When I began my search for this week’s feature, this aerial caught my eye and I was hooked. This historic house  dates from 1890 with 11.59 acres that offer peace and privacy on Oak Creek. I could tell from the picture that the original Victorian house tucked into its surroundings of mature trees had undergone several additions and its proximity to the water that is less than currently allowed is a bonus. The property also includes a detached two-car garage and an artist’s studio.  After turning off Royal Oak Rd. onto the long gravel driveway between tall pines, I soon reached a clearing where the drive became circular around the house’s front elevation surrounded by many majestic trees.

The previous owners had added a one-story addition of a primary suite and an exquisite screened wrap-around screened porch to the two and a half story original part of the house. I appreciated how the addition is set back so the massing of the original house can be fully appreciated. I also admired the exterior color palette that complemented the trees and landscaping.  

Before I began my tour of the grounds and to view the other elevations, I paused to admire the three-bay front porch’s Victorian details of turned columns and fretwork. The gable over the front door bay has rectangular fretwork but the two other bays have angled edges. I soon learned that triangles are vital components of this unique house’s interior design. 

The rear elevation overlooks the pool area and the landscaping with a mix of plantings and potted plants.  I later learned that one of the Owners had master planned the landscaping areas so each season would offer accents of color and texture. The large pool surround and the very deep wrap-around screened porch are great options for outdoor rooms in which to relax with family and friends. The playful mix of long and wide windows, polygonal transoms and the wide bays of the screened porch open up the house to the water views. 

From the pool surround, I strolled down the brick path that changed at Oak Creek’s bank to a wood walkway which led me to the pier. On my way back, I admired the view of the house with its eclectic massing that gives the house its charm. 

Having explored the grounds, I went back to the front porch in anticipation of exploring the interiors. Both the Listing Agent and the Owner welcomed me and I was not surprised to learn the Owner was an artist as I could see glimpses of colorful walls from the foyer. I admired how beautifully the original stair balustrade had been preserved, as well as the trim, moldings and the beautiful heart pine wood floors. The antique table and rug, the vase of flowers and art set a gracious tone of welcome. Readers know vistas are very important to me and this vista from the front door through the family room’s yellow walls to the kitchen window at the rear wall was the first of many vistas I discovered in this unique house.

I have written before how much I enjoy writing about the homes of artists for they are not timid about color. The foyer’s pair of French doors opened into the living room and I loved the deep raspberry walls. Bespoke millwork infilled the wall next to the fireplace with its stylish mantel by artisan woodworker Russell Smith. He also embellished the wide wall opening to the adjacent family room with fluted pilasters, scaled to complement the room’s 10-foot height that rose to the underside of the crown molding at the ceiling. I loved how the detailing included a stained glass transom, in homage to the original transoms of 19th century houses that were opened to continue the flow of breezes from the exterior windows for natural cooling. The wide wall opening frames another vista from the living room that unfolds like a telescope through other wall openings with triangular headers in the family room and the dining room at the rear of the house.  

The beam that divides the family room into two areas is a remnant of the original wall between two rooms with a fireplace in each room. I loved how the wall’s removal fully exposed the triangular shape of the joined fireplaces that is the focal point of the spacious family room. I especially liked the texture and color of the fireplaces’ brick that is a deeper hue than the light yellow walls and makes the fireplaces and shared chimney a sculptural element. The side wall’s pair of French doors and another stained glass transom leads to the sitting room of the one-story primary ensuite.

The other vista from the family room ends at what was once an exterior wall that might have been a double window above a window seat. It is now  a recessed area with another wall opening with a triangular header leading to my fave room, the “Snug”.

As I learned from binge-watching the BBC Home & Garden Network, “Snugs” are cozy spaces in houses that beckon one to relax and be enveloped by the room’s walls. This Snug has colorful walls and flooring in a random pattern of black and gray that beckoned me to linger.  Wrap-around windows, including an angled corner window, provide panoramic views of the landscaping. I could easily imagine selecting a book from the antique bookcase and settling into the antique wood chair after dinner for a long read. The stained glass panel at the side wall allows daylight to filter into the adjacent room.

After passing through the family room, I arrived at the stunning dining room whose ceiling rises to 16 ft. The current owners removed the flat ceiling framing and opened up the room to the underside of the roof’s rafters that are painted green to emphasize the triangular motif. The two stained glass windows have a new life as colorful and transparent accents. This exquisite room has windows on three sides and its size enables it to set the scene for memorable dinner parties or family celebrations. The current Owners probably removed another side window to create a triangular topped entrance to their addition that contains an office, laundry, full bath and an exterior door for easy access to the pool area.

Another wide wall opening connects the dining room to the kitchen. The artisan woodworker crafted the cabinetry, including triangular motifs on some upper cabinet doors.  The large windows overlook the pool area and the accent of the green window sashes matches the dining room’s green rafters. At the side of this photograph is the partial underside of the original circular stair that rises from the basement to the third floor loft and was rebuilt by the artisan woodworker.

I went back to the family room to explore the primary ensuite that begins at this sitting room that spans the depth of the addition by the previous owners. I stood in the center of the room and savored the two diagonal vistas. One vista through the pair of open French doors with a stained glass transom above frames the long view through the adjacent Family Room to the Snug. The other vista through the adjacent screened porch disappears into the landscape. The Sitting Room has a private entrance at the front wall of the house. Past the Sitting Room is a short hall to the primary bedroom.

The primary bedroom also spans the depth of the primary ensuite and is separated from the sitting room by the primary bath and a large closet. Windows on two of the exterior walls and the pair of sliding doors to the screened porch connects this restful space to the sights and sounds of nature.

When I entered the fab screened porch surrounded by majestic trees, I felt I was in a tree house as I listened to the chorus of birds. When I reached the screened bay projection, a panoramic view of Oak Creek unfolded and I noticed a doe nibbling along the leave of branches overhanging the water. Of all the screened porches I have featured, none of them compare to the depth and length of this exquisite geometric space. The deep green color of the roof rafters stands out against the light gray bead board ceiling.

I reluctantly left the screened porch to circle back to the foyer to explore the second floor that contains another primary ensuite, a guest bedroom, hall bath and multi-purpose room at the rear of the house. The primary ensuite spans the depth of the house with the bedroom located at the front corner. The primary bedroom’s light blue walls, muted tones of the bed linens and the rug create a restful retreat. The Shaker style rocker and the other wood furnishings add warmth and the large windows on its two exterior walls cast sunlight into the room throughout the day. The original details of the fireplace mantel and the transoms over the door are charming reminders of this house’s history.

From the primary bedroom, I walked down a hall between closets opposite a double window unit with a seat between two other closets. There is also a walk-in closet at the other side of the primary bedroom. This spacious five piece primary bath has a dual lavatory cabinet, tub and a shower with glass block walls next to the toilet. The wrap-around windows surrounding the tub offer a bird’s-eye view of the landscape and provide sunlight all day. 

After exploring the primary ensuite, I walked back into the hall and discovered the hall had original curved walls. The guest bedroom has both part of the curved wall and the original transom above the door, with the original hardware that opened the transom for ventilation. This room has a wide double unit window overlooking the landscape and a large walk-in closet for long visits!

This multi-purpose room projects beyond the second floor’s rear wall with windows on all three exterior walls for panoramic bird’s eye views. This delightful space was first runner up to my fave room for its myriad uses-office, studio, playroom, teen-hangout, conservatory, etc. Whatever its use, the interior architecture and the circular stair create an irresistible space. 

The partial third floor is tucked under the roof’s framing that creates wonderful interior architecture. The white walls and ceiling reflect the sunlight from both the skylights and the gable dormer infilled with glass from the middle unit’s Gothic arched top between two fixed windows.  The Owner-Artist is also a musician and this studio would certainly encourage any other creative endeavor! The loft also has a guest bedroom, full bath and cedar walk-in closet. 

The “bonus room” for this property is the charming cabin tucked into the woods that the current Owners designed as an art and music studio for their dual passions of art and music. The cabin is unfinished except for electricity so it offers  myriad uses for the next owner to make it their own. 

The combinations of peace and privacy from 11.59 acres along Oak Creek; close proximity to both Easton and St. Michaels; 1890’s charm with 2000’s additions and updates created this one-of-a kind home. The lovingly maintained historic details of heart pine wood floors, 10 ft. high ceilings, original and restored original staircase, transoms of both clear and stained glass, French doors and three fireplaces evoke an earlier era of gracious living that is timeless. Outdoor rooms of the waterside deep wrap-around screened porch and the deck overlooking the pool area beckon one to enjoy the sights and sounds of nature. 

Great family house with primary suites on both floors for aging in place; updated kitchen and baths with cabinetry by an artisan woodworker who also constructed the triangular doorway headers; multiple vistas through the house for delightful wayfinding; large windows for abundant sunlight; three levels of living space that offer increasingly expansive views of Oak Creek; all this and a detached cabin that offers myriad uses, a detached two-car garage and an encapsulated basement/crawl space-simply irresistible! 

For more information about this property, contact Kate Koeppen with Chesapeake Bay Real Estate Plus, LLC,  at 410-745-6702 (o), 410-829-0705 (c) or [email protected].  For more photographs and pricing visit www.cbreplus.com/,  “Equal Housing Opportunity”. 

