A historic photo of the Keewaydin Estate. The building at the left is now 540 W . Moreland and was fire damaged last month.

by Pete Mazzaccaro

In less than a month after a fire at the home claimed the life of its sole occupant, a house at 540 W . Moreland Ave. has been sold, making neighbors and the Chestnut Hill Conservancy concerned for the structure’s future.

The realtor who sold the property, David Brown of Keller Williams Center City Realty, confirmed that the property had been sold but declined to reveal to the Local the name of the buyer.

“It’s under agreement, but I can’t share any other details,” Brown said.

The home’s resident who died in the fire, Carolyn Metcalf, was not the home’s owner. It was owned by Nationstar Mortgage company, which had taken possession of the home in 2018 for $355,000. The home was listed last week for $309,000. The property was last assessed by the city at $838,200.

The property, according to Lori Salganicoff, Chestnut Hill Conservancy Executive Director, was a portion of a larger estate known as Keewaydin, which was built in 1899 for Edward Clark Jr., a member of a powerful investment banking family. The home at 540 W. Moreland was the “kitchen and service wing” of the property. The wing was at one time connected via tunnels to the main house and another wing, both of which remain private residences.

While it is not currently protected by historic designation with the Philadelphia Historical Commission, the home is listed as “significant” on the Chestnut Hill National Historic District designation. That designation makes it eligible for federal tax credits if it were to be rehabilitated, but does not prevent the structure from being demolished.

“The neighbors with whom I've spoken have all indicated that they hope to see the building preserved and remain a part of the Keewaydin complex,” Salganicoff said. “Of course, the Conservancy agrees with this, and looks forward to working with neighbors and the new property owner toward a mutually beneficial future.”

Walter Sommers, who lives in the main building, said he is understandably concerned with the home’s future.

“I have grave concerns that the house could be torn down, dramatically changing the character of the neighborhood,” he said.

Sommers’ concerns are not far-fetched. A block away, on 415 W. Moreland, developer Sam Blake purchased and demolished a more than 100-year-old home in 2014 in order to build two new homes on the property. Blake argued at the time that the property had been so long neglected that it couldn’t be saved. The Conservancy disagreed. That home, too, was not protected by historical designation.

That home was razed soon after, and the property is currently occupied by two new houses.

A similar disagreement about the viability of 540 W . Moreland is likely. While Sommers said that he thought the damage to the home was minimal – it was a one-alarm fire put out quickly by Philadelphia firefighters – Brown, the realtor who sold the property, said it was “very damaged” and “in deplorable condition.”

Pete Mazzaccaro can be reached at 215-248-8802 or at pete@chestnuthilllocal.com