The 2000 block of Fitzwater is a fine block with some of the larger homes in the Graduate Hospital neighborhood, and is also home to a community garden and a bagel shop at the corner. It’s lined with three story homes on both sides of the street, and just about all of the homes look alike, with the classic Philly row home style. There’s one home though, at 2043 Fitzwater St., that happens to stick out from the rest. Check it out:

That’s certainly something different. And, incidentally, the home is currently listed for sale for $425K. Or more accurately, the home was listed for sale, but almost instantaneously it went under agreement, surely with developers being the interested buyers. The listing, though now a bit moot, provided us with a great description of the exterior, noting that the “vernacular Romanesque facade differs from, yet complements, local historic federal brick fronts around it.” The listing also describes the “wide Chicago-style triple part window on the first floor, large bay on the second floor, and triplet arched third floor windows.” In other words, this home has a pretty unique look at this location.

The home has been in the hands of the same owners for about 40 years, and as the listing also suggests, it “needs some love.” Though it’s been quite some time since the home has been renovated, it still features a unique mix of historic details (many of which relate to the windows) and quirky features like some murals on the walls and a bathroom that looks like it’s from a hotel in the 1980s.

While the interior is certainly interesting, the exterior of the home truly adds to the neighborhood by increasing its architectural diversity- we feel pretty confident that it’s one of a kind in the area. Unfortunately, we have a feeling that the facade isn’t long for this world. The home sits on a large lot that’s zoned for multi-family use, so a developer could theoretically tear down the home and replace it with a triplex. Of course, a gut renovation would also be an option, but we don’t think that’s what will happen given what we assume is a contract price that approaches the list price. We won’t say it’ll definitely be demoed, but we certainly wouldn’t bet against it at this point. So enjoy this building while you can, 2000 block of Fitzwater- it seems unlikely to stick around for much longer.