Morbid Real Estate: The Tarlo Murder House Up For Sale!

5114 N. Broad St., Philadelphia

 

The dog days of summer are here and things are heating up across Pennsylvania, including the real estate market. According to Redfin, housing inventory rose 14.7% year-over-year in June nationwide, and, with more houses on the market, the tables are finally beginning to turn, albeit ever-so-slightly, in favor of buyers. 

And, if you happen to be in the market for a home with ghoulish past, have we got some real gems for you! This month's offerings include a home which was the scene of one of the most famous murder-suicides in Philadelphia history, a Luzerne County home once occupied by a miner who paid the ultimate price for not listening to his wife, and a Schuylkill County property up for auction-- though you'd probably want to think twice before making a bid.

5114 N. Broad St., Philadelphia, rear view.

 

5114 North Broad Street, Philadelphia. Price: $365,000

Boasting 7 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, and over 3000 square feet of livable space, this early 20th century brick home seems like a real steal at under $400k. While there is no description in the listing or pictures of the interior, there's a pretty good chance the inside features quality workmanship and an abundance of charming architectural details, as this was once the home of Albert Tarlo, an affluent businessman who inherited the family cabinetry business from his father. Tarlo also dabbled in real estate, which allowed him to acquire multiple homes and add to his wealth and social status, thereby guaranteeing his wife and daughter a place among the city's high society.

It seemed that fate, however, had more than just a large bank account and European vacations for Albert Tarlo-- it also had an astonishing amount of tragedy. 

In January of 1920, the Tarlo & Son factory on Addison Street caught on fire, ultimately resulting in the deaths of six workers. This was due to the fact that Albert, who had been running the company for his ailing invalid father, had neglected to install fire escapes. He pleaded ignorance of the law as a defense and was let off the hook, even though the Tarlo factory had been previously condemned seven times (Mayor Moore publicly blasted the factory as "a fire-trap of rattle-trap construction'').

Aftermath of the Tarlo & Son factory fire

 

Surprisingly, within days of the deadly inferno, the factory was reopened, while Tarlo promptly ran help wanted ads in city papers to replace the men who had died due to his negligence. Albert Tarlo may have felt like the luckiest businessman in Philadelphia, but a decade later, his luck would run out.

It was the evening before Thanksgiving of 1930 when the Tarlo family-- Albert, his 50-year-old wife Florence, and their 22-year-old daughter, Marie, found itself embroiled in yet another quarrel. Marie, described by the press and a "spoiled" and "reckless" girl with a series of disappointing love affairs, had recently fallen for a foreigner while the Tarlos were on a European vacation, resulting in a series of expensive long-distance phone calls. Albert was also angered by Marie's feverish spending; on one recent shopping trip, Marie had purchased 58 hats, a few dozen pairs of shoes, and several dresses from a single store.  Unfortunately for Albert, his wife always defended Marie's excessive spending. But on this day, Albert decided that he had enough.

The Tarlo family: Marie (left), Florence, and Albert.

 

Albert got up from the dinner table, leaving his meal half-finished. He locked himself in a room and refused to come out, only to emerge on Thanksgiving morning, with a revolver in his hand. He shot and killed his wife as she lay sleeping in her bed in their North Broad Street home. Then he went to Marie's bedroom on the third floor and did the same, before pressing the revolver to his temple and taking his own life, falling dead next to his daughter. 

519 West Norwegian Street, Pottsville (Schuylkill County). Price: Est. $109,000 (auction)

519 W. Norwegian St., Pottsville

This foreclosure property is listed on Auctions.com, so the listing gives absolutely no details about this home, aside from the fact that it has 5 bedrooms and 1 bath. In fact, there aren't even any pictures of the inside. However, as someone who has been inside many Pottsville homes over the course of my life, it's probably fair to say that there's no shortage of wood paneling, shag carpeting, and holes punched into the drywall by an out-of-work Yuengling dockworker during a domestic dispute with his common-law wife. As you can see, this home also includes caution tape, which will most likely convey to the new owner. 

As for the home's history, well, it's not nearly as charming as the front porch and its missing bricks. As it turns out, this was the home where 36-year-old Clayton Bachman fatally fired a bullet into his right temple on the evening of January 18, 1928. Bachman carried out the act on the third floor, and died in the Pottsville Hospital later that night. Sadly, it was his mother who responded to the sound of the shot; she entered the room to find her son lying in a pool of blood.

 

106 Cliff Street, Pittston (Luzerne County). Price: $128,000

 

106 Cliff St., Pittston

 

Next, we have this charming, move-in ready home on the upper end of Pittston. Featuring 3 bedrooms and 1 bath, this 1,491 square foot home is affordably priced, making it a great starter home for a young family or a divorced dad looking to get back on his feet after being taken to the cleaners by his wife. There's a partially finished basement ideal for a home office or a man cave, and a fenced-in yard perfect for a summer barbecue. 

106 Cliff St.

 

They say every house has a story to tell, and this house comes with a pretty wild one. This property was once the home of John Girmnan, an unfortunate Seneca Colliery employee who was murdered because he was mistaken for someone else.

106 Cliff St.

 

On July 21, 1910, Girmnan was returning home from attending a wedding party with his wife. he woke up at around two o'clock in the morning and was feeling a bit dry, so he decided to head over to Buliavich's Saloon in Duryea for last call, though his wife pleaded with him to stay home. He should've listened. After finishing his drink, he began to walk home, and was attacked by a man named Charles Kribza, who was lying in wait, armed with a knife. Believing that John Girmnan was the man he was waiting for, Kribza leaped from the shadows and stabbed him several times. 

 

Even though one of the gashes penetrated his lung, Girmnan was able to make it as far as his back yard before he collapsed, unconscious. Though he was quickly found and was rushed to the hospital, he died from his injuries a week later.