IN THE EARLY 1940s, 70 percent of companies used Elwood photographic enlargers. The inventor, Elwood C. Rogers, was the original owner of a stunning estate that sits just minutes away from Newfields.
Dubbed “Virginia Rose” by its current owners—dedicated preservationists who brought the property back to life after years of abandonment—the home is a showstopper, possessing the proud, timeless elegance of an English country manor.
“It is captivating,” says listing agent Mariah Ante. “Its architecture is so unique, and the craftsmanship is just something you don’t see anymore.”
Sitting on nearly two acres with mature trees, its 8,000-plus square feet make it a commanding figure rising from the foliage beyond a gated entrance. Up close, however, its stone exterior is softened by arched doorways and casement windows.
As the owners worked their way through an extensive restoration list, “they always tried to stick to the character of the home and the era,” Ante explains. Original details were carefully preserved, like marble windowsills, floor-to-ceiling paneling in the den, and numerous built-ins. Drab (non-original) light fixtures were replaced with elegant choices befitting the period. A Swarovski crystal chandelier in the dining room is particularly dazzling.
Lovers of vintage tile will be gobsmacked in two of the four-and-a-half bathrooms. On one bathtub wall, etched glass tile laid in a mural design depicts a swan surrounded by lily pads and cattails, while the other bathroom features an undersea scene with fish and coral.
The bones of the home also received much-needed TLC, including all new plumbing, three new HVAC units, electrical updates, and a new roof. Now, Virginia Rose awaits her next stewards to continue her story.
ADDRESS
2421 W. 39th St.
PRICE
$969,900
AGENT
Match House
Realty Group
