Oakwell Property Being Sold To Natural Lands, Non Profit Entity

VILLANOVA, PA — The 13-acre site in Villanova known as Oakwell has been sold by the Lower Merion School District to Natural Lands and a different non-profit entity, according to officials.

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.

The district bought 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, known as Oakwell, in January 2023, Haverford Township, Lower Merion Township, and the district 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,"
Natural Lands President Oliver Bass said. "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. 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."

"We are proud to have partnered with Natural Lands and the Township in a shared commitment to preserving the Oakwell site," Kerry Sautner, president of the Lower Merion Board of School Directors, said. "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

As Stoneleigh is now, the portion that Natural Lands hopes to acquire would be placed under conservation easement with the Lower Merion Conservancy.

The nonprofit purchasing the subdivided portion plans to enter into a mutually agreeable conservation easement agreement.

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.

Learn more about Stoneleigh online here.