On the Market: Historic Stone Colonial in Wayne
Built in 1892 for a baseball pioneer, this handsome house has been expanded and updated several times since then. Its most recent makeover brought it into the here and now.
This handsome, elegant pleasure palace sits well back from the road at 236 Upland Way, Wayne, PA 19087, and its wooded 1.5-acre lot ensures you get to enjoy its pleasures in private. | Bright MLS images via Compass
Want to own a magnificent up-to-date classic with a tie to baseball history?
Then you want to own this Wayne stone Colonial house for sale.
Not only is it located in the South Wayne Historic District, but it’s also historic itself: It was built in 1892 for Waldo Claflin, the man who developed the first baseball shoe with cleats built into the sole about 10 years earlier.
You can see what the house looked like originally on the Radnor Historical Society website. It should be clear from that photo that it has undergone some changes since architect Lindley Johnson first designed it. For starters, there seems to be no visible trace of the stable Johnson added to the house in 1893 — but I’m guessing that it may have gotten turned into the wing to the right of the front entrance that you see today.
Most of the other changes have taken place on the inside of this grand residence. All of them, however, have respected its character and style.
Family room
Some of them, however, have brought modern-yet-traditional flair into this house, like the classic wallpaper pattern and modern lighting in its family room. I can’t help but think that Johnson and Claflin would have approved, for this Colonial combines the formality of a classic center-hall house with the informality of more modern design.
Foyer and inglenook
For instance, the foyer includes an inglenook across from its grand main staircase — a perfect spot for intimate moments.
Library
The library, at the opposite end of the foyer from the front room, contains a similar conversation nook along with built-in bookcases. (You may note as you peruse the photos that built-ins abound in this house, as do fireplaces.)
Living room
Dining room
Large bow windows and white walls make both the formal living room and the formal dining room look and feel airy and light.
Kitchen fireplace and breakfast nook
The same goes for the large window next to the breakfast nook in the eat-in kitchen.
Kitchen
This room received the most significant of the upgrades. In addition to getting that breakfast nook and a gas fireplace, it got a large granite-topped center island, new traditional cabinetry, and Wolf and Sub-Zero appliances.
Study (den)
On the other side of the fireplace is a study that now feels more like a den thanks to its wet bar with wine fridge, a dry bar next to one of the brick accent walls, and the wine room located next to it. Stairs from the upper floors, no doubt once used by servants, land in the den, making late-night snacking easy.
Primary bedroom
The second floor contains four bedrooms arrayed around a spacious central hallway. The primary bedroom comes with its own fireplace. (If you’ve been keeping count, this is fireplace number five.)
Primary bathroom
Primary suite home office
It also has a large walk-in closet and dressing room, a home office and a bathroom with dual vanities, a soaking tub and a seated shower. Two of the other three bedrooms on this floor have en-suite baths, while the third has been turned into an office with access to a hall bath, which makes this an ideal house for a two-career work-from-home couple.
Third-floor bonus room
The third floor contains two more bedrooms, a hall bath and a bonus room that functions as both a fitness room and a media lounge.
Side patio
The 1.5-acre lot surrounding this house is also very nicely outfitted. An open front terrace wraps around to a covered patio on the house’s south side.
Tennis court
Next to the patio sits a tennis court, one of two sports courts on the property.
Backyard
The backyard contains a fire pit, pergola and landscaped gardens.
Clearly, this Wayne stone Colonial house for sale has everything you need for both formal and casual entertaining, working from home, relaxation and recreation. But surely you don’t want to spend all your time at home, do you? This house is roughly equidistant from both St. Davids and Wayne Regional Rail stations. You can cut a couple of minutes off your trip to Center City by boarding at the former, but there’s much more to do at the latter — specifically, Wayne’s classy town center, filled with shops, restaurants and entertainment spots that include the Art Deco General Wayne cinema.
About the only thing it lacks is a baseball diamond. Guess Waldo Claflin didn’t want to take his work home with him.
THE FINE PRINT
BEDS: 6
BATHS: 4 full, 1 half
SQUARE FEET: 7,869
SALE PRICE: $2,995,000
OTHER STUFF: This house’s sale price was reduced by $255,000 on Nov. 8th.
236 Upland Way, Wayne, PA 19087 [Lavinia Smerconish | Compass]
