WhatsApp Facebook Twitter Pinterest Linkedin Email

An 1896 English Arts & Crafts Masterpiece Designed by William Lightfoot Price!

$975,000

Featured For Sale

308, Bent Road, Wyncote, Cheltenham Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, 19095, United States

WhatsApp Facebook Twitter Pinterest Linkedin Email

Featured For Sale

308, Bent Road, Wyncote, Cheltenham Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, 19095, United States

$975,000

Description

UNDER CONTRACT!

Wyncote is a small area located on the other side of Jenkintown. For those that know & live in this little “pocket” community, it’s a wonderful area of less than 1 square mile. For those that come to “discover” Wyncote, they love it’s old-world charm.

So, take a step back to the pre-industrial revolution time frame when the majority of this area was farmland and woods. As the railroad barons began expanding their routes, the Owners of the North Penn Railroad, at the urging of local residents & business owners, established a “flag stop” in 1859 at what is now the Jenkintown-Wyncote train station. Usage of this stop became so frequent, that in 1890 (in conjunction with the building of the Reading Terminal Market), a more formal station was constructed to service this area. Later, the renovation of that station to what we see today was designed by Horace Trumbauer and completed in 1932.

Now that frequent service provided easy access to the masses in downtown Philadelphia, real estate developers (and wealthy citizens) began purchasing large tracts of land in what is now known as Wyncote.

Some of the more prominent names that soon became residents (whether full-time or for their Summer estates) included John Wanamaker, Cyrus H.K. Curtis, Edward Bok and Horace Lippincott to name a few.

In 1890, Bradley Redfield purchased 45 acres and created what is now Bent & Accomac Roads. This land was sub-divided into 25 parcels for re-sale, and sold for the creation of “Summer Cottages” for wealthy Philadelphia families.

The earliest house to be constructed along the newly laid Bent (originally called Bend) and Accomac Roads was constructed for Henry Walt who had purchased a large 9-acre tract and hired Horace Trumbauer to build one of the first houses on this street called “Bend Terrace” in 1892. Mr. Trumbauer continued to obtain commissions for houses in this new development.

Over the course of the next 30 years, other grand estates were designed by famous period Architects that included Duhring, Okie & Ziegler, Angus Wade & Heacock & Hokanson.

This is the environment that one finds themselves in today when one takes a stroll along the quiet tree-lined streets of Bent & Accomac Roads. It’s a rich diversity of architecture of an age of wealth when folks would escape the heat of the city to “retreat” to their country homes, yet with easy access to the city via daily train service.

My listing was built for Mr. & Mrs. William S. Schellenger in 1896. Mr. Schellenger was a wealthy merchant in the leather goods business. It was difficult for me to ascertain any more additional information about the Schellenger’s, who owned the home from 1896 until 1924 when they moved to Lower Merion.

It is a fantastic example of late 19th century transitional design that highlights elements of Tudor, Shingle-Style & Arts & Crafts. It was designed by William Lightfoot Price (one of the Founders of the Arts & Crafts communities of Arden, DE and Rose Valley, PA).

The house is sited on nearly an acre of ground with a large & level rear yard. A set of stone pillars mark the entrance to the driveway that leads all the way to the far rear corner of the property where the detached 2-car garage (with additional storage) is located.

Ascend to the front porch that is elevated from the road, providing for great Summer breezes with a large rounded area large enough for a table & chairs. There is a covered area over the front entry where one can begin to appreciate the structural details with exposed rafters and a bead board ceiling.

One remnant of the original design is the most unique “calling card box” where visitors could leave notes for the owners should they not be found at home upon the guest’s arrival! An original copper plate above the box has the following inscription;

“If at home we should not be, leave a note that we may see”.

A large Oak entry door with leaded glass windows leads into a small vestibule where one will find the coat closet discretely tucked into the wainscoting under the staircase.