Photography by  TruPlace, Inc., www.truplace.com, 301-972-3201

Artisan Woodwork by Russell Smith

Contributor Jennifer Martella has pursued dual careers in architecture and real estate since she moved to the Eastern Shore in 2004. She has reestablished her architectural practice for residential and commercial projects and is a real estate agent for Meredith Fine Properties. She especially enjoys using her architectural expertise to help buyers envision how they could modify a potential property. Her Italian heritage led her to Piazza Italian Market, where she hosts wine tastings every Friday and Saturday afternoons.

Since my move to the Eastern Shore twenty years ago, I have enjoyed learning more about my adopted home’s historic architecture through day trips and research.  A customer I met through hosting wine tastings at Piazza Italian Market suggested I visit the Lands Point winery near Chestertown. He mentioned that his sister and brother-in-law are not only the proprietors of the winery but they also live in a historic house on the property that dates from 1674. 

I was further intrigued when I learned that the late Michael Bourne, Kent County’s most illustrious architectural historian, had provided architectural advice to the Owners for additions to their property. I knew then that this day trip would be quite memorable and indeed it was. This picture dates from 1977, when the house was included in the Maryland Inventory of Historic Properties (MIHP). This is a repository for documents gathered through on-site descriptions (in this case, by Michael Bourne) and analysis of architectural elements.

Both the site and the main house are steeped in history. In 1659, the property was originally granted by Cecil Calvert, the 2nd Lord Baltimore, to Lieutenant General Josias Fendall, the 4th proprietary Governor of the Maryland Colony. Later it was the home for 150 years of six generations of one of the founding Quaker families of Kent County. Before roadways were established in the 20th century, Worton Creek was the “highway” for visitors and commerce. Guests to this house would arrive by boat and climb the hill to the entry door at the “front” (now rear) elevation. In the post-Civil War era, it was also utilized as a stop for commercial side-wheeler Steamboats. 

The three-bay, two and a half story main wing of the house was probably built between 1783-1795, with another two and a half story kitchen wing   built in the 1830’s.  This rear elevation faces west and its brick façade was laid in common bond without a water table, as is the case with all other elevations aside except the front elevation.   

As I walked around the main house, I especially admired this view that shows both the setbacks and the telescoping of the three wings. The metal roofing connects the three wings. The last one and half story wing was clad in lap siding since it was an addition for which the Owners retained Michael Bourne as a consultant to complement the original part of the house. 

Michael Bourne also consulted with the current owners for the “front” additions, one of which has a shed roof next to the other gable-roofed addition that is a delightful sunroom. 

The house is sited at the crest of the hill, no doubt to capture breezes and for the tranquil view of Worton Creek. The “higher style” detailing for only the main wing of the house’s “front” elevation of bricks laid in Flemish bond with a water table was befitting for the  elevation that guests saw when they arrived at the pier and began the walk to the entry door under the gable roofed porch. The wrap-around windows of the sunroom offer panoramic views of the landscape, centuries old trees and Worton Creek.

When I saw this exquisitely detailed small building across from the main house, I presumed it might be an original smoke house. I later learned that the structure actually dated from the mid-20th century and its former use was a garden shed. The current owners found and purchased 18th century bricks from a building in Millington, MD, that had been razed and used the bricks whenever repairs to the main house’s brick needed to be done.  Michael Bourne’s suggestions transformed the shed by cladding the concrete masonry with the reclaimed brick, accented by white brick, a new metal roof to match the main house and a mini-chimney.  The building is now the home of the owners’ beloved Maremma dog, Minnie, who is a treasured member of the Owners’ family.

This picturesque rural scene illustrates that Lands Point is a working farm in addition to a winery. The old and large silo is used for storage of spare wood and fence posts now. Next to the silo, a two-story metal barn houses a workshop for repairing farm equipment. The red masonry barn houses the vineyard tractor, cutter and sprayer storage. Behind the red barn is another metal barn which houses the winery and equipment for processing the grapes into wine.

The current Owners have spent the majority of their lives on the Eastern Shore. In 2008, they planted grapes as a hobby but as interest in their venture grew, they converted the property’s waterside guest house into a Tasting Room that opened to the public in 2022.

To me, the best vineyards are family-owned artisan winemakers who control the process from planting grapes to bottling, which the Lands Point Owner/Winemaker does. As a farmer first, he knows good wine starts and ends with good grapes that become their red and white wines. The grapes thrive in their microclimate of the southeast facing sloped vineyard; sandy loam, well-drained soil and cool late Northern Eastern Shore summer evenings with natural morning and evening air convection currents.  This special terroir results in a taste profile visitors will enjoy; alas, this visit was a reconnaissance trip for me so I look forward to bringing friends in the near future for a tasting!

Guests who book tastings continue driving along the entry drive to the property’s Guest House that contains the Tasting Room.  I had parked my car by the main house so I enjoyed my leisurely stroll down the shady road on a sunny day and soon vistas of Worton Creek peeked through the majestic trees. As I drew nearer to the Guest House/ Tasting Room, the red door of a small shed caught my eye. 

I took a quick detour from the driveway to discover this exquisite building that contains the pool equipment and I noted how it is perfectly sited on axis with the centerline of the pool.  The white siding, wood shake roofing with a dovecote cupola, arched topped wood doors with a diagonal pattern, wrought iron hardware and its perfect scale and proportion enables this small building to make a big statement.  I presumed Michael Bourne was also its designer but the Owners actually bought this prefab garden shed from a company in South Carolina! 

I traced my steps back to the gravel drive that ends curvaceously at the spacious parking lot at the front of the Guest House/Tasting Room. Low brick borders separate the parking area from the brick sidewalk to the pool area for a change in texture. Given the site’s topography, only the roofs of the farm buildings in the far distance are visible from the parking area. 

The waterfront guest house has a new life as the “Big White Dog Tasting Room”, named after the Owners’ 120 lb. live-stock guardian dog, Minnie.  This location far from the main house provides ample indoor and outdoor seating areas with spectacular views of Worton Creek and the surrounding waterfront. Wine tastings are held both indoors in the Big White Dog Tasting Room or, when weather permits, at various scenic venues along the waterfront. 

The original guest house dating from the early 1940’s was demolished down to the foundation. Then the Owners retained Michael Bourne to design a new 18th century period Guest House that was built in 2007. When the Owners decided to welcome guests to the winery, they converted part of the Guest House into a Tasting Room, that guests can enter from either the front entrance overlooking the parking lot or from this side entrance that opens directly into the Big White Dog Tasting Room. Since there is no second floor, the side elevation was beautifully detailed with French doors, full sidelights, transoms and a half circle below the exposed ceiling framing The wide brick terrace is between the edge of the pool area and the landscaping around the pool equipment shed.

The interior of the Big White Dog Tasting Room has an airy feel since the spatial volume rises to the underside of the roof rafters. The white ceiling and the dormer windows on opposite walls bring more sunlight into the space and highlight the bright blue walls. The earth tones of the dark wood floors, large area rug and large dark leather chairs around the circular tables by the fireplace adds a cozy pub feel. The sofa and chairs at the front wall offers another seating option for privacy. I admired how the brick hearth in the herringbone pattern ends at a window seat for a seamless look.  The side wall is a mirror image of the wall by the pool area but these doors lead to an intimate screened porch for more seating during tastings. Additional doors next to the fireplace lead to a spacious brick terrace.

I admired how the Guest House/Big White Dog Tasting Room’s rear elevation is almost fully transparent from the rhythm of the long windows and transoms, the screened porch and the telescoping of the building’s massing.

French doors at the Big White Dog Tasting Room lead to this charming brick terrace with expansive views of Worton Creek and the parade of boats to the nearby wharf at Handy Point Marina. The bright red umbrellas provide shade for visitors to enjoy a glass of wine and samples from the tasting menu over lunch.

After pausing to admire the view from the brick terrace, I walked along the high bank of the river that is lined with tall trees overlooking Worton Creek. Behind the firepit are chairs for relaxing in the shade with a glass of the winery’s wine as one savors the tranquil view of the water.

Near the firepit is a picnic table/designated smoking area. I am not a smoker but this spot would be perfect for ordering food from the tasting menu for a  picnic lunch and a glass of wine. 

My leisurely stroll crossed this narrow asphalt path to the water and it seemed too narrow for vehicles. The Owner later explained that the early owners were tobacco farmers who would pack up large wooden barrels full of their harvested and dried tobacco leaves which they rolled downhill  to the waiting ships. The barrels would then be hauled on board for their journey down Worton Creek to the Chesapeake Bay and ports beyond.

As I continued my walk along the shoreline, I passed between two majestic Sycamore trees that framed the vista down to the pier. Lands Point Winery is one of the few wineries on the Eastern Shore that is accessible by boat. Present-day boaters can arrive for tastings in the same way as the 18th-century visitors arrived long ago.

 

I retraced my steps back to my car and drove past Minnie in her fenced outdoor kennel. This picture shows Minnie in a rare moment of repose, due to her farm duties of protecting the  property and the chicken flock!  

I ended my tour of Lands Point Winery by resolving to return with friends very soon for a day trip and tasting. Lands Point Winery’s specialization is traditional dry wines from six grape varieties, equally divided between red grapes (Cabernet Franc, Chambourcin and Petit Verdot), along with the white grapes (Chardonel, Sauvignon Blanc and Vidal Blanc).To accompany the wines, their tasting menu offers charcuterie boards, a variety of cheeses, fruit and cheese plates, selections of tinned fish or seafood and specialty chocolate collection from around the world. 

