On the Market: Bi-Level Condo in Fitler Square

This handsome residence, designed in 1904 by Theophilus Channdler, once housed the Episcopal Bishop of Pennsylvania. It now houses ten condos, and we think you’ll find the one at 251 S. 22nd St., Unit A, Philadelphia, PA 19103 divine. / Photography by Daniel Isayeff, DASI Photography, and *renderings via Societe Select | Serhant except where noted

Back in the day — the late 19th and early 20th centuries, to be specific — the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania must have been a really big deal.

It commissioned a grand home for itself in 1894, hiring the architectural firm of Baily & Truscott to build it.

The Beasley Building, originally the Episcopal Diocese House, at 12th and Walnut streets in Washington Square West / Google Street View image, April 2023

That building looks like this today. After the Episcopal Diocese left in 1921, the building served over the years as a home for the Chamber of Commerce, a Jefferson Medical College building, a venerable uniform shop and two well-known dance clubs. In 1986, attorney James E. Beasley bought it and restored it to something close to its original appearance, winning a preservation award for the job. The law firm he founded calls it home now.

Then, in 1904, it commissioned noted local architect Theophilus Chandler, the man who founded Penn’s architecture school, to design the mansion you see at the top of this article as a home for its bishop, Alexander Mackay-Smith. You will find it listed in the Philadelphia Architects and Buildings database as the Mackay Residence, and it’s listed on both the city and national historic registers.

In 1980, architect Otto Spur converted the Bishop Mackay-Smith House, as it was also known, into 10 condominiums and renamed it Chandler Place after its original architect. This Fitler Square bi-level condo for sale is one of those 10, and it’s the most spectacular of them all.

Main living area

That’s because its main living area consists of the original living room.

Foyer

You enter it via the original foyer, off of which sits one of its two bedrooms.

Bedroom

That bedroom has original woodwork, a 14-foot-high ceiliing, a fireplace and an en-suite bath. Either it or the bedroom on the lower level could be considered the primary one, as you will soon see. It depends on your preferences.

Note also the mahogany inlays in the walnut parquet floor. These are also original to this residence and have been beautifully restored throughout the main floor.

Dining area

The unit has also been updated since 1980 with new, more modern lighting that nonetheless enhances the classic Gilded Age detailing and coffered ceiling.

Living room

A stone fireplace remains the living area’s focal point. A paneled seating nook nestles at one end of the space, while a kitchen got inserted into the other.

Kitchen

That kitchen combines custom traditional cabinetry with a turn-of-the-century-style tile backsplash and up-to-date stainless-steel appliances.

Lower-level stair landing

A curved staircase with a classic banister leads to the lower level, where you will find the laundry in the hall. A work desk currently sits here as well.

Bedroom*

Bedroom*

The second bedroom has a simpler appearance but also has a marble fireplace. It also has a bar with a wine fridge in its dressing room.

Bathroom

Bathroom*

Its bathroom is also more luxurious than the one upstairs. It has stone-tile walls, a freestanding soaking tub and a luxurious Hansgrohe steam shower.

Courtyard entrance

You also can relax in the building’s leafy courtyard when you feel like a little fresh air without having to walk. But there are also plenty of great outdoor — and indoor — spaces to walk to nearby. The outdoor ones include Fitler Square, Rittenhouse Square and the Schuylkill River Park and Trail. Plenty of fine dining options also abound in the area, and there’s neighborhood shopping at 22nd and South Street, a Giant supermarket and a Trader Joe’s within walking distance, and boutique shopping on Rittenhouse Row.

So not only is this Fitler Square bi-level condo for sale an ultra-luxurious residence in a historic building with a sanctified pedigree, but it’s also a very conveniently located abode where you can enjoy all the excitement of the city in a tranquil setting.

THE FINE PRINT

BEDS: 2

BATHS: 2 full, 1 half

SQUARE FEET: 2,154

SALE PRICE: $2,000,000

OTHER STUFF: A $600 per month condo fee covers building and grounds maintenance and insurance.

251 S. 22nd St., Unit A, Philadelphia, PA 19103 [Maureen Reynolds and Justina A. Goldman | Societe Select | Serhant]