Welcome to Day 2 of “Marley & Me.” Yesterday I featured the charming starter home that John and Jenny Grogan (played by Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston) lived in. Today we’re looking at the beautiful old Pennsylvania farmhouse that they moved into later in the film. When the Grogan family pulls up to the house for the first time, it’s Fall. Cue the soaring music. I may have been getting just a teensy bit bored with the movie at that point, but now it had my full attention!
Here is the house in winter, covered in snow. It looks like the perfect “Christmas House” to me:
I read that this farmhouse impressed the real John and Jenny Grogan so much that the couple purchased a similar home for themselves.
Someone close to the production contacted me when the movie came out and shared some photos they took of the crew faking that snowy day. They asked to remain anonymous, but I have to say thank you for these. I love seeing how the movie magic is made!
Here are some behind-the-scenes photos taken inside the house during production, in the dining room:
The real John Grogan’s new puppy was on the set. So cute!
Back to the movie–Owen Wilson (as John Grogan) coming in the front door after work:
This room is beautiful. I love the details, like the line of books on the windowsill in the background:
Their son watches old videos of Marley:
Jennifer Aniston in a cozy windowseat:
Here’s a photo of the stone farmhouse with the (real) homeowners’ collie, Beryl, featured in Philadelphia magazine before the movie came out. The 1837 stone farmhouse in Chester County, Pennsylvania, sits on 16 acres.
The living room, painted a warm gold:
The homeowners were featured in an article called Farm Charm, with some beautiful interior photographs of the house that you’ll recognize from the film. It also tells more about the home, and about all the work the couple put into it. The article says that it was in such bad shape when they moved in that there were bats nesting upstairs, floorboards were falling into the basement, and all of the plumbing and wiring had to be replaced.
The kitchen is new, created from what was a mudroom, but they designed it to look original to the house with hefty ceiling beams and wide plank floorboards (via Philadelphia Magazine). Gorgeous.
Here are a couple of photos taken of the kitchen during filming with all of the equipment and “work mess” in view:
Here’s a photo of Jennifer Aniston standing in the kitchen in the film:
A daybed off the kitchen:
To see more of the photos, visit Philadelphia magazine.
According to an article in Fused Focus, the film’s producers wanted the Grogans’ Pennsylvania home to reflect the family’s maturity and growth: “It needed to have a warm, solid, and inviting feel.”
One more behind-the-scenes shot, of the cast and crew in front of the house (you can see Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston in the second row):
If you missed my first post, about the Grogans’ starter home in Florida, click here to see it.
Visit my TV/Movie Houses page for links to all the others I’ve featured so far, from Father of the Bride to Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.
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What a great house!
SoBella Creations´s last blog ..Big Announcement Time
I love it!
I have that movie coming from Netflix tomorrow – but the house is drool worthy! Wow! And I love seeing how they did the snow – how neat is that?
Michelle Smiles´s last blog ..Guacamole Revisited
Hi Julia
I can’t bring myself to watch the movie, so thank you for sharing the homes here. I love this one, but I think the starter home is my favorite. I’m so odd LOL
rue
rue´s last blog ..A weekend of lemonade and laughs
OH! I love it! Now, there’s competion for which is my favorite house, this one or Iris’s house in The Holiday. Decisions, decisions.
This is such a lovely home, I’m glad you decided to feature it, since I will probably never get around to watching this movie. Windowseats are so cozy. Thanks for the amazing pictures.
Erin´s last blog ..Pairing wine and spicy foods
Very, very cool. How neat for you to have “connections” like that. The house is fantastic.
Amy´s last blog ..Stuff…
wow!!! that house is stunning!!!!!!
Stephanie@Geezees´s last blog ..Geezees Custom Canvas
Wonderful house; I heart windowseats!
Your photos of the snow-in-progress are a real scoop too. Thanks for all these.
Struggler´s last blog ..What’s stopping you from looking your best?
Awesome feature! I think this may rank as my favorite so far! Such a beautiful house!
~Michelle
Michelle´s last blog ..My Weekly Finds
Very interesting! Thanks for sharing…
Fabulous post- I just LOVE that house!
Morning T´s last blog ..Dream kitchen- still on the market!
Oh, what a house…just…perfection. Love it!
Natalia at FLHomeBlog´s last blog ..Summer Fun!
Kinda in love with this house. Stone is now my NEW favorite.
