Nestled among the treetops behind small switchbacks above Mill Creek in Gladwyne lies a tribute to a more sophisticated era. The property at 56 Crosby Brown Road feels like it came straight out of a Bavarian fairytale.
As you make your way through a maze of small country roads to the property, the trees open up to a wide clearing where the antique stone and brick facade towers over the front courtyard.
Built in 1905 as a modest carriage house for an adjacent property that has since been severed, the carriage house is now a mansion that has overtaken its former partner to become a stunningly beautiful Gothic mansion boasting nearly 11,000 square feet on 2.8 acres with six bedrooms, eight bathrooms, an expansive backyard, a guest house, an optional indoor pool, a wine room, and more.
Although it is now an immaculately designed, old-world-inspired mansion, it wasn’t always this way. When the current owner purchased the home in 1994, it was more modern, with a sleek white interior, open concept, angled walls and a drop ceiling.
Over the past 30 years, the owners have replaced old walls with glass facades and antique stone bricks. Limestone arches adorn the passageways between rooms, while heavy mahogany doors add additional gravitas to the house. Portraits of ancient, sometimes unknown, European figures line the hallways, while tapestries depict classical scenes from antiquity, adding to the grandeur of the entrance hall and living room.
Don’t let this splendor fool you into thinking the project is complete, though. Although the untrained eye wouldn’t know it, work on this ever-evolving property is never truly finished. Case in point: The master bathrooms were renovated just this summer. Owner, contractor Con Sweeney, and designer William R. Eubanks have worked together for nearly three decades to make the property perfect, and that ambition will likely continue until the day the home is sold.
The property also features large leaded glass windows that bring ample natural light into charming rooms such as the spacious living room and kitchen, which are topped with classic chandeliers.
It’s easy to imagine that one day, parties will take place here until late at night. And that happened a long time ago when the previous owners used the place for fox hunts in the early 20th century.
Above the magnificent kitchen are four en-suite bedrooms on the second floor. The master bedroom, originally used as a ballroom in the early 20th century, features hand-painted canvas-covered ceiling beams and a newly finished, spacious Italian marble bathroom. High ceilings, deep closets, soft lighting and a window overlooking the garden make it feel like royalty once lived here.
Each of the other bedrooms has its own distinctive character. One features a floral-print bed and canopy window alcove, another is decorated with medieval coats of arms, and yet another combines a leopard-print carpet with black, Art Deco-style walls.
Tucked away on a hill in Gladwyne, the unique spirit found here is not often felt this side of the Atlantic, evoking a sense of nostalgia for a time long gone. While it’s hard to imagine that aura ever completely disappearing from our world, this Gothic mansion stokes the embers of old world charm right here in our backyard on the Main Line.
For further information about this property please contact real estate agent Franz Rabauer at [email protected].
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