A slice of Pennsylvania heritage has just hit the market for $200,000 but it comes with a creepy catch.
There is more than meets the eye to this four-bedroom Victorian home in Bellefonte, listed for an eye-catching $200,000.
With its gabled façade and Folk Victorian design, the property offers both architectural beauty and an unsettling past – for it is believed the home used to serve as the gatehouse to Union Cemetery, where the cemetery’s superintendent lived.
The home would have been at the epicenter of countless funerals and burials during its long history.
The house was built in 1859 – a date confirmed by The Bellefonte Historical and Cultural Association but there appears to be a little mystery in his past.
Some historians have suggested it was initially a law office for Andrew Gregg Curtin, a Civil War governor, which may have been relocated from downtown Bellefonte to its current location.
Others firmly believe it was constructed as the cemetery’s gatehouse, a functional home for the superintendent tasked with looking after the graves and the grounds.
Whatever its past, in the present the home is seeking a new buyer with a recent fresh coat of paint preserving its vintage charm and making it a standout in the neighborhood.
Built in 1859, this historic four-bedroom home served as the gatehouse to Pennsylvania’s Union Cemetery and housed the cemetery’s superintendent
While undeniably charming, its location as a former cemetery gatehouse adds a hauntingly unique aspect to the home’s appeal
A spiral staircase descends to a separate section of the house, which contains a fourth bedroom and a third full bathroom
While the property exudes history, things take on a more modern feel inside with a beautiful hardwood floor lined kitchen.
The first floor of the home also features a dining room, living room, and a full bathroom.
Upstairs there’s another bathroom and two bedrooms that sit in the bridge-like span that links one side of the house to the other.
A spiral staircase leads down to a separate wing of the home containing a fourth bedroom and a third full bathroom.
The interior is surprisingly spacious and comes with plenty of closet room, including a walk-in wardrobe.
In the basement, the concrete floor allows for plenty of storage with a gas furnace and a water heater.
The home boasts a 13×15 kitchen with hardwood floors, a range, refrigerator, ceiling fan, and an abundance of natural light
The first floor includes a dining room, living room, and a full bathroom
Hardwood floors run throughout the home giving a warm feeling throughout
Upstairs, two bedrooms connect across the drive to the other side of the house
The basement features concrete flooring, a storage room, and a utility room equipped with a natural gas furnace and a 2011 water heater
The roof was replaced within the last five years, and the exterior of the home has been recently painted to maintain its historic beauty
Acknowledged by historic preservation groups, the property is celebrated for its architectural and cultural significance
Historians debate its origins, with some suggesting it was once a law office for Civil War Governor Andrew Gregg Curtin before being relocated
The grounds are both creepy and captivating with a brick patio and relaxing koi pond.
The nearby cemetery complete with headstones and footpaths gives the property an eerie edge along with the occasional ghostly whisper from the past.
Those looking to buy the home will either look to embrace its proximity to the dead as something that gives it character, or find the idea entirely unsettling.