She preserves more than buildings | Real Estate Newsletter

Historic preservation is a popular topic for newsletter readers. Did anybody know that Camden has a historic preservation specialist?

Her name is Dolly Marshall, and I met up with her this week to talk about her work uncovering and highlighting African American history in the city (especially related to churches) and her own deep ties to Camden.

Marshall was recently recognized with a national award for being an innovator in the preservation field, and she told me the work goes beyond saving buildings.

Keep scrolling for that story and more in this week’s edition:

📮With the Center City Macy’s upcoming closure and the Sixers backing out of plans for a downtown arena, East Market Street’s future is uncertain. What would you like to see happen there? For a chance to be featured in my newsletter, email me.

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Dolly Marshall sat next to me in a pew at Tenth Street Baptist Church this week and glowed from the inside out as she told me about her historic preservation work in Camden. Her great-grandfather on her mom’s side had preached at the church as one of its first pastors in the early 1900s.

One of her passions is making sure Black church history in Camden doesn’t get lost. That includes ensuring that church buildings are maintained.

“Preservation isn’t just preserving buildings,” Marshall told me. “It’s preserving memory.”

Thanks to Marshall, Camden will have two sites on New Jersey’s new Black Heritage Trail: a Baptist church and the former site of the home of an abolitionist pastor.

Marshall plans to add more historical markers around Camden. And she wants to make sure that Philly visitors know they should take a trip across the river when they come to celebrate the country’s 250th birthday next year.

Keep reading for more from my Q&A with the winner of the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Emerging Leaders award.

My favorite feature in the Stefanellis’ World War I-era home in West Chester is in the living room. The built-in shelves are a pretty green color, create plenty of room for books and knickknacks, and the sliding front panels hide or reveal the homeowners’ TV.

The Stefanellis lived in a new-construction home before buying this one. They loved the idea of living in an older house, so they tried to stick with historical elements when they could during renovations.

They replaced a modern-looking sink in the kitchen, put up molding that fit the home’s original time period, and added push-button light switches.

But they also updated elements of the home. For example, the house had five bedrooms, but none of them was the primary one. So the Stefanellis reconfigured the first floor to create a primary bedroom with an attached bathroom and a walk-in closet.

Keep reading to find out what feature replaced one of the home’s bathrooms and what the homeowners want to build on top of a planned free-standing garage.

Last week, Philly officials joined Habitat for Humanity Philadelphia in celebrating former President Jimmy Carter at a ceremony outside City Hall. Carter, who died last month, and his wife, Rosalynn, spent decades volunteering with the nonprofit.

Question: In what year did the Carters spend a couple of days in North Philly renovating vacant houses?

A) 1982

B) 1988

C) 1995

D) 2000

This story has the answer.

The Philly-area housing market ended the year on a pretty high note. Homebuyers were still facing rising prices, a lack of homes for sale, and elevated mortgage interest rates, but sales in December were pretty strong for what’s usually a quiet month.

That’s partly because homebuyers have adjusted their expectations when it comes to mortgage rates, said Lisa Sturtevant, chief economist at the multiple listing service Bright MLS. They’re not holding out hope for a steep drop anymore.

According to Bright MLS, across the Philadelphia metro area in December:

🔺5,110 homes sold, 9% more than in December 2023.

🔺Homes sold for a median of $370,000, up almost 6% compared to December 2023. That’s the slowest rate of price growth since August 2023.

🔻3,485 new listings came onto the market, the fewest monthly new listings in more than 20 years.

Sellers don’t tend to put their homes on the market in December, but new listings last month were very low. Stay tuned for a look later this month at what 2025′s housing market could bring for buyers and sellers.

Do you know the location this photo shows?

📮 If you think you do, email me back. You and your memories of visiting this spot might be featured in the newsletter.

Last week’s photo was of Lynnewood Hall in Elkins Park.

Shout-out to Megan M., Deborah S., Mike A., and Eileen C. for being among the first to respond with the correct answer.

Megan told me, “For 30 years I’ve dreamt of what lies beyond the gates. In high school, my girlfriend and I used to make plans of breaking in and living there, but the fear of guard dogs kept us away. Last month, I was finally able to get inside for a tour and it did not disappoint!”

Would’ve been a pretty big letdown if it did.

Last week, we talked about fancy toilets and bidets and how more people are getting them for their homes.

Brian G. told me about a 2022 experience at Honeoye Lake near Rochester N.Y.

“I had a dog-sitting job at a lake house that had a bidet for environmental purposes. The home was modest except for the toilet. UV, heated seat, warm water bidet with various delivery types. It was a great experience ... not great enough to buy one myself, although after shoulder surgery, a bidet is looking better and better!”

As someone who had to go on with life after dislocating a shoulder, I get it, Brian.

Enjoy the rest of your week.

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