Group tastings are available by appointment. After your tasting, you can shop for Lands Point Winery branded accessories and apparel in the Tasting Room’s Winery Shop. If you are a historic architecture buff, appreciate wine or just want an afternoon savoring the tranquil waterfront views and parade of boats, Lands Point Winery and Vineyard beckons you for a memorable visit! 

 

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Lands Point Winery and Vineyard is located at 22620 Handy Point Rd. Chestertown, MD, 21620 and is open Memorial Day through Labor Day, on  Fridays and Saturdays from noon to 7:00 pm.  Make a reservation via email: [email protected] or visit www.landspointwinery.com. 

Before your visit, please read the Winery’s Policies (including no pets, outside alcohol or food). Due to the Winery being a historic property with sloping topography, ADA accessibility is not possible. Please be mindful that the main house is a private residence and admire its beauty from the driveway. 

Photography by Jenn Martella

Historic photograph courtesy of the MHIP

Photographs of the Tasting Room Interior, Tasting Room and Minnie the Dog are courtesy of Lands Point Winery 

Contributor Jennifer Martella has pursued dual careers in architecture and real estate since she moved to the Eastern Shore in 2004. She has reestablished her architectural practice for residential and commercial projects and is a real estate agent for Meredith Fine Properties. She especially enjoys using her architectural expertise to help buyers envision how they could modify a potential property. Her Italian heritage led her to Piazza Italian Market, where she hosts wine tastings every Friday and Saturday afternoons.

 

When I began my search for this week’s feature, I happily ended it in Galena in upper Kent County with this unique house whose original use was a Wayside Chapel. Ironically, one of my new architectural projects is the renovation and addition to a former chapel in Talbot County to create a one bedroom house, so I was curious to tour this charming building. 

The building is sited far back from the street and the former chapel’s off-street parking lot. After parking my car, I strolled up the concrete path between landscaping, including giant hostas, oak leaf hydrangeas and a majestic magnolia and evergreens. I arrived at midday, so walking in the shade provided by the landscaping was a welcome respite from the heat.  Before I opened the front door, I turned around and appreciated how well both the landscaped path and the parking lot gives the building privacy.  

As I walked around the grounds, I admired the building’s one and a half story massing that telescopes down to a one-story porch and vestibule. The vertical blue cladding with white battens and the Gothic arched windows accented with the trefoil symbol give this building its unique charm. The trefoil’s three overlapping circles form a shape resembling a three-leafed clover that early Christians associated with the Holy Trinity. The current Owner’s exterior work included fully rescuing the board & batten siding from layers of paint and restoring the standing seam metal roof.  

At the rear of the former chapel were the altar and apse areas. The current Owner, who is an architecture and preservation buff, extended the rear wall to create a screened porch as part of his careful restoration and upgrades to the building. He then enhanced the building by creating delightful outdoor rooms of a Trex deck and a brick terrace laid in recycled antique bricks. 

From the brick terrace, earth toned random stones set into a bed of smaller stones create a walkway that blends into the deep rear lawn. I envied the towering row of evergreens that created a privacy wall for the lawn. I sat for a while on the metal bench in the shade of massive pecan trees to savor the silence broken only by the sweet sounds of birds. In his landscape design, the Owner carefully selected native plants for low maintenance.  Garden beds at the side of the house contain both plants and vegetables and discreet containers for recycling and composting.  At the rear of the property is a shed for storage with an attached heated greenhouse featuring rain barrels for recycled water.

The former chapel’s vestibule is now a spacious area to welcome guests. The stone flooring is a perfect walk-off material and the original wood beadboard ceiling continues throughout the building. The Owner’s clever use of recycled materials includes the panel that was partially stripped and fitted with historic wrought iron hardware to hide the electrical panel. The globe shaped semi-translucent pendant fixture is the perfect touch.

I love longitudinal vistas through buildings, especially when they begin and end with glass doors. The wide wall opening into the former narthex frames this vista from the foyer. The statue of Mary, the painting of the Madonna and Child and the Holy Water Font on the other side wall pay homage to the building’s former use.

The former narthex was the perfect size for the Owner’s office area. I admired the antique prayer rug that defines the work area and the beautiful antique corner cabinet that provides ample stylish storage for office supplies. The exposed wood beam is part of the post and beam structural system and the antique perforated screen further defines the work area. The panel that is a twin to the one in the vestibule is now a door to a coat closet.

From the narthex/office into the nave/living room, the massing becomes fully clear. The former choir loft was located over the narthex/office and the current Owner added another loft with a connecting space between them that spans to the side wall. Access to the loft is from a wide spiral stair. I loved the spacious living room’s eclectic furnishings from modern sofas and ottomans to the various antiques. The detailing of the loft railing with a mix of solid and vertical plank pickets complement the solid/void pattern of the “zebra” window treatments. These blinds can be half/open, half closed but can be adjusted to become a solid covering for total privacy. Behind the nave/living room next to the narthex/office is a room that could be used as a bedroom.

The demising wall in the living room creates another work space or buffet for entertaining. A former Owner opened up the side wall to add a deep and long bay window that is now a mini-conservatory. Being a cat owner, I could well imagine the Owner’s cat climbing to the top of his carpeted stair tower to bask in the south sunlight and to enjoy the panoramic view through the wide and tall picture windows. I also admired how the black color of the circular stair’s steel disappears into the space and how the chair’s curved back echoes the stair’s curved shape.

Standing at the rear of the living room, I admired the interior architecture of the receding wall planes of the loft projection from the “choir loft” and the telescoping view to the front door. The original wood board and batten ceiling and the wood floors flow though the space and make it seem larger than it is.

As a member of SSPP choir in Easton and a preservationist, I was delighted to discover the original wood plaque with the numbers of a Sunday’s hymn selections many years ago.  At the rear of the  mini-conservatory is bespoke millwork for a bar and behind the circular stair is the only remaining original stained glass window from St. Andrew’s Chapel.

Stepping up from the living room, I realized I had reached the original sanctuary and altar area that has been transformed into a compact and stylish kitchen layout that maximizes the space. Since the custom built cabinetry is dark wood to complement the wood ceilings, the kitchen’s board and batten ceiling is bright white to reflect the light. The bar-height wood surface floats over the zinc countertop. The vertical cedar plank pickets at the side wall is a clever solution for access to the loft area-they can be removed when furniture needs to be placed in the loft area.

The back side and rear walls and the flat ceiling portion of the kitchen are also white to reflect the sunlight. The Owner carefully designed the kitchen’s galley layout for the cooking sequence from the R/F, sink and stove for minimal steps. The butcher block portion of the countertop surrounding the stove makes food prep and creates one step cooking. The location of the R/F at the side wall provided deep storage space for the surrounding bespoke cabinetry for pantry goods.

From the kitchen sink wall of cabinetry, a wide wall opening frames the view of the dining room and the screened porch beyond. The flooring changes from wood to large tiles for easy clean-up, especially for the Owner’s dog’s eating area. The dining room’s spacious size could easily accommodate a wider or longer table and more chairs if needed. The hutch for storage is centered between two windows and the table and chairs are placed perpendicular to the rear wall to maximize the views through the adjacent screened porch and the panoramic views of the landscape.

Opposite the kitchen is a large compartmentalized full bath with ample storage. The warmth of the walnut cabinetry, the sleek stainless steel hardware and the full width and height of the mirror above the lavatory transformed the former chapel’s restroom and storage space. 

I loved the delightful step down Roman shower “room” with a skylight for privacy and sunlight. The mix of tile patterns from the varied diameters of the pebble floor pattern to the accent wall of railroaded thin tiles above the seat that has been claimed by happy plants, to the large tiles of the other walls creates a one of kind shower room complete with jets for a spa experience!

Having fully explored the main floor, I climbed the circular stairs to reach the connecting space that is used as a sitting room between two sleeping areas. I loved the overlook view from the front sleeping area that highlights the railing’s mix of solid walls and openings with vertical plank pickets to the ridge of the kitchen’s slatted wall that peeks over the top of the railing.

The front bedroom over the narthex/office was as carefully detailed with a ledge for storage on one side and curtains opening to access storage under the eaves. The Owner added the fixed transom over the window for additional sunlight.

The other loft bedroom overlooks both the living room and the slatted wall of the kitchen. This cozy sleeping space that spans the width of the building has space for both sleeping and sitting areas. Under the eave of the opposite side wall is ample space for storage. 

The Owner’s clever and imaginative solution that transformed this former wayside chapel into a unique home will certainly inspire me as I begin my design for another chapel! Extensive updates and renovations that respect the original massing and interior architecture created this one-of-a-kind home. Seamless upgrades included new high efficiency heat pumps, central heat and air, new energy efficient windows and a bay window that flood the living room with sunlight and a custom kitchen and bath. 

