It is very unusual for me to find two contemporary houses in Kent County to feature in the same month to balance the rich treasure trove of houses in Chestertown’s Historic District. This contemporary in the community of Shorewood Estates caught my eye for several reasons. The neighborhood is a water-oriented community on Swantown Creek off the Sassafras River and the house is surrounded by mature trees, landscaping and outdoor areas of a three-season porch opening onto a large deck. I also liked the curved stairwell wall that projects from the front elevation that reminded me of the first house I designed for a client with glass block rising from the landing of the “U” shaped stair to the ceiling.

The massing of the two-story house has a pitched roof articulated with the main roof sloping down from the second story to the front one-story wall of the living room that projects from the front wall of the house. The entry door is beside the curved projection of the stair tower and is covered by a roof that connects to the side wall of the great room’s chimney. Next to the stair tower the second story’s front wall cantilevers slightly over the two-car garage below. The house with its light vertical siding stands out against its verdant background of the surrounding mature trees and landscaping.

The compact floor plan has an easy flow beginning with the entry hall next to the spacious living room with its dramatic interior architecture from the white planes of walls that soar to the second floor ceiling clad in stained wood slats. The fireplace brick chimney rises to the underside of the wood ceiling and adds texture in contrast to the white walls and next to the chimney wall is an overlook at the second floor hall. Opposite the front fireplace the rear wall opens up to the landscaping with a pair of French doors flanked by single windows and over the doors is a contemporary “Palladian” window. The doors open onto the deck that connects to the three-season room next to the kitchen for great flow for entertaining. The window and door trim is stained to match the ceiling and hardwood floor and the living room floor is tiled for easy care. The living room is open to the dining room at the rear of the house. The dining room’s bay window overlooks the landscaping and the room size can accommodate family meals or larger celebrations.

The “U” shaped kitchen layout has an angled wall that creates space for a countertop overhang to accommodate bar stools. I dislike corner cabinets but here the sink is cleverly located at the corner so the cook has a view of the screened porch and landscaping beyond. The kitchen finishes have been upgraded to a granite countertop and subway tile full backsplash. To me, the storage chest on the side wall blocks the view of the passive leaf of the pair of French doors to the porch that could be a perfect spot for a table a deux for breakfast. Of course, the adjoining three-season room is an even better spot for relaxing over breakfast or sitting in the upholstered rattan furnishings to enjoy a relaxing afternoon. The floor to ceiling windows provide full views of the landscaping and the rear door opens onto steps down to the lawn.

The stairs to the second floor have a wood railing that returns to a cozy nook at the front wall with space for two chairs with sunlight from the triple window unit at the front wall and skylight above that is a great “nightlight” for the hall. At the side of the nook is the wall opening with a stained wood railing that overlooks the living room. The generous width of the hall has space for both circulation as well as furniture. The room at the front corner of the house with the long windows is currently used as an office but it also has a large closet so it could be used as another bedroom or an upstairs TV room. The primary suite is located at the opposite corner with windows on each exterior wall and a walk-in closet and skylight. The remainder of the floor contains the other spacious bedrooms and bath.

Great water oriented community with two water access areas for water enthusiasts to enjoy canoeing, kayaking or boating on Swantown Creek and the Sassafras River. Slips are available at the community pier by an annual lottery selection. The aerial shot showing the dense cover of mature trees provides shade for daily strolls through the neighborhood. Great floor plan with an easy flow among the main floor rooms with outdoor rooms of three-season porch and deck overlooking the professionally landscaped lawn and gardens that significantly enhance the property. There is also a full basement with a cedar closet for storage of seasonal wear and a workshop area.

For more information about this property, contact John Carroll with Village Real Estate Company LLC at 410-648-6844 (o), 410-708-0247 (c) or john@villageagents.com. For more photographs and pricing, visit www.villageagents.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.

Whenever I join my architectural clients for previews of lots or existing properties for potential renovation/addition projects, I always advise them to buy the best site they can find, whether it is a waterfront, wooded or in-town property.  Fixing a site is far less daunting that fixing a house! This property is part of the Gregg Neck Park community that was established in the 1950’s and whose amenities include a private beach, pier and boat ramp. The house is sited above the banks of the Sassafras River and has its own deep water dock where you can launch your boat and meander out to the Chesapeake Bay. Steps lead down from the back yard to a water’s edge deck with benches and areas for spreading out on a chaise for sunbathing after a day on the water. There is also a firepit and areas for picnics and a hammock for reading on a lazy weekend afternoon. 

