Prince Albert of Monaco Buys Kelly Family Home in East Falls
Photo: East Falls Historical Society
Prince Albert of Monaco has reportedly purchased the home in East Falls that was the birthplace of his mother, actress-turned-royal Grace Kelly.
People magazine reports that the prince is considering turning the home at 3901 Henry Avenue into a museum exhibit or a workplace for his conservation foundation. He’ll be in Philadelphia sometime this week to plan for the future of the home, according to the magazine.
Prince Albert’s grandfather, John B. Kelly Sr., built the six-bedroom Georgian-style home where, along with his wife, he raised Grace and her three siblings. Grace left home to pursue her acting career, during which she landed roles in To Catch a Thief, Dial M for Murder, and High Society. She married Monaco’s Prince Rainier III in 1956 and died in 1982 at the age of 52.
The East Falls home was reportedly sold for $754,000 on September 23rd, after it was originally priced at $1 million when it was listed in July. The property’s market value is $605,600, according to the city’s Office of Property Assessment.
Prince Albert told People that he was happy to “happy to have saved this old family home from a near certain death or development.”
“The house was very beautiful and very special to our family,” he told the magazine. “I remember one visit, one of the earliest I recall, Grandma put me up in one of the bedrooms upstairs. I must have been about five and it was one of the first times I remember when I wasn’t put in with my sister. I remember just staring out the window, watching the cars go by, enjoying being alone.”
Albert told People that his family is planning have “some sort of opening” for the home next year.
The house’s recent history has been less than glamorous. In 2014, Marjorie Bamont, the owner since 1974, was charged with 14 counts of animal cruelty after 14 cats and a dog were found living in “unsanitary conditions” in the home.
At the time, the Daily Mail reported that SPCA officials said there were “fleas, feces everywhere in the house.” Bamont died on April 20th at the age of 84.
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