The Mansion
Explore the original building on our property! The Mansion, built in the 1800s, served as the summer home to the owners of the Campbell Soup Company, the Dorrance family. The property was then purchased by the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (MSC) who founded Cabrini College in 1957. Our University is guided by the values set forth by Mother Cabrini. The architecture is truly a sight to see!
Media Gallery
Cabrini University's Iconic Mansion
🏡 Woodcrest Mansion
Designed by Philadelphia architect Horace Trumbauer, the elaborate Elizabethan Tudor-style mansion was constructed between 1901 and 1903 for financial leader James W. Paul Jr., son-in-law of famed Philadelphia financier Anthony Drexel.
The Paul's hosted numerous events at Woodcrest, including the 1909 wedding of Mary Astor Paul to millionaire Charles A. Munn of Washington, D.C.
In 1925, members of the Paul family sold the Mansion and 120 acres of the Woodcrest Estate to Dr. John T. Dorrance, inventor of the formula for condensed soup and president of the Campbell Soup Company.
In 1953, the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (MSCs) purchased the property for use as an “Orphanage and Retreat House.”
Four years later, the MSCs founded Cabrini College, which enrolled 43 women in its first class.
The Mansion was named to the National Register of Historic Places in October 2009.
Campus Map
