On the resale market for the first time! 1868 Nicholas Drive, and the adjacent lot of land, total 3.34 acres of prime residential land in Huntingdon Valley! What makes this land so unique, is that there is enough land per zoning code that 1 horse can be kept! Hunting on the land is also permissible. In fact, rumor has it that General Biddle and President Eisenhower used to go hunting on this very land. The caretaker of General Nicholas Biddle lived in the house that stood here prior to the magnificent estate that stands here today. To this day General Biddle's historic estate (Melmar) is virtually in the backyard! Lorimer Park backs up to the property as well, so the backyard really encompasses one of the greatest luxuries today - privacy.
Warren C. Mann, of Mann-Hughes Architecture, was the architect of this masterpiece, and it took about 6 years to be constructed. The entire outside periphery of the house is done in large hand-cut Valley Forge stone - front to back. The continuous interior of the home is reinforced with steel beams. The entire house is constructed with hardwood panel walls and ceilings, and all interior walls are done in extra thick 3/4'' drywall, to increase soundproofing, as well as insulation.
As one approaches 1868 Nicholas Drive, they'll see it's situated perfectly at the end of a cul-de-sac. The home itself has a horseshoe driveway. Spectacular mature trees adorn the property, inclusive of 75+ year old Norway Pines, 50+ year old Black Walnut, 34+ year old Weeping Crimson Japanese Maples, Ornamental Bradford Pear trees and Southern Magnolia. There is an in-ground sprinkler system to maintain the extensive landscaping, enhanced with low voltage lighting. The home has a surveillance system, as well as burglary and fire alarm. The backyard features a double patio with two back waves, done in EP Henry pavers. Both 1868 Nicholas Drive, and its adjacent land parcel, are fenced in together by a Jerith Aluminum fence, whereas the adjacent parcel is gated. Warren lightning rods are furnished on top of a newer roof, which was installed in 2016. The home has a 3 car garage, with a large walk-in closet housed within.
Heading into the front entry of 1868 Nicholas Drive, one is presented with bonded Bronze double doors, with natural patina aging. These are security doors, and are often considered a collector's item - and never need upkeep. Stepping into the house, one is greeted with a roughly 30 X 30' heated floor Marble foyer, with vaulted ceiling, about 35' in height. The custom Lucite chandelier that adorns this ceiling is breathtaking, spanning almost 10' in height, and is on a motorized cable. The interior of the home has quite the lighting scheme, as there are roughly 460 low voltage computer controlled recessed lights inside the home! If that wasn't enough, there is an electric graphic annunciator board, so one knows exactly how many lights are on, and where. The annunciator board is housed in its own utility room, also housing a computer controlled heating system. There are 6 heating and cooling zones, operating at a capacity of 21 tons!
It's hard not to notice the almost 6' wide hallways connecting all the rooms, adorned with Schonbek chandeliers. The oversized kitchen has Corian countertops, breakfast bar, 2 built-in refrigerators, and wall ovens. The family room is roughly 47 X 28' with a custom fireplace, with decorative mirrors surrounding it. What's special about this room, is that there is an interior balcony coming off the primary bedroom upstairs, that looks out on the family room. There is a formal dining room on this level, a library, and 5th bedroom en-suite.
There are 4 bedrooms on the upper level, the largest being the primary bedroom with a sitting room measuring roughly 30 X 50'. There is a curved outdoor balcony off this bedroom, overlooking the spectacular backyard. The home has 6 bathrooms total, whereas one is in the partially finished basement.