SOUTH JERSEY

Cherry Hill 'Clever House' designed by Louis Kahn for sale

Carol Comegno
@CarolComegno

A house with a drab appearance but a distinguished pedigree has gone on the market in Cherry Hill.

The weathered-looking home with a unique roof line in the Barclay Farm neighborhood is one of only nine residences designed by famed Philadelphia architect Louis Kahn.

Called the Clever House after its owners, the home is being offered by a member of the family that has lived there since its completion in 1962.

The sale price for the three-bedroom, two-bath home of 1,694 square feet at 417 Sherry Way is $289,000.

Preservationists say they hope to see the house saved because of its architectural significance. Some neighbors indicate they'd just like to see an improvement at the property.

"I think it is of vital importance to the township and to lose it would be detrimental," said local historic commission member and architect Dan Nichols. "But (the buyer) has to be someone who enjoys modern architecture and has respect for the history of American culture."

Nichols owns a Cherry Hill home designed by another major architect, Frank Lloyd Wright.

"It is really very significant that when Cherry Hill was Delaware Township, it had two houses designed by honored architects."

The historic commission has not taken a formal position on the home. Sandra Ragonese, Cherry Hill's director of historic properties, could not be reached for comment.

Fred E. and Elaine Cox Clever commissioned Kahn to build the house in 1957 after seeing the Trenton Bath House he designed. Considered one of the most influential American architects of the 20th century, Kahn designed mostly institutional buildings until his death in 1974.

The unusual home has attracted much interest since it went on the market Thursday, said Rosemary Mercanti-Anthony of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fox & Roach. The house is now owned by family son Eric Clever and periodically occupied.

"I'm driving over there now to show the house to another interested buyer," Mercanti-Anthony said Monday.

Inside is a central living room with a high ceiling, four columns and walls of exposed concrete block around which the home was built.

The 18-foot-high living room has angular gables. Triangular windows in each gable provide the living area with natural light.

That room is surrounded by five smaller rooms, each with its own pyramid-shaped roof and wooden ceiling.

"It appears to need more work than it does," said Mercanti-Anthony, referring to the white-washed wood of the exterior walls. However, she acknowledged the grounds are overgrown.

"That house is a historical piece. It could potentially be worth lots of money," Karma April Holder posted Sunday on a Facebook page, Cherry Hill A Brief History. She suggested the house could be registered as a historic site, and investors could get together and buy it.

Ellen Considine said the buyer needs "to understand mid-century modern" architecture and said she would "buy it in a flash and restore it" if she could.

But some neighbors posted less enthusiastic views.

"I have lived near this home for most of my life and have seen the decline," said Joanne Mitchell, calling the house a tear-down candidate.

"It's right around the corner from me," posted Karen Phluger Bicking. "It's a shame 'cause the property has really gone downhill. Actually we can't believe the price is that high."

Reach Carol Comegno at (856) 486-2473 or @carolcomegno or ccomegno@courierpostonline.com