1, 5, 7 West Chestnut Hill Avenue (also known as 8800 Germantown Avenue)



      

(photographs from Chestnut Hill Historical Society-John Naylor Collection: 1970.36, 1970.37 & 1970. 87)
  
click on image to see larger version
(photographs from Chestnut Hill Historical Society-John Naylor Collection: 1970. 90 & 1970.137)

 

MAP NUMBER: 12
DATE: 1888-1889
ORIGINAL OWNER: Jacob S. Disston
ARCHITECT: James. H. Windrim
CONTRACTOR: Kemp & Garrison

Located on the northwest corner of Germantown and West Chestnut Hill Avenues,
this late Victorian dwelling with heavy stone and Tudor trim was constructed as a single
house.  In 1905, the Duhring, Okie & Ziegler, architects,  designed the large stone and
stucco addition to the west (left) end of the house.  In the background to the right is the
roof of the United Methodist Church of Chestnut Hill.  Disston's father, Henry, founded
Disston Saw Works and lived on fashionable North Broad Street.  His sons moved here
to enjoy the new suburban lifestyle.  In 1909 Jacob Disston moved to a larger house,
"Norwood Hall" (see 1970.122 for its photograph), and in 1914, he subdivided (George
S. Idell, architect) this house into three separate residences as it remains today.

See Jarvis, "Chestnut Hill Revisited,"  p. 105. 

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