Updated four-bedroom bungalow nods at the 1920s in Palm Beach

Christine Davis
·3 min read

Andrew Dodge enjoys the charms of Palm Beach from his house on Wells Road.

But almost a year ago, he bought a 1927 cottage at 248 Park Ave., less than two miles to the south as an investment.

Dodge, who also has homes in Southhampton, New York, and Haverford, Pennsylvania, says he has decided to pivot from real estate investing back to his business career.

He heads two Pennsylvania companies in Lancaster County — PF America Inc., a wholesale distributor of resilient flooring to business and industrial clients; and Laurel Harvest Labs, a medical marijuana company that is a research partner with the medical school at Temple University in Philadelphia.

“You don’t know what you are good at until you explore (other) avenues,” he explains.

“In the year since I bought this Park Avenue cottage, I have taken on new roles in my life. I’m the owner of a Major League Pickleball team.” His club, the Los Angeles Mad Drops, counts among its minority owners retired New Orleans Saints and Super Bowl champion quarterback Drew Brees.

Owner Andrew Dodge had the original floors refinished on the ground level, including the one in the living room.
Owner Andrew Dodge had the original floors refinished on the ground level, including the one in the living room.

Focusing on his new priorities, Dodge has put the four-bedroom, two-bath bungalow at 248 Park Ave. on the market. With 1,948 square feet of living space, inside and out, it’s offered for sale through Premier Estate Properties agent Margit Brandt and priced at $3.95 million — the least-expensive single-family house listed for sale in the Palm Beach Board of Realtors Multiple Listing Service.

The house is furnished with pieces from Meredith Baer Home, which are available through separate negotiations.

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The bungalow is several houses east of Bradley Place on Park Avenue, the third street north of Royal Poinciana Way.

Dodge was inspired to buy the bungalow, he says, because it reminded him of the cottages and cozy houses on nearby Root Trail, which he finds attractive. The bungalow also had been meticulously maintained over the years by its previous owner.

“When I walked in, it was sort of like a home owned by a favorite aunt,” he recalls.

Nodding at the era it was built, the screened-in front porch runs the width of the streetside facade.

From the porch, glass-paned doors open directly into the living room, which has a wood-burning fireplace and a pitched ceiling. The dining room is just adjacent. At the rear of the floor plan are three guest bedrooms and the kitchen, while the main bedroom suite is upstairs.

The front porch runs the length of the front of the bungalow.
The front porch runs the length of the front of the bungalow.

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Dodge repainted and made other improvements to the bungalow that included refinishing the original wood floors downstairs and installing high-end vinyl-tile flooring upstairs. He also cleaned up the existing landscape and added new plants.

“We also removed a kitchenette on the second floor,” he adds.  “It reminded me of our daughter’s Barbie Doll kitchen. We completely pulled that out, which opened up a sitting room for the bedroom.”

On the second floor with peaked ceilings, the primary bedroom has room for its own seating area.
On the second floor with peaked ceilings, the primary bedroom has room for its own seating area.

And now Dodge is ready to focus his attention elsewhere.

“Pickleball is the fastest growing sport in America and there’s a lot of work to be done to build around the footprint. It’s good to move on and focus on what I do well — and it’s fun,” he says. “I’m just better at building businesses.”

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To see more photos of the house at 248 Park Ave. in Palm Beach, click on the photo gallery at the top of this page.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Palm Beach homes for sale: An updated bungalow nods at the 1920s