One of the first scenes in Devil’s Work takes place in a home of a city councilman. It’s a small home located in what’s called a "mews." Colonial Philadelphia is dotted with mews, buildings that are off the main streets with a walkway or alley from the street to the mews. Four or five homes are clustered around a small courtyard, giving the home owners an outdoor space. When they were built in the 18th century, the mews were stables. They were converted to homes when horses became passe.
One of the earlier advantages of the mews was that buildings set back off the street did not pay property taxes, but that advantage has slipped away. The real advantage is that the mews are secluded, off the main streets, away from the riff-raff and traffic noise. In addition to the higher price for that privacy, the homes are relatively small with no room to expand. A walk around Old City Philadelphia will provide glimpses of mews on many streets.
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