The Bryn Mawr Trust building has been a fixture of the Main Line since 1928, serving as the bank's home base for nearly a century before WSFS Financial Corp. acquired Bryn Mawr Trust in 2022 and began consolidating operations into its Berwyn office. Now under new ownership, the storied property is poised for an entirely different kind of mission. Michael Karp, founder of University City Housing, envisions the space as a place where young people and adults alike can gain the financial knowledge that too many never receive, with classrooms, exhibits, and programming designed to make money management genuinely accessible.
- The 46,000 square foot property at 801 W. Lancaster Ave. in Bryn Mawr sold for $7.6 million and served as Bryn Mawr Trust's headquarters from 1928 until WSFS Financial Corp. acquired the bank in 2022
- Buyer Michael Karp, founder of University City Housing, plans to establish a nonprofit financial literacy center featuring classrooms and exhibits serving students from elementary through high school as well as adult learners
- Karp hopes to partner with the Lower Merion School District as an initial step, with ambitions to expand the model to other communities if the program proves successful
- The project is expected to take 18 to 24 months to launch and will be self-funded in its early stages, with WSFS maintaining its branch presence at the Bryn Mawr location
In repurposing one of the Main Line's most recognized financial landmarks, Michael Karp is making a meaningful investment not in real estate but in the next generation of financially informed citizens. It is a fitting new chapter for a building that has always been rooted in the business of building wealth.
By: Michael-Paul Kidd | Philadelphia Business Journal | February 23, 2026
