A $4.6 million mansion, once the French consulate, is on the market in Center City
The home has been on the market four times in 157 years. It includes a safe for silver, an elevator, and a kitchen on the fourth floor.
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A property that previously served as the French Consulate in Philadelphia in the 1950s and 1960s, is on the market for $4.625 million in Fitler Square.
This marks the fourth time that the home is being listed for sale in 157 years. The property features 14-foot ceilings on the first floor, several fireplaces, and Tiffany chandeliers.
“It’s certainly on a beautiful block of Spruce Street with an unusual opportunity for someone to have that park-like garden or suburban living right within the city,” said Mary Genovese Colvin, an associate broker with On The Square Real Estate at Compass PHL, who is listing the property.
Known as the Cadwalader Mansion, the five-bedroom home at 2102 Spruce Street spans five floors and is on a lot that measures 22 feet by 150 feet. That’s not common for the area, according to Colvin. Nearby homes on Delancey Place, for example, are on lots that are 75 or 100 feet deep.
The property’s facade is made of limestone, which sets it apart from other “brick colonial and brownstone townhomes” in the area, the property listing says.
The home was originally built for John Cadwalader and Mary Fisher as a wedding gift.
The home was last purchased in 2015 for $3.4 million, according to the property listing.
The house is 5,752 square feet not including the basement.
Amenities include a wine cellar with capacity for 650 bottles in the basement, a safe for silver on the first floor, a larger safe in the basement, and an elevator to access all five floors.
There are also two kitchens.
The first-floor kitchen has been used for catering, and the main kitchen is on the fourth floor. That floor also includes a dining area, den, and sundeck.
“It’s a little quirky,” said Colvin of the kitchen’s fourth-floor setup.
A carriage house functions as a two-car garage, and an outdoor garden includes greenery and space for a dining table or entertaining area. “You just don’t find this outdoor space in” nearby parts of Center City, said Colvin.
The current owners are Frank and Melanie Spencer. Frank is the President and CEO of the Board of Pensions of the Presbyterian Church, and has in the past worked in the health care real estate industry.
“They’re selling because they have a few homes, and they felt that this is the time to move on from this one,” said Colvin.