When Queen Street crosses over Maple St. / Highway 213, the original streetscape of narrow urban lots with three-bay houses dating from the 18th century become slightly larger lots until the street ends at Horsey Lane and Byford Court. The latter street name pays homage to the former Byford Farm whose area was developed into a neighborhood of primarily rancher houses Today’s featured house has a deep lot that spans between N. Queen St. and Horsey Lane. As I walked the site, I first saw how the house rested at the top of a slight knoll, with a deep back yard ending at a charming Guest House.
Behind the guest house is a large parking area, accessed from Horsey Lane that could easily accommodate four cars. The side yard between the main house and the guest house has privacy from the fences that the next door neighbors erected. The yard is enhanced by the magnificent Silver Maple and the brick terrace which is covered by a pergola with dense vines for shade.
As I walked up the brick sidewalk from the driveway, I admired the simple form of the two-story three-bay house with a center door and transom surrounded by 6/6 windows with white frames, black shutters and light gray lap siding and wood shake roofing shingles.
As I walked up the brick sidewalk from the driveway, I admired the simple form of the two-story three-bay house with a center door and transom surrounded by 6/6 windows. The exterior color palette with wood shake roofing shingles light gray lap siding, 6/6 white window frames, and black shutters has great curb appeal. The brick sidewalk enlarges as it ends at the white wood steps up to the front four-paneled mahogany door with white handrails and newel posts capped with a pointed finial.
The original house was three rooms wide (including the center hall) and one room deep. The front door opens into the hall between the living room on the right and the dining room on the left. The vista from the front door opens into a later addition containing stairs, kitchen and mudroom. As I moved through the rooms, the agent explained he grew up in this house. His insights about the original pine floors that had been buried under eleven (11!) layers of other flooring, the custom mahogany front door, the original moldings around the doors and windows and wainscoting in both the living and dining rooms, gave me a deeper appreciation for the interiors. I especially admired the interior wood paneled shutters for the windows that provide total privacy.
The warm butter yellow walls in the foyer hall flow into the living room with a white chair rail whose top rested just below the sills of the windows. The original fireplace with a simple and elegant surround is the focal point of the room.
In the dining room, the wainscot is entirely white that emphasizes the beauty of the hardwood floors and the wall above the chair rail is painted a deep forest green for contrast.
The original door at the rear of the foyer is now an opening to a cross hall to the powder room next to the dining room opposite the stairs to the second floor. A wide cased opening frames the view of the kitchen that overlooks the garden with a vista of the charming guest house. I prefer a pantry to upper cabinets so I greatly admired the four-unit window above the kitchen sink cabinetry that offers views of the garden.
The addition was designed with the kitchen between two exterior doors to the garden, one in the kitchen area as shown above and the other in the adjacent mud room with closets. I would have preferred to have one exterior door so the kitchen area could accommodate a seating area around the corner TV.
Opposite the island is a wall of full height millwork and I could well imagine filling it with my colorful Italian ceramics and glassware.
The stairs to the second floor end at a hall between the primary suite overlooking the garden and the two guest ensuites at the front of the house. The bedroom at the primary suite has delightful interior architecture from the gambrel-shaped roof framing, the double unit window with an arched transom and the single dormer window at the side wall. The color of the walls
complements the beautiful wood floors.
The spacious primary bath has bold colors and ample storage behind the high knee walls of the gambrel roof framing. I was quite envious that the walk-in closet is larger than my guest room!
The guest bedrooms have ample sunlight from windows on two exterior walls and the paneled wood shutters provide total darkness. As appealing as this house was, I was eager to explore the charming guest house.
The spacious brick terrace and pergola create a very appealing outdoor room and the French door leads to the open plan living-dining-kitchen area.
The bedroom, bath and laundry completes this floor that was designed to be ADA compliant- the perfect opportunity for older family members to age in place and be near their loved ones. Spiral stairs lead to the second floor and I realized when the stairs ended at another kitchen that each floor is a self-contained one bedroom apartment. What a great way to host family for holidays or other celebrations with privacy for all.
Great location, deep lot with ample off street parking, main house and guest house for hosting family, all bedrooms with private baths, well maintained home with many original 18th century details, renovated and move-in ready!
For more information about this property, contact Peter Heller, who helped sponsor this article, at Coldwell Banker Chesapeake Real Estate Company, at 410-778-0330 (o), 410-708-3301(c), or [email protected]. For more pictures and pricing, visit www.hellertheseller.com , “Equal Housing Opportunity”. Photography by Patty Hill, www.pattyhillphotography.com, (410) 441-4719
Jennifer Martella is an architect with Bohl Architects’ Annapolis office and a referral agent for Meredith Fine Properties. Jennifer is an integral part of Bohl Architects’ design team for projects she brings to the firm. She is also the writer of Bohl’s website’s bi-monthly blog “Tango Funhouse” where she highlights the firm’s vision and other fun aspects of life by design. Her Italian heritage led her to Piazza Italian Market, where she hosts wine tastings every Friday and Saturday.
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