Back in the late 1800s, sections of Germantown were low density suburbs and the area was home to some stunning mansions. One such mansion, known as Uwchllan (we don’t know why or how to pronounce it) and designed by George T. Pearson, was built in 1887 at 229 W. Upsal St. on a sprawling 5 acre property. Home to bank president Cornelius Nolen Weygandt, Uwchllan was the subject of a 1893 Inquirer article reviewing the estates of Germantown which described the Queen Anne style house with grey stone as handsome and extensive, but also pretentious. At the end of the 19th century, that was considered quite the burn.
Regrettably, the handsome yet pretentious home was demolished around the end of World War II and the site was redeveloped into apartments as the Federal Housing Administration supported the construction of new homes for returning veterans. Initial plans called for a collection of low density buildings spread across the entire property and a total of 120 units. Those plans changed a few times, and in the end a single nine story apartment building was constructed right in the middle of the property. The building, completed in 1948, was dubbed Pelham Park Apartments and included 146 units. Things were more or less the same at this property over the next 70 years, with the apartment building and its associated parking garage enjoying a large amount of open space on all sides.
Given the growth we’ve seen in this part of town, it was only a matter of time before redevelopment came to this sizable but underused property. Just a couple years ago, a four story apartment building with 48 units was constructed on the northern end of the property, close to Pelham Street. This building, known as Upsal Hall Apartments, appears to be owned and managed by the same company that owns the building next door. It also seems like it’s fully occupied, at least according to the building’s website.
Even with the recent addition of the Upsal Hall Apartments, there’s still plenty of room to add density to this property while still maintaining a decent amount of open green space. You can probably guess by now, but indeed another building is planned for this property, this time on the other side of the Pelham Park building. The newest addition to the site will rise four stories and add another 46 units to the mix.
In recent years, there’s been a boomlet of medium-sized projects near regional rail stations in Northwest Philadelphia, with recent examples in Chestnut Hill and Mount Airy, as well as Germantown. Last summer we covered a new building close to the Upsal Station, which sits just steps away from this property. The addition of 48 units a couple years ago and the plans for 46 more are terrific steps to more effectively use this property, located in a growing part of town. Hopefully, some of the new residents here will take advantage of the close proximity of the aforementioned Upsal Station, whether it’s to go shopping in Chestnut Hill or to travel into Center City.