welcome to 500 telner street, one of the finest woodward houses in chestnut hill. built in 1957, but resembling a 1925 house typical of the finest aesthetics of chestnut hill, this lovely estate was custom built for george woodward, jr. and his wife harriet for their personal home. the woodward family is well-known for building chestnut hill’s most charming estates. its park-like setting and charming dovecote gracing the front entrance, surrounded by pink azaleas in spring, make this fairy tale “cottage” come to life. this is one of the rare homes directly on wissahickon valley park.
timeless charm, so typical in woodward architecture, is brought to its zenith in this stone home, custom built to plans now archived at the chestnut hill conservancy, with seemingly no expense spared. all the modern amenities you love, such as central air, a full 2 car garage, an attached separate apartment with its own private entrance, 5 full and 3 half baths (each bedroom and apartment with their own full bath), and enormous closets and attic space, offer comfort and convenience. with 8 inch deep granite window sills due to the thick walls, the house is exceptionally quiet due to the insulation, solid doors and stucco walls.
uniquely, the primary bedroom suite occupies an entire wing on the ground floor and features a spacious bath with dual bathrooms, each with its own shower or tub. the generous bedroom includes french doors opening to a private patio, a marble fireplace, built-in dresser, and separate closets, along with an adjoining sitting room with an additional marble fireplace. this wing creates total privacy from the other living spaces in the house. the grand living room, with an open floor plan connecting to the dining room, boasts 5 sets of french doors that are lit with morning sun, with an unobscured view filled with trees as it overlooks cresheim valley.
since 2013, multiple improvements have been made, including a new main kitchen with radiant floor heating, a miele dish washer, viking stove, convection oven, and a generous pantry complete with a cozy, sunny home office. the kitchen in the apartment is also new, with granite countertops, gas range and dishwasher, and added in 2020, a spacious southern exposure insulated glass addition opens out from the living room for your hot tub, 4 season relaxation and plant cultivation or display. a kitchenette is also located here. the circular and garage access driveways were repaved in 2023.
the generous studio apartment has a separate entrance and contains multiple windows, a full bath and ample closets. the second floor contains 3 bedrooms and luxuriously, one full bath for each bedroom. adding to the home′s flexible layout is the possibility of complete separation of upstairs and downstairs due to the private entrance access to both the upstairs and the apartment. a large slate floor foyer at the front door absorbs all the comings and goings and stands the test of time. located over the furnace room, the slate remains warm all winter long.
a massive “playroom” in the finished basement, complete with fireplace, could be an exercise space, a guest bedroom (it has a large window), office, child or party space. while laundry is conveniently located on the ground floor, there is plumbing here in a large closet for another laundry facility. there is also a half bath in the basement and a very generous workshop space as well. an additional finished room which, at the owner’s option, could be reserved for the resident of the apartment to enlarge its capacity, or kept as part of the main residence.
