House of the week: A 1798 stone house in Wallingford for $875,000
The home was originally constructed as two houses side by side, and still has two separate third floors.
“All the houses I’ve lived in have had quirky and interesting histories,” said Cathy Osborne.
The house she and her husband, Gerry, bought in Wallingford, Delaware County, in 1998 was no exception. Built in 1798 by wheelwright James Hinkson, it was originally constructed side by side with another house for a blacksmith.
Osborne isn’t sure whether they were relatives, business partners, or something else, but she does know that at various times the second house has served as general store and a summer resort. The two buildings together are known as “Hinkson’s Corner.”
Osborne has no idea when it became strictly a residence. She said the previous owners lived there for about 50 years.
The Osbornes liked that the home was in the Wallingford Swarthmore School District, where they would send their two daughters to school. But now, with their daughters grown, Cathy, a former education administrator, and Gerry, a systems analyst for the Department of Defense, are retiring to South Carolina.
The house has a new roof, windows, and furnace, and has been freshly painted.
The main floor has the living room, dining room, kitchen, butler’s pantry, laundry, powder room, and a mudroom just off the kitchen.
The second floor has four bedrooms, one now used as a library and one as a family room, with a full bath and fireplace.
The third floor is in two separate parts, each with its own entrance. One has two bedrooms and a full bathroom, and the other has a bedroom, space for a den, and a full bathroom.
Aside from the 3,108-square-foot main house, the property has a greenhouse, a garage, and driveway space for six cars. It also has meandering brick paths, a koi pond, and a brick courtyard.
The house is listed by Jeanne Maillet of BHHS Fox & Roach Media for $875,000.