In “On the market: Historic Society Hill townhouse for $1,850,000, ” Lauren Mennen writes about 415 Pine Street, a Federal style historic 1790’s townhome lovingly restored during 2007-09. Many unique details lie within this spacious & gracious 5 bedroom, 3.2 bathroom home including original pine floors, six fireplaces, crown moldings, period hardware. Open living room, dining room and breakfast room w/ built-in shelving & cabinetry. Beautiful new custom kitchen with 2 work stations, stainless steel appliances, granite counters, skylights, stone flooring, and so much more.
Want to know what the seller has to say about this one of a kind home? Read on in the Philly.com article, below:
Stepping into the townhouse located at 415 Pine Street is like talking a walk back in history.
That’s what owner Richard Palmieri says interested him in buying the Society Hill home back in 2007 after looking at many homes around Center City.
“You expect to see members of the Continental Congress having tea in the sun room,” he said.
The townhouse, built in 1790, is unique in many ways. Still comprised of about 90 percent of original decor, including the fireplaces and pine floors, the home is what Palmieri describes as a “historical gem.”
“Few homes have survived for over 200 years as a single family residence and still have many of their original features,” Palmieri said.
Among the many remnants from the 18th and 19th centuries inside the home is an old tunnel in the basement that Palmieri says used to connect to the Old Pine Street Church across the street.
“We are told this is how abolitionists smuggled runaway slaves into the house for safekeeping until they could continue on their journey north,” he said.
Now after several years in the home, Palmieri – who moved from Connecticut to Philly for his job six years ago – has put the home on the market for $1,850,000. His four kids are now grown, and he and his wife Arlene decided it was time to downgrade.
The 3,840 square foot home is four levels, with five bedrooms, and three full and two half baths. During his time living there, Palmieri – who is only the fifth homeowner of the property in its 219 years – completed several renovations.
“We rewired the entire house, air conditioned it, put a new kitchen in, and added three new bathrooms,” he said.
But even with the upgrades, you still get that historical feel inside of the home. The cabinets Palmieri put in many of the rooms such as the kitchen, sun room and family room, are made to look like the same ones from the late 1790s.
“All of the cabinetry is in keeping with the home’s original cabinet designs,” he said.
The first floor, which Palmieri says is his favorite space in the townhouse, includes the dining room, living room, kitchen, and sun room.
The second floor has a full bathroom, laundry room, and master suite. Up on the third floor is a family room with a built-in wet bar. The fourth level has two bedrooms with built-in and custom closets.
Palmieri describes the area the home is in as a great family neighborhood with St. Peter’s School right across the street, Lawrence Court on the same block, and St. Joe’s Church nearby.
While there are many townhouses on his block, Palmieri said most of them have been completely revitalized unlike his.
“It’s just a gorgeous old home from Philadelphia’s prime,” he said.
For more information, contact Mike McCann at [email protected].