Outdoor rooms of the cozy screened porch, deck and brick terrace provide areas with views of the mature landscaping for relaxing with family and friends or entertaining a large group. The building is set back far from the Town street by the former chapel’s parking lot that now provides off-street parking for guests, screened by tall trees for privacy. The Owner/Agent is reluctantly leaving his unique home, but since he has caught the restoration bug, he is eager to begin his next project in Galena. If you are a commuter to Wilmington or Philly, or if you are seeking a weekend home, this one of a kind gem is for you! Bravissimo to the Owner/Agent for his fantastic transformation of this piece of Galena’s history! 

 

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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 [email protected]. For more photographs and pricing, visit www.villageagents.com,  “Equal Housing Opportunity”. 

Contributor Jennifer Martella has pursued dual careers in architecture and real estate since she moved to the Eastern Shore in 2004. She has reestablished her architectural practice for residential and commercial projects and is a real estate agent for Meredith Fine Properties. She especially enjoys using her architectural expertise to help buyers envision how they could modify a potential property. Her Italian heritage led her to Piazza Italian Market, where she hosts wine tastings every Friday and Saturday afternoons.

Oxford’s Historic District has been a treasure trove for me whenever I begin seeking a house to be featured. This three bay house was probably two rooms deep originally but over time, there have been two additions that were easily accommodated on the property’s deep lot that ends at the shoreline of the Tred Avon River. 

The Town’s brick sidewalk blends into the house’s brick sidewalk that leads to a brick stoop up to the original front door, with half paneled, half glass sidelights and a transom. I admired the façade’s pale caramel siding, long windows with black shutters and 2/2 windows. Along with the landscaping, especially the white dogwood, the architecture gives this charming house great curb appeal. 

The first addition created a kitchen and dining room and the second addition created a main floor family room and a second floor primary suite. I looked forward to seeing the water view from the spacious deck on my tour of the interiors. Both the family room and the primary ensuite overlook the planting beds, edged by a very high hedge for privacy, and the Tred Avon River beyond.   

Beyond the planting beds, the lawn stretches across the width of the property. I was tempted to linger to admire the expansive water views but alas, heavy rain had just drenched the property. I imagined how pleasant it must be to relax on the Adirondack chairs or the Lutyens bench on sunny days to enjoy the prevailing summer SW breezes or to savor what must be magnificent sunsets over the water. 

It was clear when the wife of the Owner couple opened the door to welcome me that the interiors of this house would be quite tasteful. The foyer’s original staircase, wood antiques, and the mirror with its inlaid artwork portraying another house on the water were harbingers of more treasures to come. The swags over the window add color and the adjustable blinds offer views or privacy. With the stairs and hall at one side of the floor plan, the room sizes are maximized and tucked under the stairs is a full bath. The hall connects the rooms to a vista through the house that ends at the rear wall overlooking the gardens and water. 

 

Off the foyer is the stylish front sitting room with the yellow tones in the upholstery of the Chippendale sofa and the chairs and the warmth of the wood antique pieces. I also admired the abstract artwork over the wood chest and the coffee table’s multicolored base and glass top that was designed by the husband. 

Since there is a chimney behind the sofa, the wall opening through the depth of the adjacent wall became a design element with its arched top and trim to evoke paneling. The touches of Chinoiserie in the pillows and the ceramic lamp bases complement the wall hanging on the side wall to the foyer. The glass top of the coffee table allows the colorful Oriental rug to take center stage in the room.

The arched wall opening connects the front sitting room to the cozy den with a fireplace and bespoke millwork for books and a TV. The subtle colors of the upholstery would make it easy to relax with one’s feet resting on the round ottoman to watch TV by the warmth of the “winter” sitting room.

A wide wall opening connects the “winter” sitting room with the dining room. Another large Oriental rug anchors the antique table and chairs under the crystal chandelier and another mirror with a painted scene is above the antique chest.  I especially admired the antique Sheffield silver tea set and the touches of modern art.

It is hard to imagine that the stylish butler pantry area opposite the dining room in the hall was once a powder room. Before this area’s transformation, one had to go through the dining room door to reach both the den and the front sitting room.  The current Owners repurposed the powder room and created the butler pantry with a wet bar by the artisan woodworker Dennis Andrews. Maple is one of my fave choices for cabinetry since its fine, even grain has a light color and smooth texture.  They also created a mini-mud room space with a bench and open shelving next the exterior door. The maple doors that the Owners added as modern accents were the work of artisan woodworker Tom Maddox. 

Previous owners had added the kitchen-family room addition that is the hub of the house. The current owners replaced the cabinet hardware with sleek pulls and replaced the green tile backsplash with a softer colored Travertine tile. The white craftsman style cabinetry highlights the beautiful wood flooring and the wide wall opening gives the cook an expansive water view. 

I loved the eclectic look of the spacious family room with traditional upholstered furnishings along with the modern bespoke millwork and the stair design by Tom Maddox that replaced the previous owners’ circular stair.  Instead of vertical pickets, the walnut pickets are horizontal above maple risers that wrap around the wall and interlock with each other for a seamless design. Another exquisite antique mirror with a painted scene above a Queen Anne table caught my eye.

Other modern touches of the round glass topped end table, the abstract art above the fireplace with its surround and hearth of “Absolute Black” granite and the bespoke millwork by Dennis Andrews floating over the floor add to this room’s great appeal.

At the end of the family room, a pair of double doors infills most of the rear wall and both frames the views of the landscape and water and also leads to the brick terrace under the shade of the primary bedroom’s deck above. This delightful breakfast/informal dining area at the corner of the room with its ceramic dinnerware and candlesticks would make it easy to linger over a second cup of coffee.  

The foyer stairs lead to a landing with its focal point of the exquisite antique clock. Windows on each corner wall filter sunlight both onto the beautiful wood floors and the stairs. The transparent pendant light fixture matches the one in the foyer ceiling. 

At the front of the house is this charming corner bedroom with three windows for abundant sunlight. I loved the red and white toile fabric of the bed’s canopy, skirt and window shades. I was amazed when the wife told me she had sewn them all! 

The other guest bedroom is equally charming with the pale blue walls, fabric headboard and accent pillows in different colors and patterns (also the handiwork of the wife). The window shade matches the headboard and the white bedding make the room seem larger than it is. The runner in shades of red is a perfect finishing touch.

Steps lead down from the twin beds guest bedroom to this charming sitting/workspace with delightful interior architecture from the high knee walls and sloped ceiling. On the other side of this room is the primary ensuite.

The door from the sitting room opens into a short hall past the washer/dryer closet and two clothes closets. I have always wanted a dressing table and this long table with a glass top over fabric has all the space one needs for getting ready for the day.

Past the dressing room is the hall to the stairs down to the family room and to the primary suite. Previous Owners had located the door to the primary bath on the hall. The current Owners relocated the door to opens up into the primary bedroom and the spacious four-piece bath’s layout works so much better. The finishes of the wood lavatory with dual recessed sinks, the glass walled shower with flooring of “Calacatta Gold” marble hexagon mosaic tile, tile flooring and wainscot create an elegant bath. 

The primary bedroom is located at the quiet rear corners of the house. The spacious room has both sleeping and sitting spaces with a fireplace, making this a true haven.  Dual chests of drawers flank the sliding doors to the deck and with the two side windows, there is plenty of sunlight and views of the landscape.

The “bonus room” is the private deck off the primary bedroom, sized to easily accommodate the length of the chaise lounges. The long view over the gardens and lawn ends at the shoreline of the Tred Avon River. The summer view is quite private from the surrounding deciduous trees but the winter sunset view must be even more spectacular, given the location of the house on the water. 

This charming house on the Tred Avon River in Oxford’s Historic District has many original elements including the front door, sidelights and transom; moldings, wood floors, high ceilings and tall windows, that harmoniously exist with the updated kitchen and bathrooms and modern touches of millwork, stair railing, sleek hardware and two-panel doors to create this unique home. Small design choices can have big impacts. The Owners’ clever repurposing the location of the existing powder room replaced the awkward circulation through the house with a hall that offers clear vistas from both the front door and the rear sliding doors overlooking the gardens and the Tred Avon River. Outdoor rooms of the main floor’s brick waterside terrace off the family room and the private deck off the second floor primary bedroom provide views of the gardens and magnificent sunsets over the Tred Avon River. For boating enthusiasts, the long dock provides access for an afternoon on the water.  From its curb appeal to its classic architecture, charming interiors and lovely gardens, this house in the heart of Oxford’s Historic  District is a AAA gem!

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For more information about this property, contact Ray Stevens with Benson & Mangold Real Estate at 410-226-0111 (o), 410-310-6060 (c) or [email protected]. For more photographs and pricing, visit www.raystevens.bensonandmangold.com, Equal Housing Opportunity”.

Photography by Janelle Stroop, Thru the Lens Photography, 410-310-6838, [email protected]

Contributor Jennifer Martella has pursued dual careers in architecture and real estate since she moved to the Eastern Shore in 2004. She has reestablished her architectural practice for residential and commercial projects and is a real estate agent for Meredith Fine Properties. She especially enjoys using her architectural expertise to help buyers envision how they could modify a potential property. Her Italian heritage led her to Piazza Italian Market, where she hosts wine tastings every Friday and Saturday afternoons.

It’s not often that I find a contemporary house to feature, so I when I went online and saw this unique contemporary house near Cambridge, I immediately contacted the listing agent to arrange a visit.  On the day of my tour, I drove along the gravel entry drive between walls of tall phragmites and towering Loblolly pines to discover this contemporary waterfront estate on 11.88 private acres with 1,500 feet of shoreline along serene Brooks Creek. 

