Little did I know when I drove through Chestertown on my way to meetings with an architectural client in Rock Hall that I passed by one of Kent County’s architectural treasures,“Lauretum”, a National Register property, circa 1881. Latin for “laurel grove”, this magnificent house is sited on six acres on a hill above Chestertown and was commissioned by the prominent Vickers family.  George Vickers became a US Senator and is best known for casting the deciding vote that saved President Andrew Johnson from impeachment.  Architect Edmund George Lind, FAIA, was chosen to design “Lauretum” and one of the most accomplished builders at that time, R. K. Pippin, was the contractor.

Born in England, Lind received his architectural education in London and after working for several offices, he emigrated to New York City. His talent soon found him employment in the office of Nathan G. Starkweather, designer of Baltimore’s First Presbyterian Church. Lind moved to Baltimore to supervise its construction and later left to form a partnership that became Lind & Murdoch.  Their most well-known project was Baltimore’s Peabody Institute. Before Lind moved his practice to Atlanta, he designed “Lauretum”.

On the day I visited, I drove along a gravel driveway that climbs up a high hill shaded by mature trees accented with crape myrtles and laurel that lined the drive. At the top of the hill I reached a clearing surrounded by trees and two sides of the house came into view. I stopped the car to savor the beauty of the gambrel roofed three-story structure of light yellow stucco, multi paned windows with elliptical arched headers, granite window sills and pale blue trim.  I thought at first the roofing shingles were slate but as I grew closer I realized they were actually architectural shingles in a clever mix of straight and scalloped edges with long exposures to simulate slate. 

The elevations visible from the driveway illustrate the exuberant details of the house’s late Victorian style with the stepped down massing from the three-story gable wing at the front and the two-story wing at the side, hipped gable eaves, one with a triple oriel window, dormer windows, exposed rafters, decorative bracing at the porch columns, pierced fretwork, tower elements and multiple porches. The windowpanes ranged from 16/2 to 42/4 and many of the windows are infilled with random accents of red and white colored glass. Several articulated reddish brick chimneys pierce the chimney. 

The three-story entry elevation has a welcoming scale with the porch leading to the front door covered by a hipped gable roof infilled with fretwork above pairs of wood columns separated by bracing.  Flanking each side of the front door are pairs of double hung 24/2 windows on the main floor. The front gambrel roof eaves end in artfully detailed triangular brackets perpendicular to brackets below to the front face of the wall.  I liked the asymmetry of this elevation with three of the second floor windows under the gambrel roof and the third under the eave of the projecting wing at the side of the house. The elevation is balanced by a one story porch at the driveway side and a one-story addition at the rear side. 

The rear addition’s rich mix of details include the third floor dormer windows and the tower element penetrating the gambrel roof, the long windows with 20/2 on the second floor and 42/4 on the main floor, stacked porches and the one-story shed roofed addition meeting the gambrel hipped addition. Steps lead from French doors to the broad lawn bordered by trees. The massing steps down to a two-story elevation then to a one-story roof over a porch to the side terrace. 

This magnificent house was built for the ages with its walls of thick brick and has been a residence, B&B and currently is the corporate offices of a national firm.  The office furnishings are unobtrusive so the original interior architecture and finishes can be admired.  Beautiful wood floors, high ceilings, moldings, ceiling medallions in the living and dining rooms and interior transoms above doors all attest to the beauty of the house when it was a private residence. The unusual jib-way doors in the adjacent sitting and dining rooms access the porch for pre-dinner cocktails and post-dinner coffee. I admired how the current owners’ relocated kitchen incorporated the long original windows and the fireplace into the layout and their high-end design would be the envy of any cook. 

My favorite room was the main floor study for its exposed brick chimney with corbeled sides and a front 20/2 double hung window with the upper panes of random colored glass.  The recessed alcove for a pre-cell rotary phone is a wry anachronism for the current office use.  When one has writer’s block, time out in the adjacent porch overlooking the grounds would get the creative juices flowing again. 