Keyona´s last blog ..When Good Is Enough
Great post!! I loved that house. It is just picture perfect. Thanks for putting so much into it with the behind the scenes stuff. Very interesting:)
Becky @ Farmgirl Paints´s last blog ..Competing against the World
Ok, you are really making me want to see this movie although I am sure I will be traumatiz!! I love this house! It’s making me ready for Fall. Oh no was that out loud? No…still loving summer. Just loving this house! Great post!
Melissa´s last blog ..Maillot -Oh No
I never saw this movie, but it’s fun to see the sets. Especially the fake snow stuff.
Jenny´s last blog ..More Workbox Information
Love the house and the Colonial furnishings even though they are out of favor lately. Which is good for me because I’ve picked up some great buys on Windsor chairs, samplers, etc. at estate sales!
Jane´s last blog ..FORAGING
I fell in love with this house when I watched this movie.
Carmen´s last blog ..Okay so here’s the chalkboard.
Hi Julia,
Another blogger recommended your site to me and I am so very glad she did! What a treat! How is it possible that I am just now finding you?! I know I shall return here often and shall add you to my blog roll posthaste!! All the best!,
Pamela
Pamela´s last blog ..
Hi Julia
Wonderful to see all the “behind the movie” scenes!
I’ve visited Chester, PA and there are many similar beautiful old stone homes in that area. Call me old fashioned, but I’m still a fan of colonial furnishings and accessories. They are so warm and homey.
Hugs, Pat
Pat´s last blog ..July Daring Bakers ~ Milan Cookies
This is one of my favorite movie houses. Love the stone and the old house character!
Britt´s last blog ..
The ’snow’ pics are crazy! It always amazes me how real the movie crew makes it appear!
How I love this house. There’s something about these old stone houses that just pulls me in. Thanks for the tour (wonderful, as always) and all the inside information, too!
I loved this home. This movie came out when we had to put our “Marley” who was named Kenai to sleep. This home and the state Marley was in at the time spoke to my heart and what we had just gone through. The stone on the outside and the warmth of the inside is fabulous!
What a wonderful house! I’ve always wanted a stone “cottage” but with all of my kids the “cottage” would have to be large like this one!
Wonderful post… I’ve read the book but haven’t seen the movie.
Nancy´s last blog ..Happy Tuesday (couldn’t think of a title)
Love, Love, Love this house! Thanks so much for the post….I actually thought it was a house in Western MA . But, I could really see Chester, PA.
Suzy´s last blog ..Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
Beautiful exterior (I love that shot with the collie!). The window seat is so cool. Very neat to see how they *make* snow happen for a movie.
Amanda @ Serenity Now´s last blog ..Tasty Tuesday: Mini Burgers to Tempt Any Tummy!
What a great house for the Fall and Winter, but the starter house is definitely for the Spring and Summer!
We went to see The Proposal this evening. Can hardly wait for you to feature the Paxton’s Sitka, AK house. Hope you can get some pic’s of the kitchen.
Hi Julia! I love that you have some friends in cool places…smiles..and you share with all of us! Neat pictures~
Susie Harris´s last blog ..Shopping Daddys house!
Thnak you so much for the peek inside this house! Sometimes, when an awesome house like this is on screen, I totally miss a big chunck of film! Oh, so what! Thats what dvd’s are for!
~Nancy
Nancy´s last blog ..Works For Me- Blueberry Sauce
Watched this movie yesterday because I was dying to see it all – I love both houses – I can see a great deal of positives in them both. Of course, the movie made me sob like a baby. Yes, I’m pathetic and sappy.
Thanks for sharing these pictures! I loved that house!! All of the movie home posts are great because in the movie, you may not be able to take in all of the details like you can when you pour over a still photo. Thanks!
Amy´s last blog ..Beach trip
Oh wow. Reminds me of some of the old homes in Central Virginia. Very beautiful! Thanks for sharing!
MissCaron´s last blog ..Movits!
Now THAT’s my kinda house. Thanks for the post!
foobella´s last blog ..World Wide Photo Walk
I haven’t seen the movie – but I plan to one day. On dvd. What an absolutely gorgeous house! I don’t think I would have taken on a project like that – bravo to them!
christy´s last blog ..Truth? Or a big fat lie?
I live near this house, but even if I did not…no way could a columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer have afforded such a place. That was one flaw in the movie.
Chester County PA is semi-rural, wealthy, rolling hills, horses, etc. The house as shown above is located near Unionville, PA which was called, I think, Chester Springs in the movie.
CHESTER PA is a slum and is on the outskirts of Philadelphia.
