Historic Mansion of Industrialist And Renowned Evangelist
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This extraordinary mansion was completed in 1894 for Alan Wood Jr., a steel magnate and former U.S. Congressman, and later owned by renowned evangelist Father Divine.
A gothic-style estate resembling a French Chateau, "Woodmont" was inspired by George W. Vanderbilt's famed "Biltmore," and was originally situated on 400 acres of hilltop land (with views up to 20 miles away) overlooking the Schuylkill River and the town of Conshohocken, the location of the Alan Wood Steel Plant.
Wood passed in 1902, and in 1929 his heirs began subdividing the land and eventually sold the estate. In 1953 the mansion was donated by a follower to Father Divine, leader of the International Peace Mission, a religious and social movement.
The mansion became the movement's headquarters, where Father Divine lived until his passing in 1965. Along with Mother Divine, he is buried in a shine next to the mansion. Today, the property is still used by the Peace Mission, contains several other structures (including a library/museum), and is a National Historic Landmark.
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