Hartwood Acres: Charming 1920s Mansion and County Park, Allegheny County, PA

Hartwood Acres is an Allegheny County Park set around a mansion built during the Roaring Twenties by Mary Flinn Lawrence, heiress to the fortune of her father, William Flinn, the namesake for Route 8, William Flinn Highway. William Flinn was a contractor whose biggest projects included the spectacular Liberty Tunnel in Pittsburgh, and the Holland Tunnel in New York City. Mary founded a home for disabled children, in addition to being a leading women's suffragist, and was a board member of the PA State Forest Commission. She sold the mansion to Allegheny County in 1968 on the condition that she could live out her life at the mansion. She passed away in 1974 and the county park was opened in 1976. The park is utilized for picnicking, tours, and concerts, and it was utilized for an awesome drive-through Christmas display over the more than 629 acres of the park in Hampton and Indiana Townships. 

Hartwood Acres was designed by Alfred Hopkins and was built in the Tudor style. She was big into equestrian sports, with features built around the estate where she could do her horseback riding.

This is a pretty spectacular example of a roaring twenties mansion. It almost feels like you are walking into the home of The Great Gatsby, which is pretty cool. If you are in the area, be sure to drop by this cool mansion.

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