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Historical Society Of Frankford Tells Us Who George Sale Was

george-t-sale-window

From our previous post about the huge castle for sale at the corner of Griscom and Dyre, we were emailed a photo that said “RES. OF MR GEORGE T SALE FRANKLIN AND DYRE STS. FRANKFORD PA”.  We’ve heard back from Debbie Klak at the Historical Society of Frankford as to who this man was:

George Sale was a Northeast Philly real estate developer.   He  built the apartment building at Griscom and Oxford Ave to be a doctor’s hospital (clinic) with all of the modern amenities.   He built a car barn(exactly where we’re still unsure) to house the B buses , the first buses to transport people up to Byberry farms for there were no means to get there.    In those days, transportation dropped people off 2 miles from Byberry Farms. The other interesting thing is that when George died, creditors came after his estate.  He owed people a lot of money,(to the tune of $750,000) tho they didn’t get much from his estate.

The pic above was taken from Temple’s picture database.  Obviously it’s from a real estate office but it says it’s from the Frankford section and the reflection looks like the Margaret/Orthodox El stop to me, but the address says 1532 Oxford Pike, which by today’s street numbers, put it up in Lawndale.  I’m also guessing he built the George T. Sale Building downtown that’s been turned into condos.

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Reader Submission Results In Old Photo Of Awesome Castle On Griscom Street

A reader emailed me an old photo of the the mansion for sale at the corner of Griscom and Dyre.

old-5308-griscom-and-dyre

I’m liking it more without the shrubbery out front but I guess these days privacy is a concern.  Doing some photoshopping, I (think) I was able to make the wording on the bottom easier to read:

old-5038-griscom-bottom-words

“RES. OF MR GEORGE T SALE FRANKLIN AND DYRE STS. FRANKFORD PA”.  Correct me if I’m wrong.   So I’m guessing Griscom Street used to be called Franklin.  Good times.

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Totally Kick Ass Castle For Sale At Griscom And Dyre

5038 griscom

Found while surfing on Trulia.

wood panelling 5038 griscom

How come my the wood paneling in my house doesn’t look like this?  5038 Griscom Street is up for sale for the bargain price of 369 thousand.  It’s 3500 square feet and has 8 bedrooms.  Here’s the description from the realtor’s site:

This Queen Anne Victorian home, the first Frankford estate built in the 1890’s, has been completely and lovingly restored and has reclaimed its title as the crown jewel of the area. Enter the grand three-story foyer and be dazzled by the oak floating staircase and the meticulously re-crafted wood banisters.

Renovations in this 3000-plus square foot home are numerous—stained glass and bay windows, inlay wood floors, vintage claw foot bath tub, and pocket doors throughout. High-end upgrades create a feeling of luxury—pristine porcelain and granite floors; custom cabinetry, high-end appliances, and seven halogen lighting fixtures in the kitchen; tiled floor with matching sinks, tub, walk-in shower, and heated towel racks in master bath.

The lush color palate, old world chandeliers, and re-crafted crown molding revive an atmosphere of history and mystery in the formal drawing, living, and dining rooms.

On the second floor are the office and den for the informal experience, the master bedroom and bath, and a sumptuous walk-in closet (shhhhh, it used to be a bedroom). The second bedroom boasts bamboo hardwood floors and window treatments.

The self-contained guest quarters on the third floor feature Brazilian cherry wood floors in the kitchen, a bedroom, and a travertine marble-tiled bathroom. Down the hall is the Round Room with a 300 degree view to the east and south which served as the private family chapel 120 years ago.

Located on a raised corner lot, this showcase property with both front and back porches fuses Victorian tradition, contemporary luxury, and technology—wifi and security systems. Exceptional value, exquisite taste, the opportunity of a lifetime.

bathroom 5038 griscom
I need a private chapel in my house.  And nobody show my wife the pic of the bathroom.  Claw foot tubs and double vanities are right up her alley.  They call it the crown jewel of the area….yeah I’ll go with that.  It has a three story foyer!  I don’t know what they mean when they say “the first Frankford estate built” so I went checking on Philly Geo History to see if we could get a name on it.

1929-ward-map-griscom-and-dyre

The 1929 Ward map comes up with “Wm S. Nichols”.  The name means nothing to me really but that’s not surprising since I don’t really know anything but I do know that the property shares it’s boundaries with on the corner of Penn and Dyre which used to be the clubhouse for the Frankford Yellow Jackets.  I’m gonna shoot an email to my history contact and see if they know anything.

Update: Here’s a little piece the Metro ran today with the realtor talking about the seller.