Description

The original portion of the farmhouse was first constructed by James Sloan in 1811. Three generations of the Sloan family worked the land and lived on the farm. The farm was acquired in the late 19th century by Francois and Marie Supiot. The Supiot’s emigrated from France with their five children and settled in Philadelphia. They were farmers, and brought many new & unusual varieties of plants to the United States. Its namesake was Lilac Farm, as they imported many unique varieties of French lilacs that were until then, unavailable. One of the remnants of the original farm is an amazing stone & brick round chimney that used to provide the exhaust to the heating system that kept the lilacs blooming, even during the winter months. The current owners constructed a 4-stall horse barn with tack room & hay loft. It is believed that the living & dining rooms are the original 1811 farmhouse. The living room has a beautiful fireplace and a set of built-in bookcases, windows overlooking the covered porch and the rear yard with direct access to the brick patio. The dining room has another beautiful fireplace, chair rails and two windows overlooking the back yard. Based on some of the moldings and the stair banister, the first expansion to the house was during the Victorian period. This added a central entrance hall with a gracious staircase, another living room with built-in bookcases and the 3rd fireplace. A full width porch was added. The central hall and the 2nd living room provide direct access to the front and side yards. The 3rd addition was the den that has the 4th fireplace, a wet bar and a door to the rear yard and brick patio. The kitchen was added by the current owners that incorporated a powder room and the 1st floor laundry. The structure was added in 1987, then the kitchen was remodeled once again in 2003 with fine custom Cherry cabinetry, a large central island and terra cotta tiled flooring. There is a set of French doors that lead out to another brick patio overlooking the yard and inground pool. Ascend to the 2nd floor, and there are three graciously sized bedrooms in the western wing of the home, along with a hall bath with a tub/shower and the most unique cross-hatched wood ceiling detail. In the hallway outside these rooms is a trinity staircase to the 3rd floor. While in the past, some of the rooms on this level were finished as additional living space, today they offer an abundance of dry storage. With little effort, they could be refinished to add a 5th or 6th bedroom. Back down on the 2nd floor, the primary suite incorporates a large sleeping chamber overlooking the rear yard, a large dressing room with ample closets and a renovated (2010) en-suite bath with a walk-in shower. There are three wall-mounted mini-split units on the 1st floor, and 3 more on the 2nd floor. The privacy of the property is amazing! With Valley Creek at the far southern end of the land, the only neighbor that is even visible in the winter time is up in front of the house. Even though you are surrounded by the privacy of woods and a stream, the development that began in 1967 provides for 20 neighbors. Now, you may think that you are still out in 19th century farmland when you are on the property, but modern life has approached the home in a good way. In 5 minutes, one has access to the Route 29 interchange for the PA turnpike to head East or West as well as the major business complex of the Great Valley Corporate Center. In another 5 minutes heading south, one has access to all the shops and restaurants along Lancaster Avenue. The George Lorimer Preserve is just around the corner, with 87 protected acres and 3+ miles of nature trails. There is also the Valley Forge National Historic Park which has protected over 3,500 acres of meadows, woodlands and historic monuments from the revolutionary war that’s just around the corner! Come discover Lilac Farm, and you too will be enchanted by the history & privacy!