Featuring Lynnewood Hall Preservationist and Landscape Architect
Last updated Thursday, April 9, 2026 at 8:12 PM
Bucks County Community College, which was founded on a former baronial estate more than 60 years ago, invites the public to the 18th annual Tyler Formal Gardens and Landscaping Lecture at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 18.
Edward Thome and Abdallah Tabet of the Lynnewood Hall Preservation Foundation will present "From the Garden Up: Lynnewood, Landscape, and Legacy," a journey exploring the historic gardens of Lynnewood Hall and how their investigation into the past has catalyzed new ideas for the historic site's future.
Lynnewood Hall is a 110-room Neoclassical Revival mansion in Elkins Park, Pa., designed by architect Horace Trumbauer in the late 1890s for industrialist Peter A.B. Widener. After several decades of neglect, the mansion was purchased 2023 by the Lynnewood Hall Preservation Foundation, which has announced plans to restore the house and grounds. The property was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2025.
“Changes in the landscape can teach us about the past, just as much as an old newspaper or an antique clock," noted Matt Metcalf, Historic Preservation Area Coordinator at Bucks County Community College. "Formal gardens are works of art: designers ‘paint’ with organic materials. Bringing these landscapes back to life helps us appreciate the past in a tangible way."
Edward Thome is the executive director and a founding member of Lynnewood Hall Preservation Foundation. After falling in love with Lynnewood Hall at just 11 years old, he has been endeavoring to save the grand home since 2018. Thome – who strives to make history tangible to the public – firmly believes that Lynnewood Hall can become one of the great cultural centers of Philadelphia and bring unique educational and recreational opportunities to the community.
Abdallah Tabet is an architect and landscape architect with over 20 years of extensive experience around the world. His work in France includes the grounds of Chantilly and Vaux-le-Vicomte, private estates, river restorations, and the public garden of a temple in Versailles. In the U.S., Tabet played a key role in the design of the new Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the expansion of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. He also developed a master plan for the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. He was recently selected as one of 100 young professionals to collaborate with Oprah Winfrey as part of her SuperSoul100 program.
The lecture takes place in the Zlock Performing Arts Center on the Newtown Campus, followed by a tour of the historic Tyler Formal Gardens.
Before the lecture, raffle tickets will be on sale for a chance to win garden accents for your home. An exhibition by Bucks County artists, “Garden Glories 2,” sponsored by the Hicks Art Center Gallery, will be on display in the Zlock lobby.
The College is located at 275 Swamp Rd., Newtown, Pa., where there is ample free parking. For a campus map and directions, visit the Newtown Campus web page.
Tickets for the Tyler Formal Gardens and Landscaping Lecture are $20 general admission, $15 for veterans and BCCC alumni, and free for current Bucks students with ID. Tickets can be purchased at online or at the door. For more information, email Matt Metcalf.