The house’s one-level floor plan has great renovation potential with the long side  laid out parallel to the water to provide water views from all the main rooms.  The house was originally a “U” shape with the living room at one end; open kitchen-dining area, two bedrooms entry and bath in the center; and the family room, primary suite and bedrooms at the opposite end. At some point in time, the center part of the “U” was filled in to create a delightful screened porch overlooking the water and skylights were added  at the rear of the room to provide sunlight for the kitchen and dining room that originally had exterior windows. The 32 foot long screened porch has access from both the living room and family room for easy flow and with areas for both seating and dining this is clearly the hub of the house during warm weather months.  

The rear of the center portion of the house is an open-plan kitchen-dining area but this cook would want to expand the kitchen into the oversized dining area which is an easy project since I would want to upgrade the cabinets and countertops.   At the front wall of the center portion of the house, the main entry door is located at the corner next to two bedrooms and a full bath behind the existing kitchen. I would eliminate one of the bedrooms and rearrange the remaining space to create a larger kitchen and larger entry foyer to open into the living room with a vista through the house to the screened porch’s water views. The existing bath could be relocated to the bedroom wing to become a dedicated bath for the primary suite.  

The living room is a wonderful space that spans the full depth of the house and has a fireplace centered on the side wall. The rear triple unit windows overlook the water and duplicating this window arrangement at the front of the house would add symmetry to this space and enhance the front elevation. At the wider end of the “U” shape, there is a sitting room at the corner with windows on both exterior walls that could be a perfect primary bedroom connected to the relocated bath to complete the primary suite.  The other three bedrooms could share the existing bath. 

After these minor wall changes, you can then focus on the fun part of selecting finishes and upgrading the kitchen and baths to your taste.  I grew up with knotty pine walls but painting them would reflect more sunlight into the rooms. Removing the lay-in ceiling panels is easy and you then have the option of opening up some rooms with pitched ceilings or at moving ceiling joists up to act as collar beams for greater spatial volume.

Great waterfront site, outdoor rooms of the screened porch and waterside deck, one-level living for aging in place and plenty of room for relaxing with your family or entertaining friends. With the ability to upgrade to your tastes this is a unique opportunity to make this diamond in the rough your own waterfront gem!

 For more information about this property, contact Ashton Kelly with Gunther- McClary Real Estate  at 410-275-2118 (o), 410-708-8114 (c) or akelleyre@gmail.com. For more photographs 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.

I grew up in a one street neighborhood that was located along the ridge of a high hill with the predominant home style being a late 1950’s rancher with a daylight basement. When the new split-level architectural style came into fashion, even at a young age, this budding architect liked how my friend’s new house differed from mine. The stairs were equally divided among the three levels of the house with the garage at the lowest level, the entry, kitchen, dining and living room on the middle level and the bedrooms at the highest level. Today’s house is a variation on the split-level design with the entry halfway between the lower and  upper levels.  

The site was the first one chosen in this neighborhood so the house is now nestled among mature trees and surrounded by the sights and sounds of nature. The driveway meanders through the trees until it reaches the house in its clearing set into the hill. A low brick retaining wall at the upper side of the property meets the motor court and a curved brick retaining wall steps down above the brick steps that lead to the front door located at the middle level.  At the rear edge of the clearing for the house, the natural grade slopes into a peaceful and verdant landscape. 

The house’s simple rectangular shape is articulated by the tall and wide triple windows infilling most of the side wall at both levels of the house facing the driveway. At the lower level, the triple windows are arranged in floor to ceiling window/transom units but at the upper level the pattern is reversed with low awning/full window units. The effect dramatically opens up both levels to the landscape. 

The contemporary detailing includes earth toned brick at the lower level that extends upward in one wall panel to the underside of the roof’s soffit as an accent wall dividing the cream colored vertical lap siding at the living area and entry door from the horizontal lap siding of the bedroom areas. The framing for the full glass front door, sidelights and transom is painted a deeper red as an accent. One of my architectural pet peeves is front loading garage doors that are painted the trim color instead of the wall color.  Here the doors take their hue from the earth toned brick and disappear into the wall for a homogeneous look. 

The entry door opens into the foyer with a “U” shaped stair leading to hallways on both floors.  One foyer wall backs up to the living room’s brick fireplace and is accented in the same brick for texture. The upper floor has an open plan kitchen-dining-living room layout with a screened porch at the rear corner overlooking the landscape below for great flow among the rooms.  The screened porch’s pitched ceiling is open to the underside of the stained wood decking and I admired the long spans of screening without a vertical break for total transparency. 

