October 25, 2018
If you have a cool $1.695 million on hand, the home of polarizing former Philadelphia mayor and police commissioner Frank Rizzo is up for sale.
The 7,398-square-foot house at 8919 Crefeld St. in Chestnut Hill features cathedral ceilings, a trio of fireplaces, marble windowsills and a standalone garage. The listing went up on the Elfant Wissahickon Realtors website 20 days ago; the Chestnut Hill Local pointed out the listing Thursday.
Rizzo reportedly bought the home in 1973 for $90,000, and spent a reported $410,000 making it over.
Here’s an excerpt on the renovations, from a 1975 People magazine story, which is (against all odds!) archived online:
"Never one to leave well enough alone, Rizzo soon ordered a complete overhaul of the 11-room house. The interior cost an estimated $270,000. The outside refinements featured a $400 handcrafted brass doorknob, sod for the yard ($8,000), 17 brass carriage lanterns ($200 each) and new stonework ($30,000)."
This is, of course, the house featured in the background of one of Rizzo’s most iconic moments, a clash with KYW-TV news anchor Stan Bohrman in which Rizzo unleashed the “crumb bum” heard ‘round the world.
If you manage to stop watching that video on repeat, you can give the full listing a look at this link.
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