This charming house was built in the 1920’s at the height of the “Period ” cottages whose sizes were perfect for urban lots. This block of Calvert St. is located between Spring and Mill Streets in Chestertown’s Historic District and an ideal location for this bibliophile since its rear yard backs up to the Public Library. The property has a unique connection to the Chestertown Spy since it is the former home of the Chestertown Spy’s Publisher and he launched the Spy in the detached shed at the rear of the property.
The two story one-room deep front part of the house with side gables telescopes down to a long shed roof and finally to a one-story sunroom. The front elevation includes cottage style details of the entry door covered with a pitched roof supported by decorative brackets, iron handrail and concrete stoop and steps to the Town sidewalk. This separation provides space for plantings that continue around the parking area of the house to soften the hardscape. I liked how the trim for the main floor’s shallow box bay triple window unit and the two windows at the second floor are painted a deep teal accent instead of the usual shutters for decoration to contrast to the white lap siding and metal roof.
The front door opens to the stair with the side balustrade overlooking the living room. The slightly deep box bay creates an interior ledge for plants or the purr-fect perch for contented cats who await their human companion’s return. The hardwood floors have been beautifully refinished throughout the house, including the kitchen and adjacent laundry to link the spaces together for a feeling of spaciousness. Instead of the usual white quarter round molding at the baseboard/floor joint, here the stained delineates the spaces and is much easier to maintain.
A period arched opening leads to the open plan kitchen and dining areas. The dining table under the large window creates a cozy dining space and the corner cabinet is handy for storage of china and glassware. An open doorway connects the kitchen to the laundry and both spaces have a modern flair with stainless steel cabinets, laminated countertops and the upper kitchen cabinets have frosted glass fronts. The stack W/D is recessed into the wall opposite base cabinets below a window to make laundry a pleasant task. The wall next to the W/D is faced with pegboard for hanging clothes or for cleaning supplies.
Another arched opening leads to a short hall past the full bath and a bedroom/office. A double set of French doors opens into the appealing family room with a fireplace on the rear wall and seating opposite the TV wall for relaxation. A half French door connects the family room to the rear sunroom with one set of triple-unit windows on the side walls and two sets on the rear wall for panoramic views of the rear landscape. The exterior door leads to a terrace with French bistro chairs and table for a quick meal and a picnic table to accommodate a larger party with the gas grille standing by. A mix of fencing materials festooned with ivy provides privacy and the surrounding trees offer shade. The shed at the rear of the property has electric service so the next owner can launch her/his own business. I was curious about the Icelandic flag that hung inside but that fact remains unknown.
The second floor has a linear layout with a side hall opposite the stair linking bedrooms and bath. Two of the bedrooms have windows on two sides for sunlight throughout the day and the third smaller bedroom has its door on axis with the hall window opposite the side window for more sunlight. The primary bedroom is located at the rear overlooking the rear landscape. All of the baths have been updated including white tile flooring with black chamfered corners and black banding in the tile tub/shower combo, crisp white beadboard faced lavatory cabinets against the beadboard wainscot for a pristine look.
This house is indeed move-in ready with its updated kitchens and baths, beautiful hardwood floors and fresh paint with the flexibility of a main floor bedroom suite. Off-street parking and the rear terrace are a bonus and the rear fenced in yard is a blank canvas for a gardener’s finishing touches.
For more information about this property, contact Sarah Dean with Cross Street Realtors at 410-778-3779 (o),410-708-2528 (c) or [email protected]. For more photographs and pricing, visit www.csrealtors.com,“Equal Housing Opportunity”.
Spy House of the Week is an ongoing series that selects a different home each week. The Spy’s Habitat editor Jennifer Martella makes these selections based exclusively on her experience as a architect.
Jennifer Martella has pursued her dual careers in architecture and real estate since she moved to the Eastern Shore in 2004. Her award winning work has ranged from revitalization projects to a collaboration with the Maya Lin Studio for the Children’s Defense Fund’s corporate retreat in her home state of Tennessee.
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