Large old rowhomes beside East Fairmount Park
Strawberry Mansion takes its name from the Federal-style house on the hill inside East Fairmount Park, one of the historic mansions the park still preserves. The Strawberry Mansion Bridge, a steel arch from the 1890s, crosses the Schuylkill nearby, and the park's paths and woods line the western edge of the neighborhood along 33rd Street. Many homes facing that green space are big three-story brick rowhomes with high ceilings, tall windows and deep back rooms, built when this was a prosperous corner of North Philadelphia.
Those houses were built to last, and many still have original plaster, hardwood and ornate trim. They also have plenty of room for things to pile up, and plenty of hidden space for pests: chases beside chimneys, gaps under stairs, and attics above the third floor. Families have held homes here across several generations, and our work often starts when one of those families needs help with a house that has gotten ahead of them. Others call after buying a long-empty property and finding more inside than the listing photos showed.
Cleanup calls we answer most in Strawberry Mansion
Clearing hoarded and long-vacant houses with care
Hoarding cleanups in Strawberry Mansion tend to be large because the houses are large. We start with a walkthrough and a plan you agree to, then work from the front door inward so there is always a safe path out. Papers, photos, cash, jewelry and anything with a name on it get set aside for you. Rotted food, soiled bedding and animal waste are bagged and sealed. Usable items can go to donation instead of the dumpster.
Vacant properties bring a different mix. A house that has stood empty for years may have open windows where pigeons roost, rats in the basement, and leaks that have softened the plaster. Dried droppings can carry disease, so we mist them with disinfectant before touching them, work in respirators, and never dry sweep. After the debris is out, we disinfect floors and walls and, where needed, remove ruined insulation and plaster so the owner has a clean shell for repair crews to start from.
Death and trauma cleanup for Strawberry Mansion families
When someone dies at home here, from illness, an accident or violence, the family is often surrounded by neighbors and church members who want to help. We take on the part none of them should have to see. After Philadelphia Police and the Medical Examiner's Office release the home, we contain the room, remove what absorbed fluids, and clean hard surfaces under OSHA's bloodborne pathogens standard.
If the death resulted from a crime, Pennsylvania's Victims Compensation Assistance Program may help eligible families with crime scene cleanup costs, and we can provide the paperwork it asks for. Homeowner's insurance also covers many sudden events. Either way, we explain how billing works before we start. Big rowhomes with long hallways and steep interior stairs need planning, so we lay poly sheeting along the route out, run HEPA air scrubbers, and keep doors closed so nothing reaches the attached homes on either side.
