for the property. Together, we’ve identified a plan that, if successful, will preserve the important natural and historic resources—including the much-loved trees and mansion—and grow Stoneleigh from its current 42 acres to more than 52.”
Kerry Sautner, president of the Lower Merion Board of School Directors, said, “We are proud to have partnered with Natural Lands and the Township in a shared commitment to preserving the Oakwell site. This agreement reflects our dedication to environmental stewardship and our responsibility to honor the community’s and students’ desire to protect and cherish our natural spaces. Through collaboration, we can achieve outcomes that respect the environment and respond to the voices of those we serve.”
Under the plan, the additional acreage would create space for expansive new garden areas at Stoneleigh, providing a broader platform from which to showcase the beauty and benefits of an ecologically sustainable approach to gardening. Early 20th century landscape designs by the famed Olmsted Brothers span both properties, which would be connected again for the first time since the portion known as Oakwell was subdivided off in the 1930s.
The buildings on the property would be restored and adapted, creating exciting improvements to the guest experience at Stoneleigh. As Stoneleigh is now, the portion that Natural Lands seeks to acquire would be placed under conservation easement with the Lower Merion Conservancy. The nonprofit purchasing the subdivided portion intends to enter into a mutually agreeable conservation easement agreement with Lower Merion Conservancy
Andy Gavrin, Lower Merion Township Commissioner, added, ”Protecting this historically and environmentally important property while finding alternative solutions to the School District’s need for playing fields has been a major focus of mine for quite some time. This agreement, in conjunction with the recent partnership for the use of the Polo Field for the Black Rock Middle School baseball and softball teams, truly results in a win-win-win solution. I am grateful to Natural Lands and Lower Merion School District for coming together, as well as to the members of the Lower Merion community who put so much time and energy into this vital conservation effort.”
Stoneleigh is open free-of-charge to everyone, year-round and hosts myriad community groups, from students to garden clubs to nature enthusiasts. The 42-acre public garden celebrates the beauty and importance of the natural world and gardening with native plants. The public is invited to learn more at stoneleighgarden.org.
Natural Lands is dedicated to preserving and nurturing nature’s wonders while creating opportunities for joy and discovery in the outdoors for everyone. As the Greater Philadelphia region’s oldest and largest land conservation organization, Natural Lands—which is member supported—has preserved more than 135,000 acres, including 40+ nature preserves and one public garden totaling more than 23,000 acres. Nearly five million people live within five miles of land under the organization’s protection. Land for life, nature for all. natlands.org.
Please note: “Natural Lands” is the organization’s official operating name and should be used instead of its legal designation (Natural Lands Trust, Inc.).
Lower Merion School District (LMSD) serves the 67,000 residents of Lower Merion Township and Narberth Borough. Established as one of Pennsylvania’s first public school districts in 1834, LMSD enjoys a rich tradition of achievement, innovation and community partnership and a longstanding reputation as one of the finest school systems in the United States. The District’s six elementary schools, three middle schools and two high schools provide a challenging, multi-disciplinary academic program and dynamic, co-curricular experience to about 8,700 students. LMSD.org
Media Inquiries:
Kirsten Werner, Senior Director of Communications
610-353-5587 ext. 267
267-222-0072 (mobile)
kwerner@natlands.org
Amy Buckman, Director of School & Community Relations
610-645-1978
267-473-1131 (mobile)
buckmaa@lmsd.org
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