Built in 2007, the “Y” shaped house has a coastal layout with a compact footprint for minimal disturbance of the site. Its geometric “Y” shape reaches out to maximize water views and its turret peeks through the blue metal roof at the intersection of the three wings of the house for bird’s eye views of the surrounding landscape and water.

Since the temperature on the day of my visit was in the mid 90’s, I was very grateful to park my car at the ground level under the shade of the second floor. In addition to parking,  there is a deck and a low ramp to a one-car garage next to the house.  Two sets of stairs lead up to the second floor; at the front of the house, one set goes up to the main entry’s covered porch with its blue metal roof. 

At the rear of the house, a half flight of steps leads from the parking level to the landing of the second set of stairs for access to both the long elevated walkway to the pier and also to the third floor deck. The house floats above the site and the multiple windows from the two-story bay wall projection, the wrap-around windows at the second floor and the windows and doors at the third floor offer unobstructed panoramic views of Brooks Creek. I walked to the end of the long pier and turned back to admire the massing of the house with its blue and white color scheme that stands out against its green surroundings.

The large front porch furnished with a group of rattan seating leads to the foyer with flagstone flooring and neutral wall color. The splashes of color in the bright yellow chairs, red and white cushions and the multicolored mirror frame introduce the contemporary interior design.  As I walked through the foyer, the vista opened up to the reveal the open plan dining room-living room.  

The spacious dining room accommodates the long black table with its sleek lines and ten chairs, anchored by the rug with its kinetic black and white design. The beautiful wood floors flow into the living room and family room. The side wall of two pairs of wide picture plane windows with operable units open up the space to the landscape. The other wall with a glass door, picture plane window and another operable unit leads to the adjacent deck for water views. The deck is the perfect spot to set up one’s grille for summer entertaining.

From the dining room, the focal point is the solid oak circular stair that connects the second and third floors. The stairs then penetrate the second floor ceiling to the turret above with windows on two walls for fantastic bird’s eye views of the landscape and Brooks Creek. From the table, the angled vista through the living room’s bay wall projection infilled with windows offers views of Brooks Creek.

The living room’s two-story high bay wall of windows offers long views of the landscape and water and I imagine a starry night filled with stars is even more spectacular. The high windows at the side wall bring in additional light to keep this room sunny all day. I loved the colorful art accents, especially the abstract panels on the angled wall that reminded me of Frank Stella’s work.

At the other side wall, another pair of high windows continues the sun’s daily path across the room. The mix of the two full length sofas’ neutral upholstery with accents of bright primary colors creates a fun space for relaxing with family and friends. I especially liked how the bench in front of the window wall is strategically placed for the family pet to doze in the warmth of the sun.

The overlook at the third floor above the sofa define the edge of the Living Room. The oak circular stair becomes a sculptural element and I admired how the railing at the overlook matches the spindles of the stair. The sweeping, angled vista from the living room to the dining room, foyer and kitchen gives depth to the spatial volume.

The blue theme of the exterior siding and roof continues into the gourmet kitchen whose top tier appliances including a Subzero Wolf R/F would please any chef. The ceiling is detailed with a soffit above the upper cabinets for ambient lighting and the stainless steel hood for the Wolf stove is connected to the upper ceiling by sloped planes of drywall. The marble countertops stand out against the deep blue cabinets and the backsplash’s interlocking two-toned colors adds a playful touch. The wide wall opening between the kitchen and the adjacent family room gives the cook a water view.  Behind the kitchen is a hall that leads past the laundry closet to the primary ensuite.

The family room extends across the length of the long leg of the “Y” floor plan. Like the dining room, the mix of the windows’ tall picture planes and operable units wrap around the corner of the room to the side deck to offer panoramic views of the serene landscape to Brooks Creek and the opposite shoreline.

The spacious family room is a great space for relaxing with family and friends since it offers a range of seating groups from the two sofas for watching TV, the red chairs with a large ottoman for relaxing with a book or quiet conversation and the bar stools at the corner bar area. Double doors lead from the bar area to a deck and the pair of French doors at the corner lead to the primary ensuite.

The primary bedroom is located at the quiet corner of the house. Sloped ceiling planes break up the flat areas for added height and the wide window and the doors to the deck offer abundant sunlight and views of the landscape and water. I loved the hues of this delightful room’s blue and green color scheme and  I especially liked how the wavy designs of both the art, the chair and ottoman add a touch of whimsy.

From the bed, one has long views of the water from both the deck and the family room’s windows. The deep soffits contain the HVAC and downlights and the tray portion of the ceiling easily accommodates a ceiling fan at the top of the ceiling.

This cozy deck off the primary bedroom and the family room’s bar area is the perfect spot for watching the sun rise over the far horizon or a quiet spot to relax at the end of the day.  

The five-piece primary bath is located between the family room and the hall to the primary bedroom so it has no exterior window. I admired the Owner’s clever solution of installing glass block at the full height and depth of the shower wall so light filters into the bath from the adjacent hall’s exterior window.

The stairs to the second floor open next to a sitting room with delightful interior architecture from the roof’s gambrel shape and clever floor openings. Partial walls surround these openings that become light wells to filter sunlight down to the dining room below. Daybeds provide extra sleeping space for guests.

My fave part of the house was this view both from the overlook railing down to the living room and also across the upper panes of glass to the undisturbed landscape to Brooks Creek beyond and the expanse of the sky.

Three guest bedrooms are connected both by the interior hall past two half baths and also by doors between the bedrooms. Each room has a gambrel shaped ceiling for added height and colorful interior design that gives each room its own unique personality. This room’s multi-colored striped bedspread inspired the accents of the textured headboard, rug and chair to creates a delightful space.

The middle bedroom’s playful flared metal bedframe, multi-colored stiped rug and bedspread with accents of orange in the coverlet and lampshades gives it its unique charm.

The corner bedroom, with an ensuite bath, has windows on both exterior walls for additional sunlight.  Since I am a Matisse fan, this room would probably be my first choice as a guest for the colorful Matisse frameless art and the geometric patterns of the bed linens in blue, white and orange.  

The coastal design of this two story house with the main living level above parking and storage areas at grade provides both covered parking and also nestles the  footprint of the house into its 11.8 acre site. The only disturbance to the site were the columns to support the two stories of the house above the ground level. Built in 2007 on its point of land, the house’s compact “Y” shaped floor plan created angled walls in the living and dining Rooms that are parallel to the incredible 1,500 linear feet of shoreline for direct views. 

The house is zoned very well with the interconnected living-dining-kitchen-family room area and the primary ensuite at the second floor and a sitting room, and the sitting room, three guest bedrooms and baths at the third floor. The living room’s stunning two-story bay window, wrap around windows at the dining room and family room and the wall of windows and doors at the third floor guest bedrooms open the house to the breathtaking views of the landscape and water. The house’s decks and long vistas from the interior rooms offer sweeping, panoramic views of Brooks Creek.

Outdoor amenities also include a private pier with approximately 3 feet MLW (mean low water), complete with water, electric, and a 12,000 lb boat lift that would please boating or fishing enthusiasts. Hunters would appreciate the duck blind on the property and the abundant wildlife that make this site a rare hunting paradise. 

From watching the sunrise over Brooks Creek to nocturnal star gazing from the second and third floor decks,  this quintessential property offers peace and privacy, only an hour from the Atlantic Ocean beaches and close proximity to Cambridge’s shops and restaurants. All this, and the furnishings are included too! 

For more information about this property, contact Coldwell Banker Real Estate agent Gwen Eskridge at 410-822-9000 (o), or  [email protected]. For more photographs and pricing, visit www.cbchesapeake.com , “Equal Housing Opportunity”. 

Open House: Saturday, July 12th, from noon to 3:00 pm

Photography by Rolfe Wood, 630-222-3098

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Contributor Jennifer Martella has pursued dual careers in architecture and real estate since she moved to the Eastern Shore in 2004. She has reestablished her architectural practice for residential and commercial projects and is a real estate agent for Meredith Fine Properties. She especially enjoys using her architectural expertise to help buyers envision how they could modify a potential property. Her Italian heritage led her to Piazza Italian Market, where she hosts wine tastings every Friday and Saturday afternoons.

Mt. Pleasant was built in the early 1800’s for the happiest of reasons-Daniel Cox Hopper built this brick, one room deep, three-story house so he could carry his new bride over the threshold of the double doors into the center hall of their new home.  As befitting a man who was a prominent local attorney and planter, member of the Maryland House of Delegates and a Lieutenant in the Maryland Militia during the War of 1812, he built the house in style of the day, a transitional Georgian to Federal Manor house on its original 383 tract of land that dates back to the 1600’s.

Today the house sits on 2.7 acres, surrounded by farm fields and vistas of the landscape that has remained remarkably unchanged for over two hundred years. As I came to the end of the allee of trees along the entry drive, I paused to savor this house’s elegant simplicity of gabled roofs, the harmonious symmetry of windows and doors and how the massing telescopes down from the 2-1/2 story main wing to the 1-1/2 story wing.  

As I walked up the steps to the entry double doors, I noticed the “put-log” holes in the brick headers that had supported scaffolding during construction and the lovely Flemish bond of the brick on the front façade.

