Precious Rental: Historic Home on Ringgold Place

You can barely walk a block on South 19th Street without stumbling over a century-old street or a picturesque lane begging to be Instagrammed (hello, Cypress, Delancey and Panama!). But Ringgold Place stands out even among the rarefied lanes of Rittenhouse Square. Homes on the 1900 block of Waverly Street date back to the Civil War, when construction materials weren’t exactly easy to acquire. The rowhomes were built around 1862 with identically austere finishes and facades, featuring three brick stories over matching raised basements.

Doubling the historic cachet, in 1925 Philadelphia architect George Howe purchased the entire block. When he wasn’t busy designing the PSFS Building from his office at 1900 Ringgold Place, Howe and his firm updated the homes and gussied up some of the facades. In 1983, all 26 homes were added to the National Register of Historic Places.

This home is steeped in exactly as much history and charm as you would expect, given its pedigree. Details like woodwork and built-ins evoke the past but two and a half bathrooms in a two-bedroom home indicate a more modern appeal. The fireplace is wood-burning but the home also includes a security system and an upstairs washer and dryer. And of course, the holy trinity of high-end finishes: hardwood floors, granite countertops and stainless steel appliances. The best (non-historic) detail in the 1864 home? Pets allowed. Bring your puppy and he can frolic in the yard out back.

THE FINE PRINT
Beds: 2
Baths: 2.5
Square feet: 882
Price: $2,450/month

Listing: 1900 Waverly Street, Philadelphia, PA 19146