The second and third floors contain the bedroom suites currently furnished as offices and the third floor oriel window enhances what was once the schoolroom for young children. 

My wish for “Lauretum” is that it once again becomes a residence for new owners to appreciate a wonderful opportunity to continue the stewardship of this house that is so significant to Chestertown’s architectural history!

For more information about this property, contact Nancy McGuire with Maryland Heritage Properties  at 443-480-7342 or nmcguire@MDHeritage.properties. For more photographs and pricing visit  www.marylandhistoricproperties.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.

This property caught my eye for its very convenient location one block from highway 213 and Chestertown’s Historic District amenities. The property has great curb appeal from its exterior color palette and variety of hardscape and landscape.  The two-story, two-bay house with light yellow/brown lap siding and the reddish-brown colored shutters stands out against its setting in the lush perennial garden on either side of the brick sidewalk and the mature crape myrtle that fans out from the landscaping frames the front elevation beautifully.  At the side yard, the hardscape changes texture from brick to white pebbles inlaid with individual deep gray flagstone pavers.  At the end of the pavers is another texture change of the wooden privacy fence with a delightful iron artisan gate design of a half-sunrise arched top festooned with vines and miniature lights. The gate  separates the public space from the private rear yard enclosed by the wooden fence.

The brick stoop with black iron handrails has a pedimented roof over the front door with a beadboard ceiling painted the siding color and the trim and the support brackets are painted the shutter color for contrast. The front door opens into the living room with a sectional sofa, rocking chair and ottoman for entertaining with the white firebox surround that has cleverly become a bookcase. The deep wall opening at the rear of the room leads to the dining room with a horizontal beadboard wainscot and the table and chairs below the window overlooking the side yard. The side stairs leading from the corner of the dining room has storage below the steps and a doorway leads to the shed roofed one-story kitchen at the rear of the house.  

The sloped portion of the kitchen’s roof intersects the flat ceiling area to create space for upper cabinets on the interior wall and the lower rear wall has open shelves.  Two skylights over the low rear window bring more sunlight/moonlight into the kitchen and the half-French door leading to the brick terrace is handy for serving al-fresco meals. The white cabinets and white appliances makes the efficient space seem larger and using the same color for both the tile floor and the countertops maintains the neutral palette. The glass fronted white upper cabinets give depth to the space and the wood slat ceiling and walls add texture. 

Each of the second floor bedrooms has different ceiling treatments.  One bedroom has a full height ceiling and one has a high knee wall with a sloped ceiling that intersects the flat portion of the ceiling. Two low windows flank the bed and the wall space in between cleverly becomes the “headboard” with its strips of multicolored wood. The bath has been renovated with a glass fronted shower and a rear wall of white subway tile.  The floor tile that continues into the shower is the same black and white pattern I selected for one of my bathrooms.  The pattern of the center black square surrounded by white rectangles is perfectly sized for the space.  An open shelving unit between the shower and the toilet conveniently holds towels and other supplies. The lavatory cabinet has a white undermount lavatory set into a berry colored granite countertop for an accent and the round mirror with sconces completes the upgrades. 

Great starter house, downsizer house or weekend getaway with an established garden ready for the next owner to enjoy, low maintenance yard without grass and a private rear fenced terrace for relaxation, all within a short distance to the Chester River or to the amenities of Chestertown’s shopping area.

For more information about this property, contact  Peter Heller with Coldwell Banker Chesapeake Real Estate Company at 410-778-0330 (o), 410-708-3301 (c) or pheller@cbchesapeake.com.  For more photographs and pricing visit www.hellertheseller.com , “Equal Housing Opportunity”. 

Photography by Patty Hill, www.pattyhillphotography.com, (410) 441-4719

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.

Once again I return to Chesapeake Landing Subdivision on scenic Mill Creek leading to the Chesapeake Bay. If you are a nature lover, this 0.92 acre waterfront lot is nestled in the woods with a gradual stairway leading to the dock for quick access to the Chesapeake Bay. The house was built by Alton Darling and the aerial photograph shows the minimal clearing for the house’s footprint that maximizes the  preservation of the surrounding woods for views from every window.