One of my favorite courses of my architectural education was architectural history. The professor considered older houses to be living things that can convey clues about the styles or details of an earlier period, if one has the time and patience to seek them. This house was very lucky that in 1988, a young family moved in and their mantra became how best to preserve the history of the house, while adapting a two centuries old house to the needs and wants of a growing 20th century family. 

As I walked around the house, the only later addition is the old tin-roofed porch that became the family’s mud room, pantry and powder room. The areas of white brick indicate that the house was once painted and I admired how it gave the facades a look more refreshing than a monolithic brick façade would have been.

After studying the rear façade, I turned around to this serene endless vista of shades of green from the fields, still owned and farmed in stewardship by two generations of the Ward family, edged by mature trees. I marveled at how gorgeous the thick green grass was that seemed like a plush carpet with striations of deeper green. The vista reminded me of how the original acreage must have looked during the Hoppers’ tenure.

I could not resist taking this photo of the juxtaposition of the 1-1/2 story wing of textured brick against the wood cladding of the shed roofed porch, in its setting of the lighter colored brick path, thick green grass, tall orange day lilies gently swaying in the breeze rand the majestic Magnolia in bloom.

The crossroads of the brick path illustrates how one can reach the gardens from both the parking area and the shed roofed addition to the house. The Listing Agent met me in the garden and pointed out the tall Tulip Poplar that once was a mere seedling in Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest Plantation and the yews and boxwoods that were grown from cuttings from Mount Vernon, George Washington’s home.  

The current owners installed the pool and the spacious pavilion open to the breezes is a delightful outdoor room with its view of the garden. The pavilion’s size easily accommodates space for both relaxing on the wicker furnishings or dining al-fresco.

The current Owners wanted to preserve the original entry doors at both the front and rear of the center hall from extreme weather. They located a craftsman in Oregon who built another two sets of double mahogany raised panel doors whose dimensions were a perfect match to the original doors.  At the time the house was built, having doors and windows directly opposite each other provided natural cooling

Over the front entry doors is the original transom, with its muntin profiles that were the prototype for the custom design of the thirty-two new Marvin “Ultimate” insulated windows that replaced the older leaky 1907 “replacement” windows on all the facades. The beautiful antique pieces in the foyer on the original pine flooring were harbingers of more treasures to come.

To the right of the center hall is the Drawing Room; in the hierarchy of the house’s rooms, it is the most prominent space and the primary entertaining space. The room’s details reflect its prominence such as the largest windows in the house, with angled side wood panels to reflect more light, the largest fireplace in the house with its surround and mantel embellished with columns, pilasters, and panels of reeding, and the chair rail around the room that blends into the center hall’s chair rail.  After many, many layers of painstaking removal of paint,  the nuances of the fireplace’s design take its pride of place as the focal point in this exquisite room. I admired the colors of the large Oriental rug, the neutral upholstered furnishings and the warmth that only wood antiques can bring to a space. 

Throughout the house, careful arrangements of  furnishings and art give this house its distinctive personality. The large window at a rear corner of the Drawing Room offers a long vista over the farm fields to the woods beyond. I especially liked how the moldings around the windows gracefully meet the horizontal line of the chair rail and how the soft light gray walls and white trim become a serene backdrop to the interior design.   

Second in the hierarchy of the rooms is the Dining Room off the center hall. The windows are not as large as the Drawing Room, the fireplace is smaller and the chair rail is not as elaborate as the one in the Drawing Room. The rug is sized to accommodate the table and the extra chairs. I wondered if the pendant light was the work of the artisans at Deep Water Landing in Chestertown,  as the Georgian design would be quite appropriate.

The bespoke cupboard in the space between the fireplace and the rear corner of the Dining Room was originally built to contain the china, crystal and silver, as well as wine and liquor. The cupboard’s hardware was lost many years before the current Owners moved in. The notched areas on one side of the doors are evidence of many hands in the past that opened and closed the paneled doors. Before I passed through the doorway leading to the kitchen, I noticed how the side wall of the fireplace has been peeled away to reveal the original plastered wall and remnants of wallpaper. This detail and several other elements throughout the house illustrate the original materials.

Past the Dining Room is the former pantry that is now a laundry/service room and a secondary stair to the upper part of the kitchen wing. Seeking insights about the original layout of the kitchen, the current Owners reached out to old family and friends who were well acquainted with the Robinson family, who lived at the house when it was  dairy farm at the turn of the century. Over a thirty year period, the current Owners have transformed the space with painted maple cabinetry, Brazilian marble countertops and backsplash. The exposed beams were refinished and sealed and the brick chimney at the side wall was left exposed, then repointed and painted white to blend with the cabinetry. The beautiful pine floors were reclaimed from William Paca’s old farm house on the site of the Wye River Plantation, the home of the Maryland signer of the Declaration of Independence. I especially liked how well the white cabinetry highlighted the Owners’ beautiful collection of blue and white ceramics.

The current Owners enclosed the old back porch with its original tin roof for a Mud Room/Pantry. A wall of bespoke cabinetry with a mix of paneled doors to access pantry items is opposite open shelves containing baskets of storage for each family member. The lowest cabinet is deeper so it can also be used for sitting while one takes off boots or wellies. The French door brings light into the room and offers a view of the garden.  There is also a small powder room for convenient clean ups after gardening. The stairs to the cellar are also located here.

 

On my tour of the grounds before I came into the house, I had noticed a large half moon shaped opening that had been bricked in at the side wall of the house. I learned that the opening had once been the only access to the cellar. The current Owners discovered a trap door with a folding stairway and remnants of old limed whitewash on each side of the stair. At each end of the cellar, I marveled at the foundation of massive brick pilings and the vaulted relieving arches at the chimneys’ exterior walls.

As the Weekend Wine Woman at Piazza Italian Market, I noted that the rows of wine were resting on racks in this underground space ‘s perfect temperature for storing fine wine. The cellar also originally contained a Larder where butchered meats and fowl awaited cooking or were larded in fat for preservation.

At the second floor, the spacious Primary Ensuite begins with the bedroom over the Dining Room. Steps down to the 1850’s era wing now contains the Primary Bath, the secondary stairs to the Kitchen, Primary  Dressing Room and Office. The bedroom’s four poster frame fills the space without infringing upon the spatial volume and the soft colors of white and blue create a serene retreat. The original door has been saved in its original state. 

It is difficult to realize that the elegant Primary Bathroom was once a storage room with crumbling lath and plaster walls, an old window with a plywood piece for a window treatment, and wood floors painted brown!  Now the space is transformed with marble flooring and a Brazilian marble top for the dual lavatory’s floating cabinet with porcelain vessels. The glass walled shower and the one-piece eco-flush toilet are finishing touches. The Dressing Room with custom cabinetry completes the ensuite.

The office is located at a quiet corner of the house and it its ceiling was removed to expose the rafters and the two square windows on either side of the chimney. The windows add additional sunlight to the room and the white walls accentuate the stained beams. The side gable wall infilled with bespoke millwork beckons one to select a book and relax in one of the chairs. When one is not working, the table and chair are positioned so one can take a break to look over a computer at the view of the landscape through the window. 

Another set of stairs leads from the second-floor office to a finished attic, with sunlight from the windows and doors leading to storage areas under the eaves. I admired how the exposed stained rafters, ceiling joists and railing stand out against the white walls and ceiling to accentuate the office’s spatial geometry. This bonus room has myriad uses-second office, playroom, teen hang-out, extra sleeping space, etc.

I would be quite content to be a guest in this elegant bedroom opposite the stair hall and the primary bedroom. The four-poster bed, fireplace, armoire and the writing table would please any guest. The fireplace’s exposed wood framing illustrate a fire that occurred long ago from an old chimney fire and shows the sister joist techniques that were used to repair the damage. The fireplace  surround is a simplified reconstruction.  

The interior architecture of the bedroom is left “as-is”, to better study the original construction techniques. Old drywall partially obscures the chair rail, and the walls need to be replastered and the partial paint removal from the door offers clues as to its past colors. The beams are exposed in this room but they would have originally been covered by a ceiling. 

Between the Primary Bedroom and the Guest Bedroom is a bath created by the space that was originally a large open landing off the stairs with a window for cross ventilation. The room’s size now easily accommodates a full bath.

My fave spaces in houses are always the charming spaces that are tucked under the roof’s framing. Here, the white enclosure of the walls, exposed collar beams and the chimney create a soothing space for sleep. The fireplace indicates this room was used all year, perhaps by the family’s children, servants, or enslaved people. The windows that flank the chimney offer bird’s eye views of the landscape three floors below. I lingered in this room because I especially liked the earth tones of this room’s interior design. 

At the opposite end of the third floor is this delightful bedroom with colorful twin beds and the same spatial geometry as the other guest bedroom. The small windows on either side of the fireplace are called “lie on your stomach” windows since their sills are at the same height off the floor as the top of the beds are. The white walls and ceiling reflect the light and the blue accents of the baseboards, the frames of the twin beds and the blue in the rug create a fun and relaxing room for children of all ages.   

The Owners’ philosophy of their stewardship of this remarkable property has been to preserve the house wherever possible as a learning lab of architectural history; while simultaneously adapting is use to accommodate a growing family over time. They thoughtfully left some small areas of walls throughout the house to expose the original techniques of its construction. They also obtained matching grants to become a host site for the University of Delaware’s Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation. The cellar’s dirt floor was excavated 18” lower and recovered artifacts helped to document the life of an early 18th century house. 