The 2nd entry door leads you into the main living room. Step inside and be greeted by the elaborate custom woodwork and hand-carved mantel. The carving on the mantel reads “1890 November 1896” which correlates to two important dates to the Schellenger’s. William Steel Schellenger and Anna Markley were married on November 19th, 1890 in Camden, NJ and the house was completed in 1896!

There is a built-in bench tucked to the right of the fireplace. Another bench is located at the base of the staircase and the exposed ceiling beams are beautiful. The fireplace is enhanced with a wood-burning insert that provides exceptional, supplemental heat during the cooler months.

A series of leaded glass windows and a door lead to a cozy library with a decorative corner fireplace that is lined on all sides with a series of bookcases and a door directly to the rear porch.

On the north side of the living room is a secondary family room with another corner fireplace (also enhanced with another wood burning insert) that leads one into the octagonal morning room.

On the opposite side of the living room is a spacious dining room overlooking the front & side yards with an angled series of double-hung windows along with four of the most unique display cabinets between the angled windows. There is William Morris’ “Fruit” wallpaper lining one-third of the walls and crown molding.

Through a set of French doors one finds a cozy breakfast room before passing by the rear staircase and into the updated kitchen.

With an abundance of cabinetry, there is a Thermador 5-burner gas cooktop along with double Thermador wall ovens. Standing at the sink, one has a perfect view of the entire rear yard. There is a wine cooler in the peninsula. The laundry was moved from the basement to a laundry closet just off the kitchen while the powder room is located just next to the rear entry door.

As one ascends to the 2nd floor, a series of tiered leaded glass windows flood the area with afternoon light. A large landing at the top of the stairs provides direct access to all the bedrooms.

The owner’s suite occupies the entire NE corner of this floor, with a modern ensuite bathroom and a walk-in closet. From this suite, one also has access to the 2nd floor sleeping porch (which is fully screened and is great to leave the door open on those wonderful Spring and Fall days to capture the breezes!).

Another remnant from the original construction are the vertical wooden corner guards that protect the entrance to the rear hallway!

The 1st guest bedroom on this floor overlooks the rear yard and has two entry doors (one near the rear staircase and one to the main landing) along with a walk-in closet.

The 2nd guest bedroom is located over the dining room below and has a corner closet along with another set of bay windows overlooking the front yard.

The 3rd guest bedroom on the floor is tucked at the rear of the hall over the kitchen, also with lovely views of the rear yard.

There is an updated hall bathroom to service all of the guest bedrooms.

On the 3rd floor, there are two more spacious guest bedrooms tucked up under the roof eaves along with additional storage in the unfinished attic.

The unfinished basement does provide ample storage and there are two large closets (one cedar lined) with both shelves and hanging racks to store seasonal items.

Now let’s take a moment to explore the grounds out back. There is a covered rear porch along with a large patio that spans the entire rear of the home. A hot tub and a built-in gas grille provide great options for summer enjoyment.

The remainder of the rear lawn area is wide open and gets great sunlight throughout the day. There is plenty of room for soccer or baseball games or for your four-legged family members to enjoy (although it is not currently fenced).

It would be quite easy for the next owners to enhance the yard for gardening or there is ample room to install an in-ground pool.

The house is supplemented with a back-up generator that provides emergency power for the majority of the critical components of the home.

The house is tucked away on a lightly traveled side street, yet is only a 2-block walk to the Wyncote-Jenkintown SEPTA station (with the best scheduled service of any station).

Three train lines converge at this station, providing service every 10-15 minutes during peak hours. One can directly access service to Temple University, downtown Philadelphia, 30th Street Station (to hop on Amtrak to New York or Washington D.C.), the Penn & Drexel campuses and even the airport line!

Also within walking distance are 5 Township parks and so much history!

Details

Property ID
477185

6
Bedrooms

2.5
Bathrooms

Square Footage
4736

Lot Size
0.80

Year Built
1896

Style
Arts & Crafts

Property Website

Updated on May 7, 2023 at 11:38 am

Address

Address 308, Bent Road, Wyncote, Cheltenham Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, 19095, United States
City Wyncote
State Pennsylvania
Zip/Postal Code 19095
Country United States