House of the Week: Cliffs City Cottage

Being an ardent history buff, I was intrigued to learn that Cliffs City has the distinction of being the location of the last remaining one-room schoolhouse in Kent County. The schoolhouse continued to serve this farming and watermen community until 1939. One of my criteria for selecting a House of the Week is the site-this waterfront property with its frontage along the Chester River leading to the Chesapeake Bay has both expanses of lawn and clusters of shade trees for enjoying the outdoors.  Even though fall is here, it is easy to envision spending a lazy afternoon swinging in the hammock between two trees with a clear view to the water or ending the afternoon sitting on one of the Adirondack chairs anticipating the sunset. The deck off the corner of the sunroom offers yet another view of the water. The proximity of the house’s rear wall is a plus-with current Critical Area setbacks of 100 feet from the water, this house could not be built today so close to the shoreline. 

The sunroom that spans the full length of the house is the primary room for water views.  Bays of triple sliding glass doors wrap around the room to open the space to the water and the linear plan provides ample space for relaxation and dining.  More glass doors between the sunroom and the adjacent living room increase the water views.  The living room’s fireplace on the side exterior wall is the other focal point of the spacious room. The rest of this wing contains a waterside bedroom suite.

A short hall leads from the living room to the entry foyer with its vista through the bay window wall of the dining room that was positioned for maximum views of the water. The bay-shaped dining room’s pitched ceiling adds architectural interest and is detailed with a stained wood header spanning the opening with transoms that infill the area of the triangular wall created by the pitched ceiling.  The window and transoms frames are stained to match the header. Since I share my home with a feline companion, I was pleased to see the pet bowls at the side wall of the dining room. 

The open plan dining-kitchen layout is great for entertaining and the cook has water views from the prep area. Next to the kitchen is the laundry and the two-car garage. Since the dining, kitchen, laundry and garage wing is angled to the main rooms of the house, the garage doors are not visible from the approach to the front door. The remainder of this floor contains a bedroom and a walk-in closet adjacent to the kitchen’s pantry but eliminating the pantry could create a full bath for another main floor bedroom suite. Currently the angled wing is painted a dark color that contrasts with the waterside wing. Painting this wing the same color as the rest of the house would tie the massing together.

The second floor contains two bedrooms with a hall bath to share.  Enlarging the bath could create another primary suite with its own sitting room.   Great waterfront property for sunset views and a few upgrades could become even better.  Boating enthusiasts would appreciate the location on the Chester River and close proximity to the Corsica River, Langford Creek and the amenities of Chestertown and Rock Hall. 

For more information about this property contact Chris McClary with Gunther McClary Real Estate at 410-275-2118 (o), 410-708-2614 (c) or [email protected], For more pictures and pricing, visit https://gunthermcclary.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.