Chestnut Hill Project is Downsized Around Historic Detweiler House

After a first proposal in July 2024, new construction next to a historically protected home gets new look, fewer units

Chestnut Hill is one of the older and cuter neighborhoods in all of Philly, with its quaint main street and lovely architecture creating a place that is unrivaled perhaps anywhere in the country. We’ve been to the area many times in the past, including to visit 8226 Germantown Ave. a couple summers ago. Standing on the site since all the way back to 1760 is the Detweiler House, a historically protected, three-story stone house that has continuously been in the Detweiler family going all the way since 1796 - that’s even older than your favorite real estate blogger!

A look at the Detweiler House on the left side of the property, as seen from Germantown Ave.

An aerial view, right along Chestnut Hill’s main commercial stretch

A 14-unit project called The Weiler from Vich Properties, with a red brick design from Morrissey was pitched back in July 2024, with an L-shaped building for seniors to wrap around the existing structure, which would be repurposed as a commercial space. Then in November 2024, an updated version of the project was submitted to the Historical Commission before being withdrawn prior to conceptual review. This new version lowered the unit count to eight, offering a smaller footprint, a reduced scale and a toned-down look. Since that time, we hadn’t heard any updates of what was potentially to come.

The 14-unit iteration of The Weiler first proposed in July 2024, dwarfing the historical structure

The eight-unit version from November 2024, withdrawn before we could learn more about the details

So, color us surprised when we saw just today a new submission to the Architectural Committee of the Historical Commission for the property. Still called The Weiler, the project has been adjusted once again. The new construction building will take up a much smaller footprint on the property, consisting of only four units above ground-floor commercial space. The Detweiler House will be spruced up, with the interiors renovated to become a 2,700 sqft, single-family home. Six parking spaces for both the new and old buildings will be included behind the structures, which will require an easement for automobile access.

A scaled down design for the new construction, offering more room for the historical house to breathe

Some elevation drawings of the main facades of the structure, including sizable first-floor windows for the commercial space

A look at the site footprint, with plenty of parking in the back

A recent look at the original home, with a list of details for the plans

Some interior shots, in need of some love and attention

Some awesome and interesting details hearken back to an earlier time

More original details will make for a stunning new home

While we would have loved to see the original density and a bit less parking, this new proposal seems pretty reasonable to us. The new construction units will range between 1,100 and 1,800 sqft, with the commercial space covering approximately 1,900 sqft - all sizable spaces. This design seems more in line with the local vernacular, as stone and stucco facades are more prevalent here than the red brick of previous designs (which is a staple in most other Philly neighborhoods). The inclusion of parking and the lesser scale will undoubtedly be more palatable to the near neighbors, as well.

These places will likely be quite pricey given the size and location, but that is quite normal given the local market. If the Architectural Committee gives the full speed ahead nod to this project (which is just the first stage of approval before the fleshed-out design is approved by the full commission), we may see a new addition to the area before long.