By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 18:33 EST, 6 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 10:15 EST, 7 August 2013 . This is the grandiose estate at the heart of a battle this week between a society dynasty and the local townspeople. The Ardrossan Estate in Pennsylvania - and its former inhabitants - inspired the 1940 film The Philadelphia Story starring Katharine Hepburn, James Stewart and Cary Grant. The mansion was home to the Montgomery-Scott-Wheeler family for generations before being put up for sale six years ago after the death of Robert Montgomery Scott. The plot thickens: The lavish Ardrossan Estate in Philadelphia is at the heart of a development battle between the owner and local town planning board . Movie legend: The vast estate inspired the 1940 film The Philadelphia Story starring Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant . He was the son of Hope Montgomery . Scott - the WASPish socialite who inspired the character Tracy Samantha Lord Haven, played by Hepburn in the film. The original property -  a 50-room Georgian revival mansion named Ardrossan after the family's ancestral Scottish home - once boasted 800 acres. Most of the land has been sold off or donated but current family representative and realtor Edgar Scott III, the society queen's grandson, has plans to divide up the remaining 360 acres for property development. He revealed plans to build 87 new homes at a meeting with officials from Radnor Township on Monday - much to their dismay. Silver-screen legends: From left to right, John Howard, Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn and Jimmy Stewart star in George Cukor's screwball romance movie The Philadelphia Story . Romantic moment: Katharine Hepburn as Tracy Samantha Lord Haven gets up close and personal with James Stewart who plays journalist Mike Connor . High society: Hope Montgomery Scott and the Duke of Malborough dance in Palm Beach, Florida in 1939 . Mr Scott wants a change to zoning codes in the area which will allow him to divide up the land into one-acre and quarter acres rather than the current rules which requires two acres, philly.com reported. The property is held by two trusts for the Montgomery-Scott-Wheeler family, according to MainLineToday. The mansion will remain owned by the family's trust. A previous plan to build 80 homes on 38 acres failed in 2007 after locals in Radnor Township complained. The . township board had hoped to buy 65 . acres to preserve as parks for the small Pennsylvanian community of . around 31,000 people. Historic: The estate has been on the market for six years since the death of Robert Montgomery Scott . Disputes: People living in the town of Radnor are unhappy that the land surrounding the property is being divided up and sold off in portions . Helen Hope Montgomery Scott, who passed away in 1995 aged 91, was once deigned the 'unofficial queen of Philadelphia's WASP oligarchy' by Vanity Fair. She was an avid fundraiser and a glamorous member of the upper echelons of society, mingling with aristocrats and royalty. She held lavish parties at Ardrossan which were attended by celebrities including Cole Porter and Katharine Hepburn - who later paid tribute to her on screen after buying the film rights to play The Philadelphia Story. The classic comedy starred Hepburn along with Cary Grant and James Stewart. It tells the story of Lord (Hepburn), a glittering socialite whose plans to marry her second husband become entangled when her first husband (Grant) and a tabloid journalist (Stewart) arrive on the scene. It won two Oscars and was later remade into the 1956 musical High Society starring Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly, Frank Sinatra and Louis Armstrong. Grand life: The property is a 50-room Georgian Revival manor named after the family's ancestral home in Ardrossan, Scotland .
The Ardrossan Estate in Pennsylvania inspired the 1940 film The Philadelphia Story .
Its late inhabitant Hope Montgomery .
Scott inspired Katharine Hepburn's character in the 1940 movie .
Scott was known for lavish parties at the estate attended artistocrats and celebrities including Cole Porter - and Hepburn herself .
By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 18:33 EST, 6 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 10:15 EST, 7 August 2013 . This is the grandiose estate at the heart of a battle this week between a society dynasty and the local townspeople. The Ardrossan Estate in Pennsylvania - and its former inhabitants - inspired the 1940 film The Philadelphia Story starring Katharine Hepburn, James Stewart and Cary Grant. The mansion was home to the Montgomery-Scott-Wheeler family for generations before being put up for sale six years ago after the death of Robert Montgomery Scott. The plot thickens: The lavish Ardrossan Estate in Philadelphia is at the heart of a development battle between the owner and local town planning board . Movie legend: The vast estate inspired the 1940 film The Philadelphia Story starring Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant . He was the son of Hope Montgomery . Scott - the WASPish socialite who inspired the character Tracy Samantha Lord Haven, played by Hepburn in the film. The original property -  a 50-room Georgian revival mansion named Ardrossan after the family's ancestral Scottish home - once boasted 800 acres. Most of the land has been sold off or donated but current family representative and realtor Edgar Scott III, the society queen's grandson, has plans to divide up the remaining 360 acres for property development. He revealed plans to build 87 new homes at a meeting with officials from Radnor Township on Monday - much to their dismay. Silver-screen legends: From left to right, John Howard, Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn and Jimmy Stewart star in George Cukor's screwball romance movie The Philadelphia Story . Romantic moment: Katharine Hepburn as Tracy Samantha Lord Haven gets up close and personal with James Stewart who plays journalist Mike Connor . High society: Hope Montgomery Scott and the Duke of Malborough dance in Palm Beach, Florida in 1939 . Mr Scott wants a change to zoning codes in the area which will allow him to divide up the land into one-acre and quarter acres rather than the current rules which requires two acres, philly.com reported. The property is held by two trusts for the Montgomery-Scott-Wheeler family, according to MainLineToday. The mansion will remain owned by the family's trust. A previous plan to build 80 homes on 38 acres failed in 2007 after locals in Radnor Township complained. The . township board had hoped to buy 65 . acres to preserve as parks for the small Pennsylvanian community of . around 31,000 people. Historic: The estate has been on the market for six years since the death of Robert Montgomery Scott . Disputes: People living in the town of Radnor are unhappy that the land surrounding the property is being divided up and sold off in portions . Helen Hope Montgomery Scott, who passed away in 1995 aged 91, was once deigned the 'unofficial queen of Philadelphia's WASP oligarchy' by Vanity Fair. She was an avid fundraiser and a glamorous member of the upper echelons of society, mingling with aristocrats and royalty. She held lavish parties at Ardrossan which were attended by celebrities including Cole Porter and Katharine Hepburn - who later paid tribute to her on screen after buying the film rights to play The Philadelphia Story. The classic comedy starred Hepburn along with Cary Grant and James Stewart. It tells the story of Lord (Hepburn), a glittering socialite whose plans to marry her second husband become entangled when her first husband (Grant) and a tabloid journalist (Stewart) arrive on the scene. It won two Oscars and was later remade into the 1956 musical High Society starring Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly, Frank Sinatra and Louis Armstrong. Grand life: The property is a 50-room Georgian Revival manor named after the family's ancestral home in Ardrossan, Scotland .
Estate in Pennsylvania - and its former Philadelphia Story starring Katharine Hepburn, estate inspired the 1940 film The Philadelphia He was the son of Hope Montgomery . Scott - the and royalty. She held lavish parties at Ardrossan which were attended by celebrities including Cole