Gables B&B
Philadelphia, PA
Gables B&B
4520 Chester Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19143, USA(215) 662-1918
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Gables Bed & Breakfast
The Gables was designed and built in 1889 by prominent Philadelphia architect Willis Hale and became the home of Dr. Egan and his family. After the doctor's death in 1901, his widow made an extensive renovation of the home, probably eliminating his offices. It was passed on to a second generation of Egans, their daughter who was married to a Broadway show producer. When she died in 1936, the home was willed to the Catholic Church. The Church renovated the home to become a boarding house for the elderly. In the 50's the use changed to accommodate a group of laywomen known as "The Grail." Then in the mid 60's the Jesuits moved in and extensively renovated the home again, taking out the Victorian influences and "modernizing." Their modernization included wall to wall carpeting, fluorescent lighting, painting much of the cherry woodwork, and even building walls where walls never existed. In 1991 a local real estate agent and her husband purchased the home from the Jesuits with the idea that a bed and breakfast would be good for the neighborhood. It would also be a way to restore and save this beautiful edifice. The previous owners, Don Caskey and Warren Cederholm, bought the home in 1993, continued the restoration of the home and created one of the finest bed and breakfasts in Philadelphia. In October 2016, the legacy of The Gables continued with the new owners and innkeepers.
The Gables was designed and built in 1889 by prominent Philadelphia architect Willis Hale and became the home of Dr. Egan and his family. After the doctor's death in 1901, his widow made an extensive renovation of the home, probably eliminating his offices. It was passed on to a second generation of Egans, their daughter who was married to a Broadway show producer. When she died in 1936, the home was willed to the Catholic Church. The Church renovated the home to become a boarding house for the elderly. In the 50's the use changed to accommodate a group of laywomen known as "The Grail." Then in the mid 60's the Jesuits moved in and extensively renovated the home again, taking out the Victorian influences and "modernizing." Their modernization included wall to wall carpeting, fluorescent lighting, painting much of the cherry woodwork, and even building walls where walls never existed. In 1991 a local real estate agent and her husband purchased the home from the Jesuits with the idea that a bed and breakfast would be good for the neighborhood. It would also be a way to restore and save this beautiful edifice. The previous owners, Don Caskey and Warren Cederholm, bought the home in 1993, continued the restoration of the home and created one of the finest bed and breakfasts in Philadelphia. In October 2016, the legacy of The Gables continued with the new owners and innkeepers.