A Well Designed and Well Built Home

 

Drawn by architects Bunting & Shrigley in 1922

An aerial view of the 2.28 acre estate

 

 

Impressive from every angle

 

 

The house and carriage house are set on over two acres of wonderfully landscaped grounds

 

 

As Seen in the Railroad Atlas from 1920’s

 

the grounds include a lovely pond with waterfall

 

and well maintained beds

 

 

 

the Exterior of the house and grounds as seen today

 

 

a view towards the carriage house

 

Welcome to 526 College Ave

 

The Main Stairs of Mahogany in the Entry Foyer

 

Mahogany stairs carry visitors past the Palladian window on the landing

 

Attention to detail from design through execution

 

a gracious dining room with built in cabinets and brick fireplace

 

 

 

 

A welcoming Living Room

 

With a Massive Fireplace

 

 

 

Below Floor Firewood Storage

 

Even the “Kitchen Dressers” and Pantry are of a fine quality

 

 

 

a spacious kitchen and breakfast room

 

 

 

 

 

 

A first floor study

with wood burning fireplace

 

This second floor study was called the Sewing Room on the original plans

 

a sleeping porch off the Sewing Room overlooks the carriage house and grounds

Other Bedrooms and bathrooms on the Second Floor

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

the original owner – Hugh McIlvain – Hardwood Lumber Merchant

 

 

 

Mahogany found throughout the home and featured prominently in the Entry Door

 

 

 

 

the design of the Date Stone

 

The execution of the date stone

the date stone close up:

Hugh and Mary Bunting McIlvain

additional plans which have stayed with the house

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The front entry way and rear porch are laid with “Old Dutch Tile” from OW Ketcham in Philadelphia

 

 

OW Ketcham – Terra Cotta Tile from 1920’s as seen in the original order

 

and in correspondence regarding the “Old Dutch Tile” with Mr McIlvain

 

Many original estimates, invoices and correspondence have also been saved by the family

and tell an awesome story of this homes construction and attention to detail

 

The original paperwork for the purchase

 

 

and the drawing up of the deeds

by the law firm of another McIlvain family member Joseph T Bunting

 

 

A wide range of items have been saved and passed down through the owners

 

from The Date Stone

 

To

The Man and His Horse for Hauling

 

Architects and family member Morgan Bunting of Bunting and Shrigley

arranged many of the Details and the Drawings

 

Even the Lightening Rod which is still on the house

But much of the correspondence was with Mr McIlvain himself

as he was recently retired from the business and was very involved in the building process

 

The driveway

 

A list of Mahogany needed for the main stairs

The gardens also show an attention to detail

 

 

Original Budgets for the House

 

 

 

Were continuously updated as new bids came in

 

 

 

Mr McIlvain worked with the best in the Industry

OW Ketcham was a leading manufacturer at that time

 

 

 

 

 

The house stayed in the McIlvain family as Edna Bunting McIlvain inherited the land at 526 College Ave

and she continued living next to her sister Mary who had married C.W. Edgerton and resided at 532 College Ave