Just Listed: Historic Colonial Manor in Chester Springs

One major addition and several well-executed updates have turned this 1740 Chester County farmhouse into a rustic-yet-urbane modern retreat for those who enjoy living large. You’ll find it at 2207 S. Chester Springs Rd., Chester Springs, PA 19425 | Bright MLS images via BHHS Fox & Roach Realtors

Perched on a hillside in the rolling hills of central Chester County is a spectacular modern retreat cleverly disguised as a historic Colonial house.

Actually, “disguised” is not really the right word to describe the form of this Chester Springs Colonial manor house for sale, for it wears its 1740 pedigree proudly. Most of the house’s original woodwork, doors and door hardware, and wide-plank wood floors survive in their original form.

But around and between these elements has been created a residence designed for modern living. And entertaining. And then some.

Side terrace (original front door)

This gated 6.8-acre compound sits at the intersection of Chester Springs Road and Horseshoe Trail. The front of the original 1740 house faces Chester Springs Road, but the old front door now serves as the outlet to a handsome stone side terrace. We’ll get to the equally attractive room next to that terrace in a bit.

As the photo at the top of this feature should make clear, the new front entrance is part of a wing attached to the side of the house.

Great room

A vestibule leads from the front door into a huge great room attached to the house’s outer wall. This room actually sets the tone for what you will see on the rest of the main floor with its beamed vaulted ceiling. Its brick floor consists of glazed bricks salvaged from Philadelphia houses long gone.

The great room connects to two of the spaces on the multi-level main floor.

Kitchen

Stairs lead up from the great room to the highest level, where you will find a historically sensitive yet totally up-to-date kitchen equipped with Bosch, Miele, Thermador and Sub-Zero appliances. It also has a wine storage rack in its peninsula, an adjunct to one of several spaces built for storing collections in this house.

Dining room

A dual archway with a pass-through counter separates the kitchen from the dining room. Your guests will enjoy the warmth and simple elegance of this room, graced by one of three fireplaces on the main floor.

Lounge and bar

A few steps lead down from the kitchen and dining room to the original living room of the house. This expansive space has a fireplace, a beamed ceiling and a wet bar.

Wet bar in lounge

It also has room enough for you to insert tables capable of seating 12 or more for an even larger dinner party. And your party can also expand out onto the side terrace next to this room.

Home office

A doorway under the curved staircase leading to the second floor at the rear of this room takes you a few steps further down to the home office. Surrounding its hearth fireplace are original built-in cabinets and a doorway leading to rear stairs to one of the second-floor bedrooms.

Rear patio, pool and hot tub

You can access the expansive rear patio, pool and hot tub from the dining room, the home office and a passageway from the great room.

The second floor also has multiple levels, just like the floor below it.

Primary bedroom

A spacious primary suite occupies the uppermost level. It lacks a beamed ceiling, but it has a built-in cabinet next to its fireplace. A huge walk-in closet lies on the other side of the glass dividing wall behind the bed.

Primary bathroom

The primary suite has an equally huge bathroom. The bedroom on the middle level also has a walk-in closet, while the one on the lowest level (above the home office) has dramatic track lighting and dormer windows. An additional bedroom on the third floor has a beamed cathedral ceiling and a cedar closet.

Barn

A barn on the property with a two-car garage underneath has been converted into a guest house and fitness center.

Guest house living room

Guest house bedroom

Guest house kitchen

The guest house on the lower floor has two bedrooms and its own galley kitchen.

Home gym

Above it you will find a home gym and a sauna.

The entire complex is wired for sound and data: it has four corporate-grade wireless access points and six Sonos sound systems: one each for five areas of the house and one for the pool.

That pretty much takes care of the entertaining part. Now on to what makes this a collector’s dream too.

Wine cellar

Its temperature-controlled wine cellar can hold more than a thousand bottles.

Garage exterior

And it has secret space for another collection, hidden behind the modest garage shell above.

Garage interior

What looks like a second two-car garage is actually a custom-built garage that’s partially buried in the hillside. It can hold six to nine cars and has a rubberized floor.

All of this sits in the middle of some of the most historic parts of Chester County, where rustic charm and urbane sophistication meet at restaurants like the Birchrunville Cafe and stores like Kimberton Whole Foods, both not far away.

Regrettably, it’s now too late for you to buy this Chester Springs Colonial manor house for sale, as it went under contract the day this feature appeared. That goes to show you that even at the upper end of the market, attractive houses sell quickly, as this house had been on the market for all of 19 days when a buyer snapped it up.

THE FINE PRINT

(figures for main house only)

BEDS: 5

BATHS: 3 full, 1 half

SQUARE FEET: 4,769

SALE PRICE: $1,250,000 (entire property)

OTHER STUFF: The lot legally consists of two separate parcels being sold together.

2207 S. Chester Springs Rd., Chester Springs, PA 19425 [Barbara Leigh-Ranck and Joann Neumann | BHHS Fox & Roach Realtors]

Updated Sept. 21st, 3:12 p.m., to reflect the house’s change in status from “active” to “active under contract.”