University-owned structures along Woodlawn Avenue are newly governed by local landmark protections. But the provision doesn't apply to privately-owned houses or the First Unitarian Church-owned Fenn House at 5638 S Woodlawn Ave. We wouldn't want a developer to come along and bungle the Colonial facade, nor the fine interior details. That being said, the former mansion could use some sprucing up along with the necessary realignment to residential use. And there's monstrous potential at a relatively low price: $1.195M gets the buyer six bedrooms, six-and-a-half baths, and over 6,000 square feet of living space. The surviving original features, of which there are many, include leaded and stained glass windows, hardwood floors, moldings, two wood-burning fireplaces, and a bunch of superfluous rooms (library, study, den, sitting room, pantry). One drawback is the substitution of a side yard for a back yard— a casualty of institutional encroachment. Otherwise it's just the conversion's demands and your willingness to contend with them.
·Listing: 5638 S Woodlawn Ave. [Baird & Warner]
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