The massing and floor plan works very well with the main floor’s core rectangular form and the addition of a front gable wing projection for the two-car garage creating a front porch with two dormer windows above. The rear gable wing for the dining room is next to the low slope screened porch that spans across the rest of the house.  Since the house also has a partial basement, the screened porch with its exposed wood roof rafters and decking becomes a delightful tree house suspended above the ground. Steps lead down from the screened porch to a terrace with a hot tub and a grille for al-fresco meals. The basement door under a pergola with partial height brick retaining walls is the perfect place for a gardener to rest on the bench to take off his/her wellies and store the garden tools before heading upstairs. The basement includes two large rooms for a workshop or other multiple uses. 

The front porch is screened from the road by mature landscaping and the rockers beckon one to relax in the shade.  The front door opens to a vista through the living room with the dramatic fireplace rising the full height of the living room open to the second floor overlook at the stair hall. The “L” shaped open plan living-dining-kitchen area with the kitchen in the corner has an easy flow for entertaining and both the living and dining rooms have French doors to the screened porch. The living area is separated from the kitchen with stained wood post and beam framing contrasting with the painted gypsum board walls.  The triple-unit window to the porch and the double-unit dormer unit filters sunlight through the trees into the space. 

Throughout the house, artistic elements of the wood floors, stained wood accents of door and window trim, stair balustrade and fascia below add warmth and character to the interiors. The dining room table is centered on the rear double unit window and anchored in the room by the colorful Oriental rug. I liked the two-toned wood table with a stained top with the legs and Windsor chairs in a darker color. The kitchen flooring is an easy care tile and the high ceiling above the upper cabinets creates a display area The warm wood cabinets are perfect for this wooded setting. The spacious laundry/mud room is between the kitchen and the garage with an exterior door for convenient clean-up after a day gardening or boating.  

The primary suite is located on the other side of the entrance hall for privacy.  I loved the deep milk chocolate brown color of the bedroom walls-it must feel like sleeping in a Milky Way candy bar-heaven for this chocolate lover! Sliding glass doors lead to the screened porch and with its size and height above the ground I would be tempted to make this room a summer sleeping porch.

The stairs lead to the upper stair hall with direct views and sunlight from the dormer double unit window in the living room below. One bedroom is located over the primary suite with front and rear dormer windows and a gable window for sunlight. The deep rear dormer window creates an alcove that is currently furnished as an office.  Two other bedrooms are located on the opposite side of the stair hall. If one needs more office space, the longer of the two bedrooms is furnished with a built-in workspace under the front gable windows with dual spaces for homework and/or office space, leaving plenty of room for a sleeping area.  The appealing third guest bedroom is furnished with a black iron frame, white linens and shaker style pieces in two toned  finishes.

A setting to satisfy both the nature lover and the boater, great floor plan with easy flow, porches that are outdoor rooms to enjoy the landscape of woods and plantings- quality construction and materials by one of the area’s best builders, a dock for a quick get-a-away to a day cruising the rivers or the Bay, a serene spot with quick access to Chestertown-hard to resist!

For more information about this property, contact Christine Burgess with Keller Williams Select Realtors at 410-972-4000 (o), 410-708-3511 (c) or cburg.21905@gmail.com.  For more photographs and pricing, visit www.kwannapolis.com,  “Equal Housing Opportunity”.

Photography by Stephen Buchanan, www.buchananphotography.com, 410-212-8753.

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.

This stately manor home sits on a slight rise with lawns that slope gently to the 1000 feet of white sandy beach along the Upper Chesapeake Bay. Seen from the water, the front elevation captures your eye with its classic five-bay two-story house with a full height portico supported by two pairs of Doric columns below a pediment articulated with dentil molding and an accent triple window in the gable wall. The brick façade has been painted a light color and the large windows have masonry sills and flared headers with dark colored shutters for contrast. Between the pilasters at the front wall opposite the portico’s columns is the second floor balcony overlooking the parterre of brick paths and landscaping ending in a reflecting pool to the lawn and shoreline of the Upper Bay.

