Tag: Rittenhouse Square

Step right up…and up and up the unusual 9-step front stoops of the whimsically tall and narrow houses on the 1900 block of Waverly Street! Deeply historic, wonderfully urban, this block is one of the most unique in Philadelphia, in both appearance and in backstory. Step right up to step back in time!

The 1900 block of Waverly Street is comprised of 16 rowhomes, each 14 feet wide by 20 feet deep, with the above-mentioned elevated stoops accommodating a raised basement kitchen at street level.

Waverly is barely the width of a sedan, with no street parking. The skinny stature of the street adds to the Seussian nature of the block. But the Seuss comparisons stop there, as the properties themselves are a classic brick with stately window shutters and decorative elements.

When these properties were built in 1862, the street was called Ringgold Place, after Colonel Samuel Ringgold. Stone inlays bearing that name can still be seen on the corner properties. Construction during the Civil War era necessitated the small size and simple design of the houses, due to the scarcity of materials in wartime.

The small size was also due to their original use as workers’ housing, likely for the Berkshire Cotton Mill located on the next block at 20^th Street and Ringgold Place.

While 1,000 square feet may seem petite for one family, it is possible that multiple families may have occupied each rowhouse on Ringgold Place! The multiple door (basement and first floor) entries lend themselves to subdivision, and the tendency at the time was to squeeze workers into small quarters and to make the most out of existing housing stock.

By 1895 the Berkshire Mills was closed, and the homes promptly transformed into more fashionable abodes, largely encouraged by the growing influence of Rittenhouse Square.

In 1925, architect George Howe purchased the block, and proceeded to update the properties, clean the facades, and added some decorative elements. The corner property of 1900 Waverly served as his office while working on his acclaimed PSFS building. He sold the homes in 1934.

Ringgold Place formally changed to Waverly Street sometime between 1895-1942, and the block was added National Register of Historic Places in 1983.

City Paper founder Bruce Schimmel and graphic designer Kate Maskar lived on the block from 1983 to 1995, and recount that the street wasn’t always tree-lined. “There were no trees- we had a barbeque fundraiser to purchase and plant trees on the block,” Schimmel recalls.

Today, much of the significant historic charm remains with their classic brick exteriors, raised basement-level kitchens, wood detailing, built-in features, and a wood-burning fireplace. Of it’s density, Schimmel remarks, “It seems close, but there’s intimacy…with privacy. Best stoops in the city.”

The properties simultaneously have modern appeal with a 2 bed/2.5 bath ratio,  granite counter tops,  and stainless steel appliances.

Moreover, these petite properties remain a relatively affordable sliver of Rittenhouse Square. In recent years properties have sold for less than $500,000, a steal considering prices in the area!

Historic rendering of Berkshire Mills image courtesy of The Necessity for Ruins.

Because Philadelphia is a city where no two blocks are alike, we wanted to highlight some of the area’s most interesting and vibrant streets. With beautiful architecture, thriving commerce, rich histories and charming communities, these streets represent the best of what life in Philadelphia has to offer.

For over twenty years, Solo Real Estate has been happy to call the 2000 block of Chancellor Street home. While Chancellor Street, at only one car-width wide, may not be a bustling commercial thoroughfare like neighboring Walnut Street, we’ve greatly appreciated how this location has given us the ability to truly set down roots and become part of this special Rittenhouse Square community.

Of course, as real estate professionals we love the 2000 block’s gorgeous and varied architecture too. On the northeast end of the street, a pretty yellow home from the early part of the 19^th century recalls a time when the neighborhood was on the rural outskirts of Philadelphia. At the other end of the block sits a Victorian mansion called the Hockley House; designed by famed architect Frank Furness, it displays his version of Second Empire architecture and features floral motifs, dazzling brickwork and other celebrated elements of his signature style.

Add the modernist 32-story Wanamaker House tower and the postmodern touches on the block’s renovated carriage houses, and this narrow thoroughfare contains a truly impressive array of Philadelphia’s architectural heritage.

This variety of form has created a charmingly diverse group of residents too; Graduate students, empty nesters, young families and plenty of dogs and their owners all bring a vibrancy to this place. Indeed, it’s that seamless blend of grand and quaint, friendly hellos and quiet calm that makes us proud to call this block home.