1807 Apple Tree Ln, Bethlehem, PA 18015

Description

For generations, Four Oaks Stables formed the heart of a working farm celebrated for its sweeping, manicured apple orchards — a landscape still vividly remembered by those who grew up in Saucon Valley. Originally comprising the Manor House on Saucon Valley Road and the now‑distinct Stables complex, Four Oaks carries a legacy that began in 1927, when a visionary owner and a renowned architect sketched the first magical drawings of what would become an enduring architectural landmark.
What began as stables for a country estate, and then became a practical agricultural center, soon evolved into one of the region’s most admired examples of early‑20th‑century Colonial Revival craftsmanship.
John M. Gross, an executive at Bethlehem Steel, conceived the Stables, cottage, pump house, and garages after traveling through England’s great manor houses. Inspired by centuries‑old estates, he returned home determined to create “a stables designed to look like it was 200 years old… but built to last 200 years.” His ambition was not simply to replicate the past, but to reinterpret it with a level of permanence and artistry that would allow the property to endure for generations.
To realize this vision, Gross hired celebrated Philadelphia architect R. Brognard Okie — the restoration mind behind the Betsy Ross House and Pennsbury Manor, and the preferred architect of the DuPonts, Behrends, and other prominent Main Line families. The cottage at Four Oaks is featured in published works on Okie’s career as a quintessential example of his Colonial Revival mastery. Ever the bold dreamer, Okie blended Georgian and Federal influences with ease, crafting a design that next year will mark its 100th anniversary. His work at Four Oaks reflects not only historical fidelity but also a willingness to experiment with emerging styles and materials.
While Okie showcased his Colonial Revival sensibilities in the Stables’ balanced façade, centered entrance, and Palladian window, he layered in more than symmetry and colonial charm. Inside, he nodded to the rising Art Deco movement: curved wooden arches grace the entrance hall and passage, and the tack room displays striking white‑oak joists that glow with warmth and craftsmanship. The building’s interior remains a stunning interplay of historic styles, executed with extraordinary care and an architect’s delight in detail.
Today, the central portion of the Stables offers 3,018 square feet of finished living space. The original stalls and apple‑processing room - still largely as conceived - provide additional space ready for transformation. Above, the full second floor remains unfinished, offering yet another opportunity for expansion and creativity. The structure invites both preservation and reinvention, making it ideal for a buyer who values heritage but imagines a future shaped by thoughtful design.
The Stables was designed with pragmatic function and exquisite detail. The original brick floors remain today while the clay floors laid in the foyer of the building have been replaced with Moravian tiles. Horses were meticulously cared for here; later, people would create a home within its walls. Nearly a century after its conception, Four Oaks Stables stands as an invitation — to invest in beauty, to honor craftsmanship, and to shape the next chapter of a truly remarkable property.