William Penn Inn to be Restored as Three-Unit Luxury Condo Building

Rendering of the Residences at the William Penn Inn | via Main Line Adapt

The new lease on life for the historic William Penn Inn in Wynnewood officially begins today, assuming the weather holds out, of course. A ribbon cutting is planned for the commencement of a new project that looks to transform what had been a six-unit apartment building into three luxury condos, each with their own two-car garages.

Main Line Adapt, an offshoot of Main Line ReBUILD, a development company that specializes in restoring and converting churches into luxury residences, is heading up the condo project at the inn. The scope of Main Line Adapt will move beyond the realm of churches and into a wider range of historic adaptive reuse projects.

A rep from Main Line Adapt said that the three condo units are expected to be delivered in early 2016 and will be priced $695,000, $795,000 and $895,000, respectively. Much like Main Line ReBUILD’s church conversions, the Residences at the William Penn Inn will combine modern design and carefully restored architectural features, such as the flooring, trims and moldings. They will also be within walking distance to all of the neighborhood amenities including Whole Foods, the Wynnewood Shopping Center and the Wynnewood regional rail station.

The project is seen as a major win for historic preservation. The inn dates back to 1799 and a “gigantic collective effort” eventually saved it from a plan that included demolishing the building and replacing it with single-family homes. Neighbors thought the plan (and its design) was out of character with the surrounding community and fought to save the landmark.

The previous project was put on hold once a hidden compartment was found inside the inn. It was thought to have been a hiding place for slaves on the Underground Railroad, but ultimately couldn’t be proven to be true. In April, it was announced that the inn was officially safe from the wrecking ball and that the land would be split between luxury condominium and three separate single-family homes. Rayer Builders, the developer behind the original plan, will be building the separate single-family homes on the site.