3941-45 W. Netherfield Rd., Philadelphia, Pa. 19129 | TREND images via Elfant Wissahickon Realtors
The latest property being unloaded in the Disgraced Pol Hit Parade went on the market last Tuesday.
It’s the former home of Congressman Chaka Fattah and his wife Renee Chenault-Fattah, a 2.6-acre estate tucked away on a quiet lane in East Falls. The couple has already cleared out of the place for their new digs — Chaka at a minimum-security Federal prison camp in western Pennsylvania for the next 10 years, Renee at an undisclosed location — but they left it in mint condition and move-in ready.
Though the house dates only to 1930, there’s some history behind this plot: the estate was once part of a much larger 10-acre one dating to the 1700s that stretched from School House Lane all the way to Coulter Street. Two older structures with a link to that past also sit on these grounds: a carriage house thought to date to the 1800s and a one-room cottage with sleeping loft believed to be the oldest structure on the property. According to local lore, this cottage once served as a way station for hunters.
The spacious main residence is in excellent shape and retains most of its Old English charm. The living room boasts such classic details as a chair rail and a marble fireplace; it also is decorated with wallpaper depicting West African scenes.
The kitchen is totally up-to-date with the requisite granite countertops, stainless steel high-end appliances, and island workspace. A solarium with its own fireplace off the living room and a library paneled in knotty pine with built-in bookshelves are other distinctive elements.
The two-story carriage house can serve as a separate residence for an in-law, au pair or guests. Its main floor features a living room and great room on either side of a central fireplace, a modern kitchen, a TV room with powder room and a laundry. Upstairs you’ll find three bedrooms and a full bath.
The cottage has a high-ceilinged living room with fireplace and a sleeping loft.
Both the main home and the carriage house have central air, and there are two garages on the property as well.
Office of Property Assessment records show the home was put in Renee Chenault-Fattah’s name via a nominal transaction in 2006. However, the listing agent states that most of the information about this property in public records is inaccurate and that a recently completed survey of the property is available.
If you’ve ever dreamed of living like a baron for less than a million bucks, now’s your chance: the Fattahs’ loss is your gain. The sale price should just about cover the amount Chaka swiped from the government and nonprofit organizations to repay the illegal $1 million campaign loan that landed him in prison.
THE FINE PRINT
BEDS: 4 (main house only)
BATHS: 3 full, 2 half (main house only)
SQUARE FEET: 5,030 (main house only)
SALE PRICE: $995,000
3941-45 W. Netherfield Rd., Philadelphia, Pa. 19129 [Connie Gillespie | Elfant Wissahickon Realtors]
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