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Historic Steel House on Poplar turns into Airbnb in Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA, Miss. (WTOK) - A historic house in Philadelphia now operates as an Airbnb.

“In a Southern town you’re not known for your address, you’re known for the name of the house that you live in,” said Steel House on Poplar owner, Gwen Alexander. Container Farm Houses

Historic Steel House on Poplar turns into Airbnb in Philadelphia

Welcome to the Steel House on Poplar! Built by two friends not long after World War II in 1945 and eventually became a stamp in history for those who live in the city of Philadelphia.

“Willard Hays and Richard Molpus built the house. They were friends before the war. They came back and built a duplex for their families. They were here for several, several years, and at some point around the 70s Sarah Steel bought the house and it is a duplex. She lived on the left side of the house, and she’s always rented out the other side of the house,” said Steel House on Poplar owner, Tony Alexander.

You might recognize the owners of this now Airbnb. Tony Alexander co-owns Steve’s on the Square in Philadelphia and Dr. Gwen Alexander is a Talented and Gifted Teacher (TAG) at Neshoba Elementary. But they decided to take on a new role to provide travelers a home away from home when visiting Philadelphia.

“We were here back around 2019, I think the Christmas of 2019. We were looking for a property, maybe that’s our forever house and we came across this and we thought one day this would be perfect for an Airbnb. Gwen, my wife, just retired in the state of Georgia as an educator for 30 years and we were looking for a project for her when she got here. It just felt like the perfect fit and so far it’s been just that,” said Tony Alexander.

And for those that don’t know much about Airbnb, it’s a service that allows homeowners to rent out their property on the internet to people looking for a place to stay.

“A lot of people don’t like to stay in hotels anymore. They kind of want a home feel and it’s completely furnished, has everything you need: a refrigerator, a washer and dryer. It’s just a great place to stay,” said Tony Alexander.

The Alexanders said they have had a lot of traction since they launched The Steel House for rent 3 weeks ago.

“The first time we put it up, it was live on Facebook and live on Airbnb. We’ve had some people who have called for graduations in May. People are coming into town that they don’t have enough room at their family’s house, so they’ve decided to stay at the Airbnb and celebrate. We’ve had wedding parties that want to have a bridal party here. We’ve had people staying for the casino; they’re staying for concerts,” said Gwen Alexander.

The Alexanders said travelers can stay a minimum of 2 days at The Steel House on Poplar and even rent for up to 2 months or more. For more information on the Airbnb or to book a stay, you can contact Gwen Alexander at 706-329-2915 or visit ‘The Steel House on Poplar’ Facebook page.

Historic Steel House on Poplar turns into Airbnb in Philadelphia

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