The side elevation’s triple floor to ceiling triple window units are located in the living and dining room area. At the front corner of the living room, another triple window unit provides diagonal views. The living room also has accent walls of full height brick behind the fireplace and along part of the front wall. In contrast, the kitchen is light and bright from the white cabinets, upper cabinets with glass fronts, patterned blue and white tile backsplash, solid surface countertops and stainless steel appliances. I especially liked the open shelf above the triple window above the sink with an array of primarily blue and white ceramic canisters.  I also admired the dining room’s wood table with its slightly flared edge in a darker wood than the tabletop and the wood slat chairs with slightly bowed backs for greater comfort. Opposite the foyer from the kitchen-dining-living area are the bedrooms and baths. The walls of the primary bedroom are a soothing shade of lilac and another bedroom’s walls are pale apricot.  

The full height triple window units at the side wall of the lower level open into a room with flagstone floors that is used as a plant room. The flagstone floor flows into the adjacent room that spans the full depth of the house. The room is divided into two sitting areas, one seating group around a large screen TV and the other sitting group around the fireplace. If it were my house, I would prefer that the side wall be opened up as much as possible to the exterior full height triple windows to bring more daylight into the space and to provide greater views of the landscape. The remainder of the lower level contains the two-car garage and the laundry.   

Great wooded and private site for nature lovers, water access for swimming and boating, contemporary split-level plan with defined areas that flow well, energy efficiency features, gourmet kitchen, fireplaces, screened porch on upper level and a separate entrance for the lower level-a wooded wonderland!

For more information about this property, contact Lisa Raffetto with Coldwell Banker Chesapeake Real Estate Company at 410-778-0330 (o), 410-708-0174 (c) or lisar@cbchesapeake.com . For more photographs and pricing, visit www.cbchesapeake.com, “Equal Housing Opportunity”. 

Photography by Patty Hill, 410-441-4719, www.pattyhillphotography.com. For online booking, visit https://pattyhillphotography.simplybook.me/v2/.

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.

Several of my friends in Wilmington and Philadelphia have weekend homes in Rock Hall since it is an easy and quick drive with minimal time on the interstate. This property in the heart of Rock Hall would be a great weekend home or full time residence.  Many upgrades have been done including an encapsulated crawl space, vapor barrier, sump pump and insulation, new windows, zoned HVAC, kitchen cabinetry, countertop and appliances so the house is ready for one’s personal touches.  The property is located on a corner lot and the house is set back from the side street next to a large gravel parking area with curb cuts on both the main or side streets for access to the house.  

This quintessential Eastern Shore farmhouse is a classic three bay, two-story  frame structure with the special detail of the steep center gable at the roof inset with an arched top window at the attic level.  The massing is also classic with its two-story “L” shape with a one-story shed roof at the “L”’s inside corner and the color palette of cheerful yellow lap siding, white trim and the accent of blue for the entry doors is very appealing. The full front porch with its low hipped roof provides front row seats to watch the action in downtown Rock Hall. The front entry door with half sidelights and full transom is set to one side to maximize the floor area for seating on the porch.  

The front door opens in front of the stairs to the second floor with the open railing overlooking the living-dining room. Sunlight from the front windows and the side window at the rear dining area and the beautiful hardwood floors create a spacious area for furnishings.  The projection into the room by the former chimney could become a gas fireplace with venting through the side wall. Tucked under the stairs is a powder room convenient to both the living-dining area and kitchen. The bulkhead for the HVAC ductwork was carefully placed for minimal impact into the open plan space.   

A wide cased opening at the dining area leads to the kitchen at the rear of the house with an exterior door at the side wall for access from the parking area. The “U” shaped kitchen layout has a peninsula with a countertop overhang on the side facing the dining area that provides space for the Windsor style bar chairs. The work area is very efficient with the kitchen sink opposite the R/F and range with a side window for views. The peninsula cabinets and countertop provide more work space or buffet space for entertaining.  There is also additional cabinetry with a knee space for office work and a full height wall of pantry cabinets for additional storage. As a cook, I like the openness of the space due to the ample storage with minimal upper cabinets. Next to the kitchen is the laundry/utility room and sunlight from the double window unit makes doing laundry less of a chore. If one is a gardener, the exterior door is convenient for cleaning up after yard work. 

The bedrooms and bath are located on the second floor.  I envied the stairs to the attic from one of the bedrooms since my attic access is a pull down stair.  Both the bedrooms and the bath have a white color palette which becomes a blank canvas for the next owner’s own interior design tastes and accessories. Like the main floor, the rooms’ pristine walls and beautiful hardwood floors are move-in ready. 