The house’s architectural characteristics and the shrinking inventory of  historic sites also led the Owners to begin the process for “Mt. Pleasant” to be eligible to be listed in the National Register of Historic Places. I have no doubt that this unique house will soon be proudly displaying its plaque. 

Realtors are sometimes accused of “puffing”, or exaggerating a property’s features, but as an architect, I can sincerely state that “Mt. Pleasant” far exceeds all of my selection criteria of site, architecture, interiors and landscape.  The house’s gardens enhance the architecture and the exquisite interiors complement the interior architecture so harmoniously. My compliments to the Owners for preserving, restoring and renovating this important piece of Maryland’s architectural history. I envy the very lucky next steward of this unique property-Bravissimo and Bravissima!

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For more information about this property, contact Laura Batchelor, with TTR Sotheby’s International Realty at 410-673-3344 (o), 571- 276-4375 (c), or [email protected]. For more pictures and pricing, visit sothebysrealty.com/ttrsir “Equal Housing Opportunity”.

Photography by Moses George Cohen, 202-688-8581, [email protected],

https://linktr.ee/delmarvaaerial360 ,www.DelmarvaAerial360.com

Aerial Photography by Delmarva Aerial Photography (Hardware Studios)

The author is indebted to the Owners for sharing their extensive research and detailed explanations of each room’s features, restoration and renovation.

 

Contributor Jennifer Martella has pursued dual careers in architecture and real estate since she moved to the Eastern Shore in 2004. She has reestablished her architectural practice for residential and commercial projects and is a real estate agent for Meredith Fine Properties. She especially enjoys using her architectural expertise to help buyers envision how they could modify a potential property. Her Italian heritage led her to Piazza Italian Market, where she hosts wine tastings every Friday and Saturday afternoons.

Since my Spy beat is now four counties, I have enjoyed getting acquainted with Cambridge’s streetscapes around Hambrooks Bay with their mix of architectural styles. This charming house caught my eye since I am especially fond of the Dutch Colonial Style. The house was built in the 1930’s, the heyday of cottage design in the US and its gambrel roof with flared eaves and shed dormers are distinctive design elements of this style that maximizes the floor area at the second floor.  

On the day of my visit, I admired the house’s picturesque setting amidst mature landscaping and the front yard’s massive sycamore tree whose wide canopy casts deep shadows onto the lawn. The wide street provides parking on both sides, and its location is only two blocks to the Gerry Boyle Park at Great Marsh along Hambrooks Bay and the  Choptank River.    

 

As I walked around the house, I admired how the house’s exterior palette of exposed brick foundation, light lap siding and darker shutters stood out against the landscape. Plantings of giant hostas along the exposed brick foundation in front of the higher nandina wrap around the corner to meet the two large hydrangeas that flank the brick chimney. As inviting as the front porch was, I continued my tour of the grounds.

The house’s full shed dormer and the gambrel eaves that blend into the front porch’s shed roof enliven both the side elevation facing the driveway and the garage and give the house its charm.  The house’s side door at grade level was common in the era of cottage design since it led to a half flight of steps up to the first floor kitchen and a half flight down to a basement. The row of crape myrtle at the front side of the garage will soon add its color to the landscape.

From the garage, the massive tulip poplar shades most of the rear yard and the combination of fencing and mature landscaping gives the property privacy. At the rear of the house, a slight extension from the original wall contains a side by side W/D and a full bath, which makes after gardening clean-up easy.  

The deck off the laundry area is a delightful outdoor room for relaxing or dining al-fresco. The full shed dormer provides bird’s eye views of the verdant landscape from the second floor’s bath and two of the three bedrooms.  

After my tour of the grounds, I walked up the wide brick steps that lead to the house’s other outdoor room, the front porch that stretches across the length of the house. The brown wood slat ceiling continues the earth tones of the exterior materials. One of my architectural pet peeves is a porch that is too shallow to allow passing a person seated in a chair. This porch gets high marks for its depth that allows ample space for relaxing on the chairs with family and friends. 

While I admired the front door’s half sidelights and half paneled surround, the Owners came out to welcome me into the spacious foyer with direct sunlight from the large window above the stairs. I wondered if the pair of French doors led to the adjacent room but they actually open into a large closet for family coats. The doors’ frosted glass semi-transparency is a more imaginative solution than wood doors. The bench in front of the radiator has shelves for storing wellies and boots. The wall color, crisp white woodwork and the beautiful wood floors introduces the interior design scheme found throughout the house.  

This house’s design incorporates many period details like the elliptical arch that springs from pilasters and trim at each side to gracefully frame the view of the living room from the foyer. Painting the underside of the arch white instead of the wall color accentuated the opening into the living room. The vista through the living room ends at a fireplace with a pellet stove insert,  flanked by single windows. 

I love dual vistas like this one from the living room’s fireplace to the foyer beyond and through another elliptical arch that frames the dining room. I also appreciated the Owners’ use of bold colors as backdrops to their furnishings, since the living room has ample sunlight from the single side wall windows and the double front window that keep the room bright. 

The corner dining room has a single window on each exterior wall for views of the landscape. I loved the original pressed tin ceiling that floats above the bright red walls. The room’s size could easily accommodate six chairs around the table for family celebrations or dinner parties. 

 

An open doorway leads from the dining room to the kitchen. The upper wall of cabinets has an extra row for infrequently used items. Another doorway leads to the extension containing the adjacent laundry and full bath. The mix of beautiful wood floors, vintage wrought iron hardware, period pendant light fixture and granite countertops create an eclectic look.

I envy any laundry that is not a stack W/D in an alcove like mine! This efficient space has everything one needs with the shelf and the drying rack tucked against the wall but adding a countertop would be very easy. The side door opens into a full bath and an exterior door leads to the deck overlooking the rear yard.

The stairs to the second floor lead to a short hall past two guest bedrooms. This front bedroom’s butter yellow walls highlight the white trim of the moldings and the vintage five panel door. The period five-panel door leads to stairs to the third floor.

Opposite the other guest bedroom is another  guest bedroom with two windows that offer panoramic views of the landscape below. I admired how the diagonal pattern of the bed’s quilt is outlined in blue to complement the walls.

Past the two guest bedrooms, the hall wall is angled at the door to the hall bath. This clever detail creates a linen closet that backs up to the blue bedroom’s closet. The hall bath’s white plumbing fixtures stand out against the light brown wall and the above the toilet is both a shelf for everyday toiletries.  Both the cabinet above the toilet and the shelves recessed into the wall offer additional storage. The window overlooks the rear yard’s landscaping.

The spacious primary bedroom at the end of the short hall spans the length of the house and the door divides the space into two areas. Between the two closets is another arched opening over a window with a seat below. Since the primary bedroom is next to the hall bath, it would be relatively easy to add a bath for the primary bedroom.

 

The steps to the third floor bonus room open into a space that spans the width and length of the house, with access to storage behind the knee walls. Windows at each end and the skylight keep this space sunny for myriad uses-office, studio, hang-out space for kids or grandkids, etc. The space’s former use was as a rehearsal space for several local bands, including “Luke”, “Drawbridge” and the classic rock band “Transfuzion” – an Eastern Shore favorite. 

The real bonus to this house’s location is its being only two blocks away from Gerry Boyle Park with its open spaces for touch football, tennis courts, County sports fields, playground equipment, a pavilion for large group picnics, boat launch, small beach, and fishing. The Park offers front row seats for watching the Eagleman/Iron Man happenings as well the APBA Power boat races and the 4th of July Fireworks. 

This charming house is located just beyond the Historic West End District so there are no restrictions for modifications and the deck could be replaced with a family room addition. Great curb appeal from both its picturesque setting with mature landscaping that includes majestic trees for shade and also the Dutch Colonial architecture that maximizes the second floor rooms’ sizes; outdoor rooms of the large front porch and rear deck; compact floor plan; period details of graceful arched openings, moldings, beautiful wood floors and original five-panel interior doors; basement for storage and a third floor for myriad uses; one-car detached garage; all this and its location between the Dorchester YMCA and Gerry Boyle Park-hard to resist!

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For more information about this property, contact Sharon Real Estate Associate Broker Sydney Cohee, GRI at 410-228-2525 (o), 410-476-7519 (c) or [email protected]. For more photographs and pricing, visit www.sharonre.com ,  “Equal Housing Opportunity.”

Photography by Bill Whaley, www.billwhaleyphotography.com ,(443) 477-1928

Contributor Jennifer Martella has pursued dual careers in architecture and real estate since she moved to the Eastern Shore in 2004. She has reestablished her architectural practice for residential and commercial projects and is a real estate agent for Meredith Fine Properties. She especially enjoys using her architectural expertise to help buyers envision how they could modify a potential property. Her Italian heritage led her to Piazza Italian Market, where she hosts wine tastings every Friday and Saturday afternoons.

For many years on my way to Easton, I drove past a long straight driveway lined with mature trees that soon curved out of sight to obscure any view of the house. The property was surrounded by farmland, so I surmised this house was a quintessential Eastern Shore farmhouse. I learned it was originally the farmhouse for the farm but for or nearly 25 years, and this house has also been home to a talented duo of artists whom I met through Piazza a few years ago. They retained me as their architect to help them evaluate a renovation and/or addition vs. selling and buying another house that could offer them one-level living. When they gave me their address, I realized my curiosity would soon be satisfied! 

