reuniting Stoneleigh and Oakwell.

For more than five years, many watched nervously as the Lower Merion School District (LMSD) explored plans to build athletic fields on 13 acres adjacent to Stoneleigh: a natural garden. Instead, in August 2024, Natural Lands and LMSD entered into an agreement allowing Natural Lands to acquire 10 acres of the site—known as Oakwell—to expand Stoneleigh and reunite these properties that were once one. The remaining three acres will be sold to a separate non-profit organization that intends to conserve those acres and restore the historical buildings they contain.

Photo: Gwynne Weinberg

The agreement of sale is 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.”

Under the plan, the additional acreage would create space for expansive new garden areas at Stoneleigh and provide more opportunities to showcase the beauty and benefits of gardening in an ecologically sustainable way. Early 20th century landscape designs by the famed Olmsted Brothers span both properties and would be connected again for the first time since Oakwell was subdivided 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.

“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to expand Stoneleigh and immensely grateful to the leadership of the Lower Merion School District,” added Oliver. “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.”