238 S 4TH ST Philadelphia, PA 19106

Rare opportunity to restore a historic mansion into a custom residence on one of the most coveted corners in Society Hill. The house spans four stories plus a basement (1,192 SF, not included in square footage) and features over 2,000 square feet of private outdoor gardens. There is approval for 2 parking spaces on the property. Many of the home's original architectural details remain--millwork, moldings, fireplaces, etc. The Shippen-Wistar House was built around 1750 as part of a stretch of homes known as "Surgeons' Row" (Philadelphia was the home of the first hospital and medical school and was the center of modern medicine in America at the beginning of the 19th century). The first owner of the Shippen-Wistar House was Dr. Shippen (uncle to Benedict Arnold's second wife, Peggy Shippen) who was in charge of medical services for the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War and the first Professor of Anatomy at the Philadelphia Medical School. In 1798, the house became home to the internationally renowned physician Dr. Caspar Wistar. Before embarking on the Lewis and Clark expedition, Meriweather Lewis came to Dr. Wistar's home in Philadelphia to study medicine and paleontology under him. It is believed that years later, botanist Thomas Nuttall named the wisteria plant in memory of Dr. Wistar. Both Dr. Shippen and Dr. Wistar were proponents of private healthcare without undue government interference. In 1913, the Shippen-Wistar House was combined with the adjacent Cadwalader House and restored by architects Stewardson and Page, becoming the home of the Mutual Assurance Company.