clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

This Society Hill home was a stop on the Underground Railroad

New, 1 comment

It was built for former slave Richard Allen

This home at 610 Pine Street is steeped in history.
Courtesy of Kathleen Conway

A Society Hill home steeped in history has come to the market, seeking just under $900,000.

The three-story rowhome at 610 Pine Street was built in 1830 for Richard Allen, a former slave who eventually bought his freedom for $2,000 and went onto found Mother Bethel AME Church. After his death, his daughter continued to live here, running a parlor out of the living room and the basement as a spot along the Underground Railroad during the Civil War (It’s not the only home in this neighborhood to function as part of the network.)

That’s a lot of history squeezed into the home’s slim frame. Today, the property clocks in at 2,112 square feet and features four bedrooms and two and a half baths. While the home has been upgraded to modern standards over the years, there are some hints of original details, from pine floors throughout to remnants of an original fireplace in one of the bedrooms.

There’s also outdoor space, including a back patio and a small roof deck that, fittingly, has views of the Mother Bethel AME Church at 419 S. Sixth Street.