Butchertown House Under Wraps For A Year Now For Sale

Thursday, January 22, 2009 by Broken Sidewalk.

Butchertown House For Sale

A three story townhouse on the corner of Washington and Shelby Streets is on the market after a long renovation and is seeking an owner to customize the interior. The 3,000 square foot, 19th century brick house is listed for $190,000, but the owner wants to get the home into good hands, so a deal could be had. But you’d better act fast as several interested parties are currently looking at the house.

Located amid a stretch of three story houses on Washington Street, the row has a stately presence. The property first caught out attention in 2007 when it was covered in scaffolding and plastic. We knew the house was being tuck pointed, but could figure out little more. Finally, last fall the scaffolding came down and later a for sale sign appeared in the front yard. The renovation is now estimated to be 60% complete and the owner surmises another $25,000 could finish the job in an elegant manner. The owner has been working on the house for two years, but with the current economy and lack of financing available for real estate projects, the owner feels selling the property as-is is the best solution.

There has already been substantial work done on the house, too. The entire west and south side, which backs up to the church-turned-condo development, have already been tuck-pointed and sealed. The chimneys have been fixed as well. A portion of the front facade has as well, but needs a little more work. Seeing the difference between the old mortar and the new repairs on the front is quite remarkable (photo after the click). Fixing a building’s masonry really makes it appear almost new.

Besides brick work, all exterior wood details along the fascia have been replaced and new box-gutters installed. The interior features new hardwood floors, but is largely open for the new owners to custom-design their living space. The house was originally carved into three apartments and was in very poor condition. The exterior was rotting and plaster ceilings had fallen in. The owner wants to return it to single family use and estimates 3 or 4 bedrooms could easily fit into the space.

This stretch of houses in Butchertown is one of the finest examples of urban order in the neighborhood known for its eclectic architecture. The houses are stately and tall and with a little effort, this house could become a like-new century old show-piece.

Butchertown House For Sale