5 Must-See Open Houses This Weekend
Two of this week’s houses predate the War of 1812. Two others just look like they do. And there’s a roof deck to die for.
Bright MLS images via Keller Williams Real Estate
“They don’t build ’em like they used to.”
Two of this week’s featured open houses prove that they do — well, at least some of them do. You may have a hard time distinguishing them from the two genuine articles. And in the city, we offer a totally modern house with a fantastic roof deck.
Bucks County
6111 Wismer Road, Pipersville (above) / 5 beds, 3 full/1 half baths, 5,039 square feet, $1,765,000
Open house: Saturday, July 27th, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The heart of this two-building compound is a 1750 farmhouse that has been expanded over the centuries. The original house retains all of its 18th-century character, from the wide-plank wood floors on up to the many fireplaces and the beamed ceiling in the primary bedroom.
Primary bedroom
Yet this house is also completely up-to-date, with a high-end modern kitchen open to the dining room and updated bathrooms throughout.
Beyond the main house lies a barn that got converted into a pool house, garage and guest apartment. The guest apartment includes a full kitchen, a bedroom and a bathroom. And all of this sits amidst 3.97 acres of woods.
6111 Wismer Rd., Pipersville, PA 18947 [Maryellen O’Brien | Keller Willams Real Estate – Doylestown/New Hope]
Bright MLS images via Long & Foster Real Estate
Chester County
439 Fairmont Drive, Chester Springs / 4 beds, 3 full/2 half baths, 3,734 square feet, $750,000
Open houses: Saturday, July 27th, noon to 2 p.m., and Sunday, July 28th, 1 to 3 p.m.
The gleaming hardwood floors, modern kitchen and bathrooms and composite stairs on the outside, among many other things, should tip you off to the fact that this is a very young house. But if you close your eyes, you could easily place it some 200 years before its construction date of 2004.
Living room; dining room through archway
This house is laid out like they used to be: It has distinct and separate living and dining rooms, and the dining room in back is connected to the eat-in kitchen by a sitting room. But large archways and the open sitting room give it the feel of an open-plan layout. A covered porch spanning the back of the house makes indoor/outdoor dining possible in just about any weather.
Above the main floor are four nicely outfitted bedrooms, and below it is a spacious rec room that opens onto a patio under the porch. And it comes with access to all the amenities the Weatherstone community has to offer, including a pool, clubhouse, library and tennis courts.
439 Fairmount Dr., Chester Springs, PA 19425 [Susan Murphy | McKee Kubasko Group | Long & Foster Real Estate]
Bright MLS images via BHHS Fox & Roach Realtors
Delaware County
3 College Avenue, Haverford / 5 beds, 4 full/3 half baths, 8,723 square feet, $3,000,000
Open house: Sunday, July 28th, noon to 1 p.m.
This stately Colonial manor sure looks like it could have been built in the time of King George III. But no — it was completed in the time of President George (W. Bush).
Family room
Still, one can live like royalty in this lavishly equipped house. It channels the past beautifully, with plenty of fireplaces, chandeliers hung from medallions in the dining room, and coffered ceilings like the pressed-tin one in its family room. That family room, by the way, ties together the kitchen and breakfast room via archways to form a huge everyday living suite.
Other luxe features in this house include a dog shower in the mudroom, a 1,000-bottle temperature-controlled wine cellar, a covered patio with outdoor kitchen off the center entrance hall, and a playground for the kids.
3 College Ave., Haverford, PA 19041 [Robin Gordon | Robin Gordon Group | BHHS Fox & Roach Realtors]
Bright MLS images via BHHS Fox & Roach Realtors
Montgomery County
409 Fishers Road, Bryn Mawr / 5 beds, 3 full/1 half baths, 3,194 square feet, $1,275,000
Open house: Friday, July 26th, 4 to 6 p.m.
According to the listing, this house began life in 1840 and had served as a carriage house. I’ll wager that was an adaptive reuse of some sort, for this house looks like it was built to serve as a primary residence, which is what it is now.
Library
When it got converted back from a carriage house many moons ago, it got two gorgeous Mercer tile fireplaces like the one you see here in the library. (It also got ironwork by Samuel Yellin.) The other one graces the living room, and the primary bedroom has a brick one as well. Random-width white pine floors abound, and the kitchen appliances and bathrooms recently got upgraded. A large deck in back offers space for outdoor dining and leisure.
409 Fishers Rd., Bryn Mawr, PA 19010 [Eileen Brown and Karen Strid | BHHS Fox & Roach Realtors]
Bright MLS images via Societe Select/Serhant
Philadelphia
135 North Croskey Street, Logan Square / 4 beds, 4 full/2 half baths, 4,796 square feet, $2,064,000
Open house: Sunday, July 28th, noon to 1:30 p.m.
There’s no mistaking this XXL Logan Square rowhouse for anything out of a time other than ours. And it’s a fine example of modern design.
Living room
Its open main floor feels even more spacious thanks to its 10-foot-high ceilings, and its generous use of wood and patterned wallpaper adds warmth and flair to the minimalist space. Like most upscale modern townhouses, this one has an elevator serving all floors, a whole-house sound system and top-of-the-line appliances. It also has a top-floor primary suite designed for the work-from-home lifestyle, as its sitting room could function as a home office.
Roof deck
You won’t have to go all the way down to the kitchen from it to raid the fridge, either, for there’s a full-sized one in the pilot house on the roof deck. The arbored roof deck offers great views of the skyline as well as a second grill (the first is on the deck off the main floor) and room for outdoor dining.
135 N. Croskey St., Philadelphia, PA 19103 [Andrea Edrei | Societe Select | Serhant]
