Large historic guest house with spacious back yard gardens and original details inside and out

Located in the city of brotherly love, James Matthews House is one of the few historic buildings in Philadelphia’s Germantown neighborhood open to overnight guests and now open to location/venue rentals too! The house, originally built in the late18th century, was bought by James Matthews in 1807, who added onto the house before selling it to the Germantown Academy, in 1810. With only a few owners in its 220+ year history, the house has maintained its character making it a wonderful place for history enthusiasts. The house is across the street from the historic campus of the Pennsylvania School for the Deaf including its massive oak trees and just one block from the old Market Square. ****The listing is for the entire house (with some areas off limits) and that is a fantastic option for retreats or small events. We give specifics on the house and partial rental of the house is available at a reduced rate. A custom offer will be required – specs for different rooms are provided in the description below, and we are happy to answer any questions you may have.**** James Matthews House is an authentic Federalist home with the original wood plank floors (recently restored), tall ceilings and grand archways throughout the first floor. The Wissahickon schist common to the early homes in the area is visible on the side of the house where the covered porch sits. It’s a functioning piece of history – lived in and welcoming with plenty of modern amenities such as Wi-Fi, but with reminders of a long-ago American past. Molly and Dan live in the house with our 3 cats and have been renting four guest rooms on the 2nd floor since October 2019. We have been Superhosts continually and have an average 4.9 rating on Airbnb. We’ve been adhering to Covid cleaning protocols even before Airbnb put them in place, and we prioritize safety. The cats do roam the house freely, but we confine them as needed – be aware that it is still a home with cats and could be aggravating to those with cat allergies. The cats are friendly and curious and have been a bonus for many of our Airbnb guests. The cats will be kept on the 3rd floor as needed – our private area that is not open for rental. If you need a bedroom backdrop for your production, we have a room that will fit – choose from the deluxe king bedroom with en suite bathroom, a naturally bright queen bedroom with warm tones and subtle oriental decor, a room with a twin trundle bed under a wall of original windows and shutters and the flexibility of two doors, or the queen room that sits (almost) alone in a back hallway next to a larger bathroom and across from the twin room’s back door. In addition to the guest rooms, we have four other areas inside and a porch and back yard/gardens. The 250 sq ft dining room comfortably seats six at the counter height table with an additional small seating area (2-4 chairs) in front of the gas fireplace. The dining room is ideal for small meetings as it includes self-serve coffee and tea (including a hot water machine), a mini-fridge, toaster oven, and microwave. Off of the dining room is the living room – a furnished space that impresses with the first of the three large, carved archways, décor that fits the age of the house, and the modern touch of a big screen TV on the wall. Historians and bibliophiles alike will be enamored by the antique book collection spread throughout the built-in bookcases. The 360 sq ft living room is another great space for a small group meeting and especially great as a ready to go production space whether for its historic appeal or the traditional family feel of the room. As you move into the hallway, you are greeted by the 2nd of the grand archways and the main staircase to the 2nd floor. To the left and tucked under the stairs is a half bath available to all who are renting space on the 1st floor. To the right of the stairs and across from the living room is an all-purpose 300 sq ft community room that has minimal furniture in order to provide a more flexible and open space. This is a versatile room that could host small parties, meetings, or even yoga and meditation classes (Molly has taught yoga in this space). This community room has its own mini-split AC/heat unit, so it also gives the flexibility of temperature control. The 250 sq ft kitchen, completely remodeled in Fall 2019, is an option exclusively available for day rentals (we do not open it to short-term overnight guests). The fully equipped kitchen can be rented by itself or as part renting other spaces in the house – the option for the kitchen as a limited use add-on is available and a more affordable option over the full kitchen rental. When we venture outside of the house, you are greeted by lush flower beds out front before getting to the aforementioned covered front porch with built-in seating and an antique glider. Out back you will find a sizeable yard with gardens (ever changing as we work to fill-in even more garden space), the largest catalpa tree you’ve ever seen, a fire pit, and a hot tub (additional fee to include in rental). The yard has a rustic feel – more like camping and wildflowers than pristine English gardens. There is an outdoor bathroom with a toilet and sink for those who are interested in reserving only the outdoor space. Pricing given here is for the whole (available) house rental (1st floor with limited kitchen use + 4 guest rooms on 2nd floor) and would give you the total of 2300+ sq ft of indoor space. The house sits on a 10,000+ sq ft parcel of land and though there is a driveway (where parking is permitted with an additional fee) and garage, there is still a considerable amount of land dedicated to the gardens and yard available for rent. We are flexible and can rent a single area of the house, the outdoor space, or a combination of space that is less than the house in its entirety. We want to work with you to bring your next production to the James Matthews House!