She Liked the ‘Swarthmore’ Part of the Queen Anne Home; The Victorian Part, Not So Much
The 1888 five-bedroom home was one of the first built in Swarthmore, but Cindy MacLeod and her husband, Doug Harnsberger, both historic preservation experts, couldn’t agree about its Victorian style, writes Paul Jablow for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Harnsberger, an architect, loved the lines and bones of the 1888 Queen Anne/Stick Style house. His wife was unimpressed.
“I’m just not a Victorian person,” said MacLeod, superintendent of Independence National Historic Park and an admirer of architect Frank Lloyd Wright.
The small kitchen with no view was a particular turn off.
But they both agreed they wanted to live in scenic Swarthmore.
They agreed to get rid of the dark and dated kitchen and start over.
That started an eight-year full house project, blending the 19th and 21st centuries.
The Victorian parlor was kept intact for book club meetings and family gatherings around the Christmas tree.
The key to the project was the kitchen.
Harnsberger constructed a rear addition on the house, installing a bank of windows for morning sun. A striking kitchen countertop called “Waterfall” was added.
A small kitchen couch serves as MacLeod’s designated reading space.
Read more about this renovated home in Swarthmore here.
[uam_ad id=”62465″]
Join Our Community
Never miss a Delaware County story!
"*" indicates required fields
