Chestnut Hill Carriage Houses

Once they were utilitarian outbuildings on great estates. Today, many (like Skip DiMarco’s loving restoration, shown here) have found new life as family homes.

By STACIA FRIEDMAN

British Cavalry Captain C.W.E. de Moleyns was photographed in the late 1920s atop a white horse in front of the Valley Green Inn, along with three of his young riding students. At the time, Chestnut Hill was still at the peak of prosperity. An avid equestrian, de Moleyn, had leased a large stable just off of Germantown Avenue, and hung a sign, “Chestnut Hill Riding School.”

Then the Depression hit, and riding lessons quickly became an unnecessary extravagance, according to the Chestnut Hill Conservancy archives. Unable to maintain the stable, de Moleyns had his beloved horses put down and, later, shot himself in the harness room.

Today, that former stable with a picturesque gambrel roof is just one of a number of charming carriage houses in Chestnut Hill - albeit one of the finest. Painted a sunny yellow with white shutters, the ground floor serves as a three-car garage while the second floor contains two spacious apartments with a deck and a large, private garden. Ivy grows over a decorative trellis on the ground floor.

But it is the mid-19th century garden cottage next door that brings to mind a sense of enchantment. “It was called Miss Potter’s Pine Palace,” said Lawrence Walsh, the current property owner. “Miss Potter was the principal of Springside School and resided here for twenty years.” Set back from the cobblestone driveway and barely visible through an arched wooden arbor and wrought iron gate, the two-story cottage with a working fireplace is now a rental unit.

Both structures are located behind an 1882 Italianate house designed by the founding dean of Penn’s Architecture School, Warren Powers Laird, who also designed the Germantown Trust Bank (now Wells Fargo Bank) on the southeast corner of Germantown and Evergreen Avenues.

History

In the 1700s, horse-drawn carriages were a status symbol for the upper class in Great Britain, as fans of the TV series “Bridgerton” and Jane Austin novels are well aware. With carriages came the necessity for stables near the homes of the elite. It took almost a century for this trend to travel across the Atlantic. It was initially adopted by residents of the Northeast, where roads were more serviceable than out West.

By the time Henry Houston was turning farmland into lush estates for Philadelphia’s captains of industry, the wealthy resided primarily near Rittenhouse Square and kept their carriages and horses on narrow side streets such as Van Pelt Street.

Unlike carriage houses in the city, the ones built in Chestnut Hill were constructed of the same material and design as the main house. Depending on the size of the house and the wealth of the owner, there could be both a carriage house and a stable on the property, each containing a second floor living space for the stableman and coach driver.

With the advent of cars in the early 20th century, stables and carriage houses were converted into garages. Living spaces were used initially to house staff: caretakers, gardeners, cooks and governesses.

In 1886, when architects G.W. and W.D. Hewitt built Henry Houston’s Norman Gothic castle, Druim Moir, they designed a carriage house, caretaker’s house and stable. Today that stable, which still has the names of Houston’s three horses, and the caretaker’s house are the property of Springside Chestnut Hill Academy.

“The caretaker’s house is the school’s business office and it’s super charming,” said Jennifer McHugh, the academy’s director of development. “Before the pandemic, we kept a chicken coop next to it. We use the stable as storage space. It still has the original double barn door.”

McHugh also noted that when classes go into the surrounding woodlands for nature study, they often come across pieces of the original Druim Moir spired roof that was flattened in the early 20th century to give it a more modern appearance.

Restoration

Other former carriage houses in Chestnut Hill have been repurposed as single family homes, thanks to extensive renovation. A former stable built in 1925 in the stately Georgian style of the main house was converted into a six-bedroom, four-bath, two-story home in 1986.

It has all the architectural details of a luxury home, including exposed wooden beams, a gas fireplace and a wine room. There is an open kitchen that would satisfy Martha Stewart, plus a hot tub and walled garden. Set far back from the main road, and all but hidden behind old-growth trees, the average dog walker or driver would not know it is there.

Meanwhile, an even smaller, identical version of the stable and main building, right down to its Georgian red bricks and white pillars, had originally been built as a playhouse. That too, has been converted into living quarters.

Sometimes, previous renovations do not hold up to contemporary use. Seven years ago, when Anthony “Skip” DiMarco purchased an 1800s Chestnut Hill carriage house, it had already been converted to a family home. But not one in which he wanted to live. “The former tenants had all but destroyed the property’s original architectural details,” he said.

A semi-retired developer and former restaurateur, DiMarco teamed up with the lead architect at Ralph Fey, AIA Architects, of Doylestown, which specializes in luxury equestrian and residential dwellings.

“Bringing a beautiful, historic building back to its original state makes the hair on the back of

Facing page left, once Druim Moir’s caretaker cottage, now administrative offices for Springside Chestnut Hill Academy

Facing page center, Jenna McHugh at what was Druim Moir’s stable, also part of the SCH campus.

Facing page bottom, Another former stable now houses several apartments above a garage.

Avove, Skip DiMarco’s luxurious new living room

Left, DiMarco monitors reconstruction of his carriage house my neck stand up,” DiMarco said.

Fey ticked off the many changes that brought the carriage house back to its original glory. “Sand-blasting the exterior stone, adding cedar-shake siding, oak plank floors, exposed floor joists, and wrought iron hardware. Dropped steel beams, honed slate fireplace surrounds, and marble and zinc countertops. The centerpiece is the minimalist steel and wood staircase that sits as a sculptural element.”

“When I come home, I am so happy when I walk in the door,” DiMarco said. “The kitchen is my favorite room and I love my den.”

Perks include a temperature-controlled wine room, steam shower, master bath beverage bar, an exterior bocce court, as well as a newly-constructed detached two-car garage and storage loft.

For a final touch, DiMarco ordered a black walnut dining table and two sliding barn doors, both made from reclaimed wood, from Stable Tables in Flourtown. Philadelphia decorator Ashli Mizell designed the interior and Toni Ann Flanigan, founder of Philadelphia Gardens, Inc. designed the patio and plantings. A former swimming pool now sprouts wild flowers.