The original part of the house is rectangular in form with side gables and a slight two-story rear wing that projects from the house to end in another a gable wall. I appreciated how the additions to this house respected the original house’s footprint and form by telescoping back from the rear gable wall in three distinct one and half story bays with other one-story projections to break down the massing. These additions update the house with spaces for today’s family living.

The front door opens to reveal a center hall plan with a spacious entrance hall. The beautifully detailed “U” shaped staircase has stained treads with white risers, a darker stain on the newel posts and cap rail for contrast with the stair stringer that becomes a white wainscot below striped wallpaper. The living room and the library are across the hall from each other and span the depth of the original part of the house with windows and seats below at the front and rear walls. Both rooms are beautifully detailed with a triple height two-toned grid of paneled walls in soft mocha shades with the panels outlined in white for contrast. The furnishings are anchored by large Oriental rugs in a predominant colors of red and blue and I admired how in the living room the blue accent is carried through in the abstract painting over one sofa, the painting over the mantel of a ship at sea and the surround of the firebox. As a bibliophile, I loved the library’s focal points of the floor to ceiling paneled fireplace surround opposite an exquisite armoire. The full height built-in millwork around the room would encourage one to linger and read by the fire.

Off the living room, steps lead down to an informal mini-library which is the transition from the original part of the house to the addition. Built-in bookcases, a fireplace and leather recliners encourage relaxing by the fire. An exterior door leads to the sunroom and I loved this space’s brick herringbone patterned floor, sloped white bead board ceiling and the deep blue rattan furnishings with floral cushions on a cream background. This room also connects to the spacious dining room with windows at the front and back walls. The Oriental rug fills the room with a wainscot breaking the paneled walls into a vertical and horizontal grid with deep red wall panels outlined in creamy white. The valances and full height drapery and the beautiful Chippendale furnishings create an elegant ambiance for memorable celebrations.

Next to the dining room is the hub of the house with an open plan family room, kitchen and breakfast room that spans the full depth of this wing. The family room’s brick chimney pierces the pitched ceiling with insets of half-moon dormer windows on the side roofs. The tall windows with transoms at each corner of the space stretch to just under the springline of the pitched ceiling for abundant sunlight. The spacious galley kitchen with a center island has wide cased openings to both the family room and the breakfast room. I loved the wrap-around windows of the breakfast room and the round tabletop of glass with Windsor chairs for informal meals. The last bay of the telescoping additions contains another sitting room, laundry and bath with an exterior door to a deck.

The bedrooms are located on the second floor with two sumptuous primary bedroom suites in the original part of the house. The “blue” bedroom has a full height paneled wall around the fireplace that blends into the paneled wainscot with a deep blue wall above. The canopy of the bed and the bedlinens are blue brocade. I would choose the other primary bedroom with its warm apricot walls, white chair rail, white quilted coverlet with a scalloped edge and the subtly patterned canopy and drapery. The guest rooms are tucked under the pitched ceilings and knee walls of the ceiling for delightful interior architecture.

Guests would be tempted to prolong their stay after they discovered the pool/ recreational area. As an architect, I was enthralled by the pool enclosure with its two-bay steel roof structure of joined arches of glass meeting the tall glass walls-it must feel like swimming in a crystal palace! The pool area is attached to the original barn that is now a sauna, fitness room and recreation room. The remainder of the barn has four horse stalls to complete the options for daily exercise.

One of a kind property with views of the Upper Chesapeake Bay, surrounded by undeveloped and preserved farmland, Classical Revival architecture with additions that respect the original house and provide spaces for today’s lifestyle and an amazing pool-recreation building, formal and informal landscaping-truly a treasure!