JoAnn´s last blog ..The Joy of Charlie
I think this house may be on a road in Chester County that I made my Philly hubby drive me down all the time. For miles and miles are old early 18th century homes on acreage, and not one thing has changed on that road since the early 1700s. It is beautiful.
I love your movie features! But now I can’t watch a movie without paying more attention to the decor than the plot…
Jaime @ A Place Out West´s last blog ..a side-of-the-road desk
JoAnn–you’re so right. It’s hard to imagine a newspaper columnist being able to afford this house–at least not until he wrote a bestselling book and sold the movie rights.
Jaime–I can’t, either. I mentally take pictures of rooms in TV shows and movies all the time now. Can’t tell you how many times I have to rewind scenes because I wasn’t paying attention to the actors and have no idea what happened! -Julia
Thank you soooo much for posting information on this house! I am in LOVE with it!
The house is just to beautiful. I have always been in love with these type of homes.
Then to see this one, Wow.. Nothing can compare too these old homes.
The new homes and decor is so cold, and uninviting. There is no classic value to their decorating, and purchases. Too bad..
I noticed that the charming curtains on the window seat were the same ones from the Florida starter house, as if the family packed them along and hung them again. Nice attention to detail on the part of the set designers!
This house is truly a dream house – thanks for posting!
I am totally in love with this farmhouse. The movie was cute, I always enjoy a good cry.Both me and my 12 year old daughter went looking for our shih tzu Ginger to hug up after watching it , sniffling with tears. I love movie magic. I look at that house and think every dream could come true in there . Movies are my escape from life’s “difficulties”. Thanks for sharing the joy and magic, Julia! Enjoy yourLabor Day Weekend…………………………… Jodi
Thank you for this great post… I watched the movie this weekend and found myself distracted by the house and not following the story.
I linked to this today on my blog… I hope that’s okay.
Maureen
You have THE BEST BLOG AROUND! Your knowledge and love of homes is so wonderful! Your connections are great too! wink…wink!
Does anyone know the exact address of this house?
the address of the house is Meetinghouse Road and Route 100 (corner) West Chester, Pa. My in laws live next door. Hope this helps. The house looks exactly the same as it does in the movie, and as it always has.
I live right out side of the Unionville Chadds Ford area.
Can you let me know where the farm house is?
Mitch and Debbi–
Sorry, but I don’t know the address of the house. -Julia
This was my Great Uncles house I remember visiting upon his death. The item missing was the huge swimming pool the was spring fed. It was wonderful to see his place again!
OMG, this house has been haunting me. LOVE IT, as in L.O.V.E. IT. This is my dream house I hope one day to build. This is THE inspiration. I’m so happy I’ve found this website!
Saved by google.
Gorgeous! I love that home
31everything´s last blog ..Gallery Walls That Inspire
This home is beautiful, and one of my favorites. I love to watch films where the house is as much a character as any actor. I love you for creating this site. Thank you.
Do you have any pages like this on either Uncle Monty’s house (Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events) or the Owens home (Practical Magic)? These are two of my three favorite movie homes (my third being Erica’s Hampton house in Something’s Gotta Give). Sometimes I will watch the films just for the houses.
If i ever have the opportunity to build my own home from scratch I would somehow incorporate themes from each one. Somehow.
sj kimball–
I haven’t written about the house from “Unfortunate Events,” but I did do a post about “Practical Magic.” You can see it here:
http://hookedonhouses.net/2009/10/25/practical-magic-a-victorian-house-fit-for-a-witch/
I have a list of all the movies I’ve done if you want to search for any others:
http://hookedonhouses.net/houses-onscreen/
-Julia
Hey Julia once again,
Guess what, I just got back from the movies where I watched “It’s Complicated” with Meryl Streep and Alec Baldwin. Loved the movie!! And even more I LOVED the house in it. I’m a cook, just like Meryl Streep’s character in the movie, so obviously I payed a lot of attention to that kitchen. It’s my DREAM KITCHEN. I was wondering if you have access to the stills from the set. It will go on my vision board, or something. I will manifest it this way or another. Would love to see that house again, and up close. Please, let me know where to look …!
Best,
Agi
Agi´s last blog ..RA-TA-TA-TA-WHAT?
My family’s trying to sell their home and it looks really similar to this one. If anyone’s interested use this link:
http://www.4202crosslanddrive.com/
Thanks!
I found the house on google earth. the GPS co-ordinates are
39°53′46.51″N 75°36′47.20″W
What an absolutely dreamy home. I love the daybed.
Juju at Tales of Whimsy.com´s last blog ..Roving Reader- World Shaking