213 Royal Ave

This jewel nestles into the landscape with many hidden surprises! In 1893, Dr. Wharton Sinkler began acquiring the land, and subsequently constructed a mansion, tenant house, barn & multiple outbuildings and named it Lifeland. The name Lifeland disappeared from public records shortly after the Sinkler family subdivided & sold the property in 1953. A new owner renamed the barn property WASAFARM! Well into the late 20th century, the owners could simply address their mail to Wasafarm, Wyncote, PA 19095 and the post office would deliver! The property now incorporates just over 1 acre. A portion of the main drive to the estate house next door remains, providing ample guest parking. There is a springhouse to the right & retaining walls around the rear of the barn. The star of the property is the barn, which is fully outfitted with central heat on all 3 floors! The ground floor provides a few remnants of the original horse stalls. Half of the lowest level was re-floored with cement to provide a flat & level surface with a full-sized sliding door to access the grounds. The other half of the ground floor provides exceptional storage space. The first floor has 9’ high ceilings. There are four distinct spaces; a full-depth workshop, two large painting studios & a small sitting room with closets & a large cast iron sink & toilet room. The original carriage doors at this level have been secured in place yet the doors remain to ensure the exterior aesthetic. The pièce de résistance is the 2nd floor of the barn! Completely vaulted 22’ to the roofline with skylights in the Northern wall, this space was insulated & drywalled for the large-scale artwork of the owners. There is even a trap door in the floor to allow for large canvases to be brought between the floors. For larger equipment & furniture, a block & tackle is used to hoist items through the former hayloft door from the lookout beam. There is also a private office & another store room. There are two additional, separate buildings hidden behind the barn! These could be used for any number of endeavors. The chicken coop was renovated to incorporate windows & two pedestrian doors. Electricity has been run to this structure. While unheated, it could easily be finished into additional workspace. The old greenhouse is now simply used for wood storage! The land extends further beyond the retaining walls to a large grassy area in the far corner of the property that could incorporate a pool, a vegetable garden or orchard. This brings us to the tenant cottage with its original wood floors and charming layout. The first appearance of the house on early maps was in 1909, but the actual age of this structure is likely much older. Although only 1250 sq ft, this cozy residence boasts a kitchen, dining & living rooms & a powder room on the 1st floor. There are 3 bedrooms and 1 full bath upstairs along with a full basement. The house overlooks the barn entrance with a large rear deck & sits high on the hill. You could expand the house as there is ample room between the house and barn to add an addition that could also incorporate a garage addition underneath. The property has been exceptionally maintained by the current owners. The house’s roof was installed in 2018 while the barn’s roof was replaced in 2019. Skylights were added to the barn and the 2nd floor full bath at this time. Both the basement & the lowest level of the barn had the walls parged in 2019 and the concrete floor installed. The heating and central A/C system in the house was replaced in 2018, the barn’s heating system was replaced in 2012. The entire driveway was repaved in 2019. A casual 1-mile walk will get one to the Jenkintown-Wyncote SEPTA station with the best service to downtown Philadelphia, 30th Street Station and the campuses of Drexel & U of P. Within walking distance are five township-owned parks! All in all, Lifeland/Wasafarm boasts plenty of life and is waiting for its next steward to call it home!