For more information about this property, contact Select Land and Homes Inc. agents William “Billy” Norris at 410-810-3900 (o), 410-708-0956 (c) and bnorrisselect@gmail.com or Miles Norris at 410-810-3900 (o), 410-708-5423 (c) or mnorrisselect@gmail.com. For a virtual tour, visit www.handypointmd.com. For more pictures and pricing, visit www.selectlandandhomes.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.

Kent Street and Mt. Vernon Ave. have been fertile grounds for me in making my selections for House of the Week. This quiet neighborhood is ideally located close to both Chestertown’s Historic District, walking trail and waterfront and to the amenities Washington College offers. H.H Garnett Elementary School and the Kent County Public Library are also close by.  Walking around this house’s back yard, it is hard to imagine you are in a city neighborhood. The professionally landscaped verdant oasis offers sun and shade with an expansive lawn for play and relaxation, surrounded by a white fence bordered with mature trees and shrubbery. Hardscaping between the side porch off the kitchen and the small outbuilding for lawn and garden storage ends at the edge of the planting area behind the house to the lawn.  Beyond the rear fence is an endless vista of green from the trees in the rear yards of Mt. Vernon Ave. 

The house is faced with rusticated concrete block, a handmade product that became popular in the late 19th century for its rough surface with a carved bevel detail that was a much less expensive option than stone blocks. Its popularity led to the product being specified for the Sears kit homes. I love the texture of this product and the color reminded me of the brownstones along the side streets between New York City’s avenues. The five bay house is symmetrically arranged around the center door that has full-height vented shutters for ventilation and privacy and the shutters for the windows are painted a darker shade than the rusticated concrete block for contrast.

The front door opens to the stairs with an open railing toward the living room side. Both the living room and the dining room opposite the stairs have long windows for sunlight and the living room has an additional double unit window on the side wall. Wood floors, light colored walls to reflect the sunlight and the historic light olive green trim and molding color set the stage for the living room’s appealing eclectic look with the antique settee opposite two armchairs with an ottoman below the front windows. The dining room is furnished with a built-in cabinet with a Chippendale top, a period light fixture over the dining table and chairs and the icebox at the end of the room has another life as a sideboard.

The spacious kitchen is conveniently located between the side porch and the powder/laundry room and has another dining area centered on the “L” shaped arrangement of white cabinets and dark blue countertops with white appliances.  This room has clever details of the painted tile backsplash with motifs of water, small rocky islands and vegetation that gives the backsplash color and perspective and the charming black iron fork and spoon cabinet pulls stand out against the white cabinet doors.  I would be tempted to remove  the soffit above the upper cabinets and install glass-fronted cabinets for storage of special occasion items that would also emphasize the volume of the space. Behind the rear wall of the kitchen is the furnace room with an exterior door. Rearranging the equipment might make it possible to create a smaller equipment room to allow for the porch to expand around the kitchen. Additional windows would then overlook the rear yard. 

Climbing the stairs, your eye is immediately drawn to the delightful full wall mural whose subject is a historic scene of farms and water dotted with sailboats with a distant horizon of water framed by rocky cliffs.  The primary bedroom is located at one front corner and I loved its interior design of brown walls, white trim, white plantation shutters, antique bed with a low headboard that is perfectly scaled to the space and the white coverlet with accent pillows and a throw at the foot of the bed in a striped pattern. Another bedroom is located at the opposite front corner of the house and is furnished with an antique daybed with white bed linens and an intriguing canvas rug with cursive script that appears to be in French.

Opposite the stair landing is a space furnished as an office that I coveted for its size that is much greater than mine and for its Stickley style table lamp. The door at the rear of the room leads to the bathroom and I loved the dressing table with its triple mirror that is now a stylish cabinet for the vessel bowl lavatory. 

One of my favorite neighborhoods, great cottage feel with the rusticated concrete block and clever artistic details that add to its charm. Add the bonus of an expansive back yard with its endless horizon of green and a covered porch for possible expansion to a wrap-around porch to better enjoy the verdant oasis. 

