Bergdoll Mansion, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed)
Jun 29th 2010 at 1:01PM

Today's home is a piece of Philadelphia history, and 1882 Italianate style brownstone that belonged to the Bergdoll family. The Bergdolls made a fortune by making beer and the 14,000 square foot mansion is a testimony to their status as one of the city's most wealthy families. Grover Cleveland Bergdoll was considered one of the great playboys of the early 1900s and was one of the first private owners of an airplane in the U.S. Philadelphia Reflections reports that he was a draft dodger, his mother hid him in the mansion to prevent his participation in World War I. He eventually ended up in exile in Germany. Even after World War II, when he finally returned he was apprehended and tried, and spent a brief time in jail. The mansion was later turned into apartments.

The home has now been restored with newer plumbing, heating, air conditioning and electric. The details and craftsmanship have been preserved in architectural details like the mosaic tile, ceiling frescoes, carved woodwork, ornamental plaster and more. It has a formal drawing room, huge dining room, library, sunroom and a total of eight bedrooms. There are two cook's kitchens, one for the home cook and one for entertaining. The entire .38 acre property is fenced and has a courtyard that can accommodate eight cars. It is listed at $6.995 million.