Jawdropper of the Week: Stately Wayne Manor for $7.65M

100 Pembroke Ave., Wayne, Pa. 19087 | TREND images via Zillow

Those of us of a certain age – say, born after 1939 – or of a certain persuasion – say, fans of complex, brooding superheroes with colorful adversaries – know who Bruce Wayne is.

We didn’t know until now that his home was actually in the community that shares his surname.

Of course, when he designed this place in 1895, architect William Price had no idea that he was creating a magnificent home that could easily pass for Wayne Manor, the residence of Batman’s alter ego. But even if your reaction to this observation is “Who’s Bruce Wayne?”, you’ll find this marvelously updated English Gothic Revival manor a wonderfully stately home that combines old-school elegance with a distinctly modern sensibility.

John Milner Architects and Kings Haven Design got their hands on this home last year and remade and expanded it for our own time. The fundamentals remain sound and impressive, from the circular driveway leading through a forested two-acre plot to the front entrance to the entrance hall itself, with its soaring 20-foot-high ceiling, to the impressive coffered ceiling and carved limestone fireplace in the living room. But — as the lighting alone should indicate — those fundamentals have now been accessorized in a sophisticated, contemporary fashion.

So has the home’s guts. It’s completely wired for modern data communications and built-in speakers, and its climate is controlled by a geothermal heating and air conditioning system along with radiant floor heat. Its kitchen is all 21st-century with its Wolf dual-fuel range, Sub-Zero fridge and Bosch dishwasher.

And its rooms are set up to wow both your family and your guests. Seven fireplaces, six bedrooms — including three potential master suites, six all-new bathrooms and an outdoor patio with its own fireplace and kitchen (with Wolf range) all amp up the star power of this home.

A Tudor-style half-timbered three-car garage is the home’s principal new addition. But as you’re close to the center of Wayne, you might prefer to go for a stroll into town instead when you feel like getting out of the house.

Just remember to leave your black cape in one of those spacious closets lest your neighbors get suspicious.

THE FINE PRINT

BEDS: 6

BATHS: 4 full, 2 half

SQUARE FEET: 11,500

SALE PRICE: $7,650,000

100 Pembroke Ave., Wayne, Pa. 19087 [Christopher Carr | Simple Choice Realty via Zillow]