Chester County estate with a five-story tower and literary roots is hitting the market for $3.1M
The home is said to have played host to literary greats such as Ralph Waldo Emerson and Horace Greeley.
The former Chester County home of a renowned 19th-century author and diplomat is hitting the market this week with an asking price of $3.1 million.
Known as Cedarcroft, the sprawling Kennett Square brick home spans over 7,100 square feet, sits on 2.4 acres, and has a distinctive five-story, Italianate-style tower overlooking the grounds and surrounding community.
The tower extends over the home’s covered entryway and is accessible by stairs from the second floor. It has a room with windows on each of the third- and fourth-floor landings. It also has a balcony off the fourth floor and a fifth floor accessible by ladder.
The rooms on the third and fourth floors could serve a number of uses, including as a library, said listing agent Stewart Gross, who is brokering it with Stephen Gross and Holly Gross, all of the Holly Gross Group.
“It’s breathtaking,” he said of the vantage, where both sunrise and sunset can be seen.
It’s believed that the home’s original owner, Bayard Taylor, used the tower spaces to write, enjoy cocktails, and survey the surrounding land, Gross added.
A Kennett Square native, Taylor built the 108 Gatehouse Dr. home between 1859 and 1860. He gained acclaim as a poet and travel writer, publishing a number of works inspired by his global escapades. He also served as the chargé d’affaires of the Russian legation in St. Petersburg.
During his tenure at Cedarcroft, Taylor reportedly hosted a number of literary figures, including Ralph Waldo Emerson and Horace Greeley, according to a Kennett Library biography.
Some of the home’s first-floor features include 13-foot ceilings and “grand” spaces including a living room, a dining room, and a library, as well as a billiards room, Gross said.
The home has seven bedrooms — six on the second floor, with a seventh on the third level — including a primary suite with a fireplace and a walk-in closet.
The home was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971. It retains many elements of its early roots, such as hardwood flooring, milling, and molding details, while having undergone a number of updates by its current owners. Those include overhauling household systems and bathrooms, updating the roof, and adding a new kitchen, which has stainless steel appliances and Italian quartzite countertops.
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