19th-century Main Line cottage, once part of Clothier estate, hits market for $1.8M
The completely updated home blends the Arts & Crafts and Tudor styles.
A Wynnewood cottage that was once part of the Clothier family’s Ballytore estate has hit the market with an asking price of $1.8 million.
The 1202 W. Wynnewood Rd. home predates the castle that department store magnate Isaac Clothier built nearby in 1885 but later became part of its 60-acre estate. It sits across from the former Ballytore castle, which today is home to St. Sahag and St. Mesrob Armenian Church.
Spanning 2,673 square feet, the cottage dates to 1878 and was commissioned by Henry Morris, Clothier’s son-in-law, according to the Lower Merion Historical Society. Morris, an amateur architect, is believed to have designed the house, along with two others that sit nearby.
Morris dubbed the three homes as the “Red Roof group.” Inspired by his travels, they were designed in the Arts & Crafts style and share elements of low-slung roofs that once had red diamond-shaped tiles, while each having distinct features.
The home also borrows from the Tudor style, which is evident in the upper portion of its exterior. It has stone on the bottom two-thirds, two large chimneys with eight decorative pots, and a portico extending over its entrance.
“I just think it stands alone,” said Scott Berger of Main Line McCann Team of Keller Williams, who has the listing. “When I look at other properties in the area, three- and four-bedroom properties that are for sale, nothing looks like it or feels like it.”
While the home retains much of its original exterior design, it has undergone extensive updates over the years, including an interior makeover and a recent overhaul of its HVAC.
“It feels very luxe when you’re inside,” Berger said.
A now modern interior gives nods to the home’s roots, including original elements like six fireplaces, now for decorative purposes, and an exposed brick wall in the kitchen. A railing on the upper staircase is also believed to be original, as is the black-and-white marble floor on the garden level.
The home spans three stories, with the main floor occupied by a kitchen and dining area, a formal living room, and front and back foyers.
Upstairs are three bedrooms and two full bathrooms, one of which is part of the primary suite. That suite also has a walk-in closet and a fireplace.
On the garden level, there’s the media room, a laundry room, a home office, a half bathroom, and storage space.
The home is also believed to once have had a secret underground passage, according to the Lower Merion Historical Society.
Outside, there are several seating areas, including a bluestone patio. It also has a fenced yard and a deck with a built-in gas grill under a motorized awning.