 For more information about this property, contact Richard Budden at Coldwell Banker Chesapeake Real Estate Company, 410-778-0330 (o), 443-480-1181 (c) or rbudden@easternshoremdre.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.

It is always a pleasure to return to Beach Road in Rock Hall because how many houses have the Chesapeake Bay as an extension of their back yard?  The Craftsman style house has charming cottage style details including the steeply pitched roofline created by the main side gable roof intersecting with the front dual shorter gables that break to create a flat eave over the second floor center window flanked by two double unit windows. At the main level, the center foyer is recessed between the garage and the guest bedroom with a shed roof projecting from the front of the house and a gable roof projecting further out  to create a porch for the front door. 

Both the main and second floor plans are compact with minimum hallways that maximizes the spaces. The front door opens to a short stair hall that frames a clear vista through  the French doors at the rear wall to the endless horizon of the Bay.  Above the second floor stair landing is a large half-moon window that both filters light onto the landing and becomes an accent window for the primary bedroom. Behind the garage is a spacious laundry/mud room that opens to the kitchen and has an exterior door. The stair hall ends at the dining room as part of the open plan living-family-dining and kitchen with offsets to define each area. 

Columns slightly offset from the front and rear walls define the dining area between the living room and the kitchen.  The rear wall of the dining room is totally transparent with its pair of French doors with full height sidelights that access the covered porch.  I love to cook and I prefer minimal upper cabinets so when I saw the wall of windows with transoms above the rear length of counter space I was hooked.  Around the corner is a double unit window over the kitchen sink providing the cook with Bay views that makes the space feel like a sunroom with another French door to the covered porch.  The spacious “C” shape layout with a high ceiling, center island, wood floors, light cabinets contrasting with darker granite countertops and white appliances would inspire any cook. When you turn and look toward the living room fireplace, the dramatic ceiling treatment is fully appreciated.  The dropped beam over the dining room columns becomes part of a grid of a coffered ceiling  over the  kitchen-dining-living area.  I loved how the uppermost ceiling of the coffers was painted a warm cocoa that both complemented the warm wood floors and accentuates the white beams.  On the kitchen side, a geometric wallpaper adds texture to the walls above the upper cabinets that is a backdrop for the Owners’ collectibles. 

The living-family room was my favorite space with a fireplace faced with large random cut stone whose color complemented the mocha of the ceiling coffers. One seating area is grouped around the fireplace and the other seating area faces the rear wall with wrap-around windows.  Ducks are perched in each transom window for a playful decorating touch. The space feels like another sunroom and the oversize rattan chairs with plush cushions are the perfect way to watch sunsets over the Bay. On the other side of the living room is a TV area with triple windows at the side wall and a mix of rattan and upholstered seating.  An armoire contains the TV so when it is not in use the space becomes part of the entertaining area. 

The sumptuous second floor primary bedroom suite spans the entire rear wall and connects to the deck. The primary bedroom has a gambrel ceiling of wood stained to match the walls that adds texture. Opposite the half-moon window over the bed, the rear wall is a box bay with the center portion infilled with a pair of French doors, full height sidelights, four square transoms, topped with an arched transom tucked under the flat portion of the gambrel roof. The cozy sitting area with side windows centered on the wide doorway to the bedroom also has a pair of French doors to the deck. The four piece primary bathroom completes the suite with the tub below the rear windows for Bay views. 

The other two bedrooms area are located at the front corners of the house and one bedroom has a nautical theme with deep blue bed skirts bordered in white, blue and white striped coverlets with red piping and blue, red and white pillows.  

Great design in an irresistible Chesapeake Bay location, Bay views from all the main rooms, outdoor rooms of the rear covered porch, Bayside terrace, upper deck and dock for watching the sparking Bay or waiting for the sun to set.

