Galbreath house is located in the village of Ogden in Upper Chichester Township. Willard T. Galbreath purchased the property from the National Real Estate Company in December 1890. The house, built by Galbreath, is an elaborately shingled Folk Victorian.
In addition to the decorative shingling across the second-story facade and western side of the house, other prominent original features include a wrap-around porch with jig-saw cut balusters; double door front entry with original Eastlake style hardware; and a right angle bay in the dining room.
The house has its original windows in many of the rooms as well as interior doors with rim locks, heart pine flooring, and plaster walls. Aside from the installation of electricity and an early update to the heating system (converting from coal-fired gravity hot air to an oil-burning boiler with hot water radiators), most rooms of the house retain their original character.
Renovations by a previous owner include an updated kitchen and bathrooms. The back porch was also enclosed to create a first-floor laundry and full bath. In 2008, the current owners added an architecturally sensitive family room addition, including a 9-foot ceiling, two-over-two windows, and moldings in keeping with the original trim throughout the house.
Cement board sheathing on the exterior of the addition is similar in form and dimension to the original clapboard siding and blends well with the original structure. To the east of the house, sits the original Carriage House. The board and batten structure shows evidence of mortise and tenon construction and may be older than the house itself.
The second story of the Carriage House was originally cantilevered, but at some point, the front lower bay was enclosed. A previous owner, Hershey Irwin, operated an orchard on the property during the mid-1900s known as Irwin's Apple Orchard. Irwin added a lower bay with a refrigeration unit on the east side of the Carriage House and an office on the rear of the building.
The cooling system has been removed, but the unit remains. During that era, the Carriage House was referred to as the "Apple House". The orchard signpost still stands along Naaman's Creek Road. The house sits on an approximate three-quarter-acre lot bordered by wooded open space and mature, landscaping.
Inside, authentic heart pine floors, original doors, and historic trim blend seamlessly with modern conveniences, including a main-floor family room, updated kitchen, laundry, and full bath. The layout features formal parlor and dining rooms, three second-floor bedrooms-including a primary suite with an ensuite bath-and a versatile, fully finished attic retreat.
Maximizing its value is a detached, two-story carriage house equipped with heat and electricity, offering the perfect flexible space for a home office, studio, or workshop.
