On the Market: A Federal Loft in Society Hill
It has a Federal-style exterior, wood-burning fireplaces, mullioned windows and a wood railing surrounding the kitchen light well. Aside from those details, this house for sale would look right at home amidst those Callowhill lofts.
131 Pine St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19106 | Bright MLS images via Keller Williams Realty Center City
We all know what to expect when we walk through the front door of a Federal townhouse in Society Hill, right?
Maybe the owner or the stager furnished it with a modern sensibility, but that furniture remains encased in a series of 18th- and 19th-century spaces done up with crown moldings, chair rails, mullioned windows and brick fireplaces.
You’ll find everything but the chair rails in this well-maintained Society Hill house for sale as well. But context matters, and the context in which they appear is about as far from a Federal townhouse as you can get.
Main floor
Instead, that turned wood railing that takes up most of the space just inside the front door looks just a little incongruous when set against a large expanse of exposed brick, a completely open main floor and a metal spiral staircase in its center.
What’s going on here? It appears that the owners of this handsome Society Hill house for sale decided to turn its main floor and basement into a Callowhill loft.
Rear patio
That totally open main floor, of course, means you can configure it any way you want to. And the French doors at the back open out onto a spacious brick patio, one of two outdoor spaces this house contains.
Dining area/family room and kitchen
The floor below also looks most un-Federal, what with its tile floor, brick arches and beamed ceiling in the family room (or dining area).
Kitchen
Kitchen showing fireplace
Next to this space is an unusual two-story-high kitchen, the reason you find that railing on the floor above. The brick arches continue into it, and one of them contains a gas-burning fireplace.
Master bedroom
Save for the steel spiral staircases, the upper floors look a little more traditional. The master bedroom on the second floor and the front bedroom on the third both contain working brick fireplaces with traditional wood mantels. The bathrooms, however, have more of a contemporary than Federal feel.
Deck
There’s also a deck on the second floor with a lovely view towards Society Hill Towers.
The owners gave Zillow a few reasons why they love this house. In addition to its layout, design and outdoor spaces, they also loved its location close to Head House Square and its many shops, restaurants and neighborhood amenities, including the summer farmers’ market.
THE FINE PRINT
BEDS: 3
BATHS: 2 full, 1 half
SQUARE FEET: 2,560
SALE PRICE: $825,000
OTHER STUFF: This house’s sale price has been reduced three times since March, the most recent reduction being by $50,000 on Oct. 9th. The owners also told Zillow, “The access to public transportation took away the stress of driving and parking!” You might want to mull that statement over for a bit yourself before bringing your car with you if you have one, for like many Society Hill houses, this one has no off-street or deeded parking.
131 Pine St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19106 [Kevin Barmann | Kevin Barmann Team | Keller Williams Realty Center City]
