Long & Foster® Real Estate, Inc., the largest independent residential real estate company in the United States and a leader in the sale of luxury properties, today announced it has listed, as part of its extensive number of current listings, Upper Stream Farm, a Colonial-style farm house built in the late 1700s that is located on part of what was William Penn’s original horse farm. Located at 1405 Duportail Rd., in Berwyn, Pa., the 4,312-square-foot five-bedroom, three and one half bath home is listed by Susan R. Cosgrove, a sales associate with Long & Foster’s Devon sales office in Devon, Pa., and is being offered for just under $1.6 million.
“This truly unique historic estate was once part of the 500-acre horse farm that was originally owned by William Penn, the founder of Pennsylvania. Penn deeded the land to William Mordaint in 1681. In 1760, John Wilson purchased 320 acres in a foreclosure sale, and built the original house, which has been expanded and renovated through the years,” said Cosgrove.
“Today, the farm is surrounded by just under five acres of lush grounds that are rooted in history by six solidly-built buildings including the stone bank barn constructed by William Penn in 1770, using stones from the stream that run through the property. History has it that during the Revolutionary War, British troops camped on the road that runs alongside the property,” she added.
According to Cosgrove, the 9,000-square-foot stone bank barn is the oldest one of its kind in Pennsylvania, and features original hand-hewn timber beams that were cut from trees on the property and still display sturdy mortise-and-tendon joints. The original wide-plank floors, stonewalls and six stalls also remain intact.
The main home, which dates back to 1790, was first expanded in the early 1800s and remained for the most part unaltered until 1960 when a family room, two bedrooms and a bath were added. More recently in the late 1980s, an addition to the rear of the home expanded living space to include a master bedroom and bath, a custom eat-in kitchen and a laundry room. According to Cosgrove, the current owners have painstakingly restored and renovated all of the buildings, including hiring an artisan to hand craft new shutters for the main home. In 2009, the home was awarded the prestigious Chester County Historical Award for Authentic Restoration.
In addition to the five bedrooms, the main home also has five working fireplaces, a formal dining room and living room, original cherry hardwood floors, and a lovely screen porch perfect for al fresco dining. In addition, there is a one-bedroom caretaker cottage located over a separate oversized two-car garage.
The property features an original springhouse which been converted into an authentic pub with a home theater, a gas fireplace and a full bath. The nearby 900-square-foot coach house has the potential to be converted to a pool house or potting shed, while a second two-car garage is completely outfitted for an automotive aficionado.
Surrounded by lush landscaping with spectacular gardens that feature specimen plantings, the main house overlooks a quiet stream. There is also a large heated saline in-ground pool with an attached spa that is surrounded by flagstone decking that leads to the coach house. A maintenance-free deck with an awning off the main house provides a quiet shaded spot to enjoy the surroundings.
Located just outside Philadelphia in Berwyn, Upper Stream Farm has multiple-use zoning and endless potential. Though it is currently a private residence, Cosgrove said it could easily lend itself as a bed and breakfast, a gentleman’s farm, an antique shop, doctor’s office or woodworker’s shop.
“Long & Foster is recognized as the expert brokerage that more consumers turn to when looking to sell or to find their perfect historically-significant home because they know their properties will be marketed by the best-trained and most knowledgeable sales associates,” said Gary Scott, president of Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc.
“We leverage our Extraordinary Properties program with our exclusive affiliation with Christie’s International Real Estate and with our affiliations with Luxury Portfolio International, Luxury Real Estate and Leading Real Estate Companies of The World, to provide the global spotlight needed to connect qualified buyers to distinguished properties such as the one-of-a-kind Upper Stream Farm,” Scott added.
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