The Art Of Turning Historic Homes Into Modern Marvels

To many of us our home is a place to decorate, perhaps raise children, and celebrate milestones. We have a running list of ‘honey-do’ projects that may involve cleaning gutters, painting shutters or organizing the garage. Few of us consider the origin of our home’s style, its importance to our community or how to bring its wired and wireless systems into the modern century. The Chestnut Hill Historical Society serves a very important role in educating the community on our heritage as well as promoting preservation to meet the needs of today’s family.

The village of Chestnut Hill once served as a gateway between Philadelphia and surrounding farm lands. In fact during the end of the 18th century, Chestnut Hill was a popular summer vacation destination for Center City residents. The higher elevation supported cooler temperatures and a regular breeze. Throughout the 19th century and into the mid-20th, Chestnut Hill continued to serve as an important commuting suburb to Philadelphia. Some of the most prominent architects of the time, including George Howe, Walter H. Thomas, John T. Windrim and Wilson Eyre, Jr, designed homes, churches and gardens that remain icons of the community.

Today these majestic properties along with more modest and equally important homes combine to create the unique community of Chestnut Hill. One of the reasons for the successful preservation of historical architecture is the specific care taken by some contractors when modernizing a home. For instance many of these homes still have a knob and tube electrical system which was an early standard for wiring. Unfortunately many of these systems have been incorrectly modified to accommodate the need of modern appliances and resulted in rendering the system unsafe. “A lot of art is involved in figuring out how to modernize an older home,” says Bill Lutz of Gen3 Electric. “We have extensive experience dealing with knob and tube style wiring and have worked cooperatively with the Historical Society to promote architectural preservation and safety. It is our goal to develop a sensible plan that involves minimal intrusion on a family and the home’s architecture. “

On Saturday November 4th the Chestnut Hill Historical Society will induct one of the community’s iconic buildings into their Architecture Hall of Fame. It is through the combined effort of the Historical Society, local families and responsible contractors that these historic buildings remain homes for modern families. “Whether one of the larger mansions or a typical stone row home, our contractors love working cooperatively with homeowners,” continues Lutz. “From old gaslight fixtures to real upstairs-downstairs electrical communications systems, these homes tell a story about our city and about our innovative spirit. We are inspired to use our creativity and innovative ideas to preserve these elements while bringing solutions for today’s electrical, lighting and comfort needs. ”

Congratulations to the Chestnut Hill Historical Society for their "sell-out" interest in Saturday's event. It is a testament to your dedication that our community continues to embrace the preservation of our iconic structures. Your effort and educational programs inspires responsible modernization so that they may be enjoyed for generations to come.