Several People Correctly Guessed the MacCallum House

This one's got quite a story. Congrats to those readers who guessed correctly. 

Tom Carnevale chimed in first, followed by Sharman McLean, ROCKEY, Kate Fullam (who recalled thinking the home had a spooky feel), Mark Chester, Jim L. and Ed Villanova. 

Chester recalled the rift about demolishing the home. 

"There was quite a controversy surrounding the decision to tear it down," he wrote. "It was one of the grandest homes remaining in Phoenixville, and there are still hard feelings about it 20 years later."

The Historical Society of the Phoenixville Area wrote up this description of the home: 

Old timers remember the MacCallum House at 520 South Main St. for its unique architectural features as well as its controversial demolition.

The Queen Anne Revival style house was erected in 1880 by Mary Reeves Scull. She was the daughter of David Reeves who was the first president of Phoenix Iron Company. Norman E. MacCallum, superintendent of steel at Phoenix Iron, purchased the home in 1920 and it became known as the MacCallum House.

The Archdiocese of Philadelphia purchased the property in 1988 with the intention that it would ‘meet the pastoral needs of St. Ann’s parish.'

By 1991 the majority of St. Ann’s parishioners agreed the cost of needed renovations was prohibitive, and subsequently the parish applied to the Borough for a demolition permit.

Despite a community-based effort to save the house, and a 30-day delay by Borough Council to allow both sides to talk, the demolition permit was issued the morning of July 10, 1991. By 9 a.m. that same day demolition took place.

Emotions ran high as workers ripped the house down. Plans for a parking lot on the property were eventually defeated. The seating of the Historical Architectural Review Board (HARB) was a direct outcome of the MacCallum House controversy.