Desirable corner lot with room for expansion, lawn area ready for a gardener to enhance with landscaping and hardscaping, house with move-in ready finishes, close proximity to shops, restaurants, marina and beach- a great opportunity to live in Rock Hall!   

For more information about this property, contact Doug Ashley with Doug Ashley Realtors at 410-810-0010 (o), 410-708-0480 (c) or doug@dougashleyrealtors.com. For more pictures and pricing, visit www.dougashleyrealtors.com,  “Equal Housing Opportunity”.

Photography by Janelle Stroop, 410-310-6838, janelle@thruthelensphotos.com

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.

On previous visits to properties along Water Street that have been featured as a House of the Week, I always stopped to admire this magnificent house and its grounds so it is a special pleasure to feature it today. The house sits on a corner lot diagonally across from the Washington College President’s house and the windows in the side elevation of this house overlook the lawn and gardens for the President’s house along the side street.  Two towering Magnolias frame the front corners of this house and the curb along Water Street curves around on either side of a planting strip to meet a low brick wall that marks the border between private and public space. Two tall and slender cypress frame brick piers that support the iron gate leading to the brick sidewalk ending in brick steps to the full front porch.  

Circa 1857, the five-bay house is a beautiful blend of Victorian and Italianate styles and details. The front elevation is an exquisite confection of white with siding accented by pairs of corner boards transformed into quoins resting on brick bases that project slightly beyond the exposed red brick foundation wall. Other details include bracketed cornices, 2/2 windows with pedimented headers supported by more brackets, the main floor’s jib doors, full front porch and the cupola that penetrates the low sloped roof offering three hundred sixty degree views of the Chester River and the roofscapes of the Historic District. The distinctive Greek Revival frontispiece features double wood paneled front doors with arched tops and half glass, half paneled sidelights and a bracketed header with additional brackets and fretwork over the top of the door. Fretwork also infills the railing between the columns of the front porch. The color palette of white siding and trim, black shutters and accents of the red metal low sloped roofing and exposed brick foundation wall have a timeless appeal. 

When the listing agent greeted me at the door, I soon realized the floor layout was a compact floor plan with a gracious center hall between two parlors on one side and the front dining room and the rear kitchen on the other side.  The walls of the entrance hall are faux finished stone and as I looked up, the side stair gracefully makes a “U” turn past the landing with built-in shelving infilled with pieces of mercury silver, the first of many collections throughout the house.  

The living room spans the depth of the house and contains two identical parlors, bisected by a deep beam whose ends curve down to the spring line at the pilasters accentuated with moldings. The rhythm of wall/fireplace chimney/window along the side wall and the pair of jib doors to both the front and rear porches creates an elegant space for entertaining. The dining room has the same rhythm of wall/fireplace/window at the side wall and a pair of jib doors to the front porch. 

The kitchen at the rear of the house has a contemporary flair with gray “Pirelli” dot rubber flooring and sleek cabinets. To me, the upper cabinets seem out of scale since they reach to the underside of the 11’-6” ceiling. Perhaps adding two rows of glass fronted uppermost cabinets above the standard 7”0” height would be a better proportion.  One upper cabinet door contains an impressive collection of colorful Fiesta dinnerware that could be a perfect display through glass doors. Like the living and dining rooms, the kitchen’s jib doors open onto the porch that spans the width of the house to complete the great flow among the rooms for entertaining.

The faux finished stairwell walls ends on one wall with a clever trompe l’oeil irregular edge of stone. The bedrooms and baths are arranged around the center stair hall with the bedrooms located at the corners of the floor.  All of the bedrooms have multiple windows and closets are cleverly integrated with an exception of a large antique armoire instead of a closet. One closet corner has recessed shelving next to one window next to a chair for a perfect reading nook before turning in for the night. 

The daylight basement with its rear wall overlooks the garden whose perimeter is enclosed by a high brick wall with open work for air flow. Under the living room is an office and the other side of the house contains a guest suite.  The center exterior door in the stair hall opens onto a loggia festooned with wisteria between brick columns.  Beyond the loggia is a spacious gravel terrace with two brick steps up to the lawn with a small round reflecting pool and weathered statuary aligned with the four points of the circle. Mature trees including magnolias and deciduous evergreens for fall color screen the surrounding Town block.  All this garden needs is a fountain in the pool so one could hear the soothing sound of water. As I strolled around the garden, the full rear elevation came into view which is a mirror image of the front elevation’s main and upper floor.

