On the market: Historic Wallace-Knox house provides old world charm in Erie
Want to own a piece of Erie history?
Consider the stately, two-story brick home for sale at 3528 Sassafras St.
Listed at $349,500, the spacious Federal style home, nestled in the Glenwood Heights community, is not only one of the oldest homes in the city of Erie but one that boasts a notable lineage of owners.
Geoff Mattocks, who's lived at the house with his wife and six children for the past five years, called the home a "special place" imbued with character, and one that fills any owner with a sense of pride.
"We don't feel like we just own it ― we feel we've been the caretakers," he said.
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The Wallace-Knox house was owned by early Erie County sheriff
Built in the early-1830s, the home was originally a 100-acre farmhouse owned by David Wallace, one of the earliest sheriffs and coroners of Erie County.
Wallace served as sheriff from 1813-1816, according to the Erie County government website.
The house was willed over to Wallace's nephew, Robert Wallace Knox, and remained in the extended family until the 1920s, when parcels of the property were subdivided and sold to form the planned Glenwood Heights community.
According to Old Erie On Foot, a website dedicated to exploring historical locations around Erie, the home was purchased by the Meyer family around the 1920s and then owned by the Gifford family from the 1950s to the 1980s.
David Gifford graduated from Central High School in Erie before going to Harvard University and becoming a successful attorney, according to Old Erie On Foot.
The home was purchased by the Boyer family in 1985 and then to the Kidder family in 2003. It was sold again in 2014 and in 2018, according to the website.
Despite the changing of hands, the home remains affectionately known as the Wallace-Knox house in honor of its initial owners, according to Marsha Marsh, of Marsha Marsh Real Estate Services.
Now, the 3,440-square foot home, which sits elevated from the street atop a 0.39-acre property, is ready for a new owner to continue that history.
"It's a wonderful home," Marsh said. "We would love to find a new buyer before the dead of winter sets in."
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Spacious rooms, upgraded kitchen and landscaped yard
The four-bedroom, two-and-a-half bathroom home maintains much of its old world charm, complete with original poplar hardwood floors, wood-burning fireplaces and built-in bookshelves and bed spaces.
Entering the home, visitors will be greeted by a foyer and sweeping staircase. To the right, an elegant living room with built-in bookshelves and a fireplace lead into the dining room with a walkout to a screened porch. To the left of the foyer is a family room with an upgraded wet bar.
The home includes a fully-equipped kitchen and breakfast bar.
Upstairs includes a master bedroom and bathroom, three other bedrooms with a Jack and Jill bathroom and a second-floor screened porch.
The outside includes an attached two-car garage, a brick patio and a landscaped yard framed by large trees and wrought iron fencing, ensuring privacy, according to Marsh.
"The home has a lot of character," Mattocks said. "It makes you feel accomplished when you are here. It makes you feel like you did something great in your life."
For more information and photos, visit marshamarsh.com or call 814-866-8840.
A.J. Rao can be reached at arao@gannett.com. Follow him on X @ETNRao.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Historic Wallace-Knox house for sale in Erie, PA