 

For more information about this property contact  Lynn Hilfiker with Gunther McClary Real Estate at 410-639-2118 (o), 443-480-1163 (c)  or lynnhilfiker@gmail.com. For more photographs and pricing visit www.rockhallrealestate.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.

Chester River Landing was developed as a “green” waterfront community along the Chester River with close proximity to Chestertown’s Historic District.  The forty-nine homes are a mix of townhomes, condominiums and single family residences. In addition to the views of the Chester River, the numerous amenities include a private marina, kayak launch, outdoor swimming pool with bath house, shoreline walking paths and landscaped park areas. This townhome is located at the end of a block of attached residences and has a one-car detached garage.  The brick driveway connects to the development’s brick sidewalks and a half-flight of steps lead up to the house’s front porch.  The brick façades of the front and side of the house are articulated with details of quoins, double headers and the water table band. At the third floor, arched dormers are inserted into the mansard roof and the main floor’s high ceiling allow transoms over the windows.   At the rear of the house, the brick wraps around to meet a bay projection that is clad in lap siding. Corner porches on both the main and second floors provide wonderful diagonal views of the landscape and water.  

When I opened the front door, I immediately realized these homeowners had added significant upgrades. The vista to the left of the foyer is to the inviting corner library with its  interior wall of built-in millwork flanking a gas fireplace. The side window is a benefit of having an end unit and the front window is also flanked by built-in millwork. Being a bibliophile, I could easily imagine curling up with a good book by the fire. 

The long vista from the front door offers hints of the open plan layout and ends in a wall of windows with water views.  Past the foyer are the stairs and an elevator, the only one in the development, that provides easy access to all three floors.  The dining room has double windows at the side wall and the elegant furnishings are the perfect setting for a dinner party.  The charming large painting over the sideboard adds perspective to the interior wall.  

The living room is beautifully detailed with a dropped soffit below a coffered ceiling centered over the fireplace and the windows with transoms above are proportioned well for the high ceiling.  Wainscoting wraps around the dining-living-breakfast area at the different window sill heights and the Plantation shutters on the side windows control the sunlight and privacy. The living room’s rear window has a center picture window with side units overlooking the porch and the breakfast area with its four long windows fills the space so it feels like a sunroom with its French door to the porch.  Another painting of an oversized flower in bloom adds perspective to the breakfast area side wall.  The kitchen has a wide wall opening to the dining room and I loved the details of the soffit with recessed lighting whose vertical surface becomes a backdrop for colorful art and the high upper cabinets facing the breakfast room that give the cook water views.  These upper cabinets have glass fronted doors on both sides so glassware can be easily accessed from both the kitchen and breakfast area.

The second floor primary suite is stacked over the geometry of the living and breakfast rooms below. Sleeping and sitting areas with a fireplace centered on the bed and the corner porch off the sitting area create a serene sanctuary. The remainder of the floor contains another bedroom and bath. At the front of the third floor are two offices created from the original bedroom.  The bath connects one of the bedrooms to the third floor family room which was a delightful surprise of colorful art, sculpture, ceramics, rugs and wall hangings.  The table and chairs in the nook at the rear wall is the perfect spot for Scrabble players like me. The TV and mini-kitchen complete this perfect space for relaxation.

One doesn’t often find such high quality upgrades as this home has and kudos to the Owners for their distinctive interior architectural details and their stylish interiors.  Add the outdoor rooms of the two porches high above the water below for bird’s eye panoramic views, your own boat slip with 20 ft water depth, the community amenities, the small neighborhood feel  and you have a restful retreat! 

For more information about this property, contact Mary Fielding with Coldwell Banker Chesapeake Real Estate Company at 410-778-0330 (o), 410-708-4852 (c) , or mfielding@cbchesapeake.com. For more photographs and pricing, visit https://www.coldwellbanker.com/coldwell-banker-chesapeake-real-estate-company-2228c/chestertown-office-76035d, “Equal Housing Opportunity”.

 Photography by Janelle Stroop, Thru the Lens Photography, 845-744-2758

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.