November 2, 2006 Issue                                       

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©2006 The Chestnut Hill Local

132-year-old school house gets new life as condo lofts
by Devon Grieb

The Alfred Crease School converted into four condos. (Photo by Devon Grieb)

Located in the Blue Bell Hill section of Philadelphia, the old Alfred Crease School, 6214 Wissahickon Ave., has undergone some drastic changes in the last year and a half. A local developer transformed the old, under-kept school to four luxury town homes awaiting owners.

An open house was held last Wednesday, Oct. 25, and last Sunday, Oct. 29, allowing developers Robin Riess, 37, and her husband Kevin Steckel, 37, to finally show the community and interested buyers everything they have done to ensure the building’s historical architecture and the renovations they have made in order to accommodate future living.

Built as an addition to the Rittenhouse School in 1874 to host the increasing number of immigrants moving to the area, the Crease School served as an elementary school and more recently as a preschool until its closing in 2004. The original building was divided into four classrooms — the same spaces that have become the four homes.

Because minimal improvements were made while the school was in use, Riess and Steckel had a lot to do in order to finalize their vision of what the new homes should look like. Everything but the exterior walls and the structure’s shape is new, including amenities such as state of the art appliances, kitchens with granite counter tops, 22-foot vaulted ceilings and flagstone patios.

Each of the four classrooms was transformed into an open loft space. (Photo by Devon Grieb)

Riess, who went to The Philadelphia School of the Arts, has been working with her husband, a Drexel University grad, on designing and restoring homes since they married nine years ago. Their company, Robin’s Nest Designs, worked mainly in Manayunk on single-family homes before redirecting their attention to the school in the spring of 2005. Riess and Steckel saw the Crease School as an opportunity to preserve the history and well being of the building as well as ensuring its place in the future.

Only one of the four lofts has been fully completed, the other three are available to be customized as far as the interior including flooring, cabinets and tiles by the buyer. The couple also designed and built a single family right behind the lofts that is also for sale.

The lofts go for $430,000 each.

For more information on the four lofts or the single family home you can contact Robins Nest Designs at 215-939-7654.