Beyond one of the towering magnolias at the front corner of the main house is the garage/carriage house.  To contrast with the main house and in keeping with its more contemporary interior, the house is clad in one of my favorite materials, vertical board and batten siding that on sunny days casts delightful shadows.  The gable box bay projection at the second floor is a cozy window seat for the bedroom. The tandem garage layout of parking two cars front to back instead of side by side minimizes the garage door’s impact on the front elevation and the street.  The garage door is further minimized by being recessed between the vertical circulation choices of the stair or the elevator. The elevator opens into a foyer alcove between the bedroom suite at the front and the living/dining area at the rear.  In between is a fully equipped kitchen with an undercounter washer/dryer and spacious bath. Both the living-dining area and the bedroom have chamfered ceilings for added volume and the balcony off the living-dining area provides the same views of the Chester River as the main house enjoys.

Landmark property on a corner lot for light, space and privacy, richly detailed historic house, floor plan with an easy flow among the rooms, outdoor rooms of terrace, porches and the exquisite cupola, carriage house, off-street parking, beautiful walled garden that reminded me of gardens in the UK, all combine to create a serene oasis within close proximity to the Historic District’s amenities. What a unique opportunity for a new owner to become the steward of one of Chestertown’s historic gems!

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.

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 mcclary21@hotmail.com, 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.

Whenever I drove to Rock Hall for meetings with an architectural client, I often took Boundary Ave. as a short cut to the site.  This charming farmhouse always caught my eye for its resemblance to my own house with the entry door in the middle and single 2/2 windows at each side.  This house’s open porch extends the full length of the house and the center door location creates both sitting and dining areas to extend the living space on fall nights like we enjoy now. The exterior color palette of light yellow lap siding, white trim, the porch’s light blue floor and ceiling’s lighter blue with red accents of the chimneys at the side walls of the house is very appealing. Three columns create wide bays for the porch and at each corner bay, the corners are infilled with a railing of delicate white spindles. The center bay is open to frame the view of the front door with full glass sidelights and the wide step has room for pots of colorful flowers at each end.  Low manicured shrubbery along the front of the porch and the mature crape myrtle at the side enhance the elevation against its background of mature trees.

The compact floor plan has a center hall between the living room on the right and the eat-in kitchen on the left.  The vista from the front door ends at the rear sunroom’s windows that filters sunlight into the hall. Behind the kitchen are the stairs to the second floor, laundry room and full bath. The living room has the original chimney that protrudes into the room and creates an alcove for built-in millwork. The original mantel remains and I thought how delightful it would be to open up the chimney to expose the original firebox and install gas logs. The living room has sunlight throughout the day from the front and side windows and the filtered sunlight from the rear window that overlooks the sunroom for a very pleasant space in which to relax and watch TV.

The eat-in kitchen’s layout is challenged by the original chimney that remains at the side wall.  I would be tempted to use the table and chairs at one end of the sunroom as a dining area and eliminate the table and chairs in the kitchen.  Then you could have a galley layout along the front of the house with an extended counter at the rear row of base cabinets for bar stools. Since there is a door to the storage area under the stairs, the space in front of the stairs becomes a circulation area.  Adding another door to the center hall would create closer access to the sunroom for serving meals. The sunroom is wide enough to accommodate a full size sofa and chairs with the rear and side windows opening up the room to the landscape and the center door separates the sitting area from the dining area.

The laundry and full bath with an exterior door makes it easy to clean up after a day of gardening or play in the deep and wide back yard with its expanse of lawn and several towering trees to provide shade.  Adding a main floor bedroom could be done by flipping the washer and dryer to the front wall and adding a bedroom behind the laundry and bath next to the sunroom. 

The stairs to the second floor end at the rear corner of the house with a hall linking the primary bedroom that spans the depth of the house, a middle room currently used as an office and a guest room. The stair landing has sunlight from a window and space for an antique oak washstand, trunk and wall mounted corner shelving unit that creates a pleasant vista as you climb the stairs. 

The primary bedroom has a wall of closets next to the chimney and windows on the front, side and rear walls for sunlight.  I admired the mix of furniture as nightstands for the bed and the lovely quilt over the bed. The guest room at the opposite end of the house is decorated with white furnishings of a wicker table next to the iron bed with another lovely quilt in a floral pattern and the pale pink walls accentuates the white furnishings. The middle room could be turned into a full bath to serve both bedrooms. 

This property has been used for many years as a second/vacation home and it is easy to understand its popularity due to the proximity to Rock Hall’s downtown area and waterfront attractions. The deep back yard contains two sheds for myriad uses including a workshop, garden shed, storage for lawn maintenance equipment or storage of water toys after a day at the beach. The compact floor plan maximizes the useable floor area and with a few upgrades this charming farmhouse could become a full time home with room for expansion.   

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.