Another Frank Furness home hits the market
A sixth home built by Frank Furness has hit the market.
A sixth home built by Frank Furness has hit the market.
The latest gem designed by the late Philadelphia architect to come up for sale is a 7,129-square-foot Victorian in Reading. It's listed for $499,000.
Listing agent Chris Miller of RE/MAX said the home was built in 1897 for Matthen Harbster, one of the founders of the Reading Hardware Company. At one point, William Luden of Luden's Cough Drops lived there.
Throughout the years, Miller said the home was used as a doctor's office, a beauty salon, and more recently, a research facility. The current owners, who moved there in 2009, were the first to use the property as a residence in a while.
"The present owners have tried to take it back to the décor of when it was first built," Miller said. "A lot of the paintings and furnishings are to the 1890s period."
This eight-bedroom, five-bath home is much less expensive than the other Furness mansions on the market, which range from $995,000 to $3 million-plus.
Located in the Centre Park Historic District, the home has a two-story entrance hall with a winding staircase and an original fireplace. Adjacent to the entry way is a music room with 1920s restored hand-painted murals.
The kitchen and breakfast room are on the second floor. The original kitchen was on the first floor, which is now a Victorian-style pub.
There's a courtyard with a central fountain in the back, along with a two-car carriage house.
Miller said the current owners are moving to restore another Victorian.
Know of an interesting property in the Philadelphia or South Jersey region? E-mail us!