I went back this week to tour the grounds and I again appreciated how a large group of blooming day lilies on each side of the drive marked the transition to the curved portion of the drive. The vista opens up to the house, framed by mature Willow Oaks, massive English boxwoods, and heirloom plantings. I admired the arrangement of large hostas that stretched out in the planting beds at the front and side of the house.  The driveway blends into a sizeable parking area that also serves the detached three-car garage and a large barn that is the workshop of the artisan woodworker husband of the couple.  The compact massing of the two-story house is articulated by gables on each side, with several one-story areas that create a lively composition. The front hipped roof covers a screened porch that leads to the main entry to the house.  

At the rear corner of the house, a towering Magnolia tree provides both shade and its large beautiful blooms. Entrances to both the family room with its single door flanked by long windows and the door at the other side that leads to the kitchen results in an easy indoor/outdoor flow for entertaining. 

On my first visit as their architect, I told them I love topiary and I christened the shed behind the house the “topiary shed” since except for the single door on one side, it is covered entirely with ivy. Its side wall borders the brick terrace opposite a raised bed containing a dwarf red Japanese Maple and other plants along with pots of annuals. The blue umbrella can be positioned to provide shade when needed over the outdoor dining area.

Most of the property is screened by mature trees but at this spot there is a break in the greenery for this long vista to unfold over the farm fields. On the day of my visit, young shoots of corn were asserting themselves upward in the fields to the far distance line of trees. The wooden planter containing herbs for cooking is directly opposite the door to the kitchen. 

I ended my tour of the grounds with another tour of the interiors. I went back to the front door that opens into a foyer between the office and the living room and I remembered the first time I saw this exquisite room. I had just returned from my annual art visit to NYC, which included a visit to MOMA’s modern furniture gallery. I was amazed at the iconic pieces the artistic couple had acquired or the talented husband had crafted for this room that would grace any gallery. My eyes lingered first over the cardboard chairs made famous by architect Frank Gehry, then over the husband’s creation of both the desk and the table that proudly have their place amongst the iconic pieces. Between the two windows are the “Cone Chair“ by  Verner Panton and the fantastic “Carlton” bookcase of many colors by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis that is clearly the focal point of the room.  

The simple palette of white washed pine paneling that adds texture, white ceiling and the texture of the rug over the beautiful original white oak floors provide an enclosure for the colorful furnishings. The geometry of the black sofa by Jasper Morrison is perfectly complemented by design icons Charles and Ray Eames’ round wood coffee table and their LCW cowhide chair. Jean-Marie Massaud black “Ace Chair’ for Viccarbe. Lighting by Martine Bedin’s floor lamp for Memphis in the corner and the large organic uplight by Ingo Maurer  on top of the bookcase on the side wall provide accent lighting.  

 

I love vistas through imaginative spaces and  I savored this one that ends at a large vintage poster.

It’s quite rare that I can include all four walls of a room, but this living room is the exception. I liked the layering of the wood-burning fireplace surround in front of the bookcases and the simple mantel with the steel candle holders by Albert Paley I had first seen in the wife’s office. The photo of the magnolia by George Holzer pays homage to the massive Magnolia outside.  

After reluctantly leaving the living room, I discovered more treasures. A large rug anchors the Jean Prouvé table by Vitra and the sleek black Maarten Van Severn Chairs with their tubular steel legs. When I asked who designed the one-of-a-kind Chiffonier and the Courtier cabinet, the husband modestly but proudly claimed them as his own designs that he crafted – simply elegant! My fave piece of his was the exquisite Courtier next to the white corner cabinet original to the house. The cabinet slopes front to back and I can’t imagine how many hours it took to design and create this gem!

I love trestle tables and the Trestle Table sideboard was designed and crafted by the husband. The pair of steel candleholders match the design of the  candleholders by Albert Paley in the living room. This view of the dining room shows how connected the spaces are-doorways lead to both the living room and the adjacent family room for easy flow among the rooms. 

The cozy family room off the living room has bespoke millwork by the husband in the corner as well as his “Pirouette” table as a plant stand underneath the double windows. I liked how the millwork height stops just short of the ceiling so the white molding can seamlessly surround the walls and the juxtaposition of the off-white millwork with the plush tufted black seating. It is easy to imagine relaxing in this room for binge watching TV. 

The family room has two zones-one for watching TV with the bespoke millwork creating a cozy enclosure for the sofa. There is ample space for snacks and one’s fave beverage on the oval  “Park Lane” coffee table by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis. The other zone in the rear corner of the room opens up to the landscape with the double window and the glass door flanked by long windows with two chairs for reading in the warmth of the summer sun.   

Even the powder room was carefully and artfully planned. I admired the two- toned finish of the cabinetry and the black lavatory countertop that highlights the white rectangular vessel lavatory. The upper cabinet for storage tucked under the ceiling molding maintains the lines of the room. The frameless round mirror with a beveled edge and the brown hand towel with white oval design adds more geometry. The painting by artist Michael Mota is the perfect finishing touch.  The window adds daylight and the slats of the shutters over the lower panes provide privacy when needed.  

The exterior door to the kitchen opens into a shallow mud room space. The ‘Hang-it-All” coat rack by Charles and Ray Eames is placed strategically over the radiator to dry out damp jackets or gloves and an open-end cabinet in the kitchen provides space for wellies and boots. I liked how the couple kept the original vintage cabinetry and accented it with the rich, warm khaki walls. The graceful arch over the kitchen sink was added by the husband and the pendant lights provide ample task lighting over the sink. The commercial vinyl flooring is highly durable with easy maintenance.  

The stairs to the second floor end at a landing leading to a “T” shaped hall connecting three bedrooms and a hall bath. Opposite the landing is a closet containing the washer and dryer. The short part of the “T” leading to the primary bedroom passes a storage room and closet that could become a bath for the guest bedrooms. Adding a high window to the new bath directly opposite the window over the stairs would provide sunlight into the new bath. Since the existing hall bath is next to the primary bedroom, it could easily become a bath for the primary bedroom. I loved the semi-transparent light fixture from IKEA.

 

The huge primary bedroom spans the full depth of the house with windows on all three walls that clast sunlight onto the light blue wall and beautiful heart pine flooring. The floor lamp by Artek and table lamp by Noguchi add soft lighting. I coveted the large abstract rug by Natalie DuPasquier for Memphis and the wood furnishings of the “wishbone” chair in the corner, the chest of drawers and maple bench that were all designed and crafted by the husband of the couple. The colorful bedspread and artwork are perfect finishing touches for a delightful retreat.  

If the existing storage room becomes a bath for the guest bedrooms, the hall bath would become the primary bedroom by adding another  door to the adjacent primary bedroom. Since the existing bath door is next to the hall laundry closet, leaving it as-is provides easy access for doing laundry. The beadboard wainscot and geometric curtains add charm and the clever open shelf over the lavatory stores everyday items for convenience. The vintage style light fixture adds ample lighting. Like the kitchen, the commercial vinyl flooring is highly durable with easy maintenance.  

The spacious corner guest bedroom has a high shelf above the window trim for display of the couple’s grown son’s childhood toys and collectibles. The two windows offer panoramic views of the landscape below. I appreciated how the oval mirror over the wood chest of drawers is on axis with the door to the hall. The abstract rug and the orange RAR Rocker by Charles and Ray Eames add splashes of color.

The other guest bedroom has total privacy since it only shares one interior wall with the rest of the second floor. Windows at the front and rear walls offer panoramic views of the landscape below. I admired the antique spool bed and the “Angel” artwork that were designed and crafted by Susan Tiffany and the husband of the couple. I appreciated how the oval wood top of the nightstand stretches out to echo the wings of the Angel above. Painting the exposed beams and the ceiling trim blue with the blue and white window treatment were perfect finishes touches in this charming bedroom

 

This special 2+/- acre property is just over a mile from Easton, yet the house’s location at the end of a long and curved driveway, surrounded by farmland, offers privacy and peace. The quintessential Eastern Shore farmhouse has been well maintained by the Owners for nearly twenty-five years. They enhanced the existing mature landscape under the canopy of mature Willow Oaks and a majestic Magnolia with English boxwoods, hostas and annuals for seasonal color. The outdoor room of the brick terrace at the rear of the property provides vistas of the wooded border along the property line, broken by a gap that extends the vista across the fields to the wooded area in the far distance.

The house’s compact floor plan is zoned very well and as their architect, I   collaborated with them for an addition of a main floor primary ensuite. Since they chose to seek another property, a lucky Buyer has the opportunity to make this unique property their own and to explore the myriad possibilities of the various outbuildings, including the huge 125 year old pegged post and beam barn that is a heated and insulated for a workshop or studio, the three car garage and two additional outbuildings on grandfathered footprints. 

The Owners have become treasured friends and I look forward very much to seeing their exquisite collection of iconic furnishings, art and accessories in a new home. Bravissimo and Bravissima!  

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For more information about this property, contact Denis Gasper with Benson and Mangold at 410-822-6665 (o), or 410-310-8437 (c).  For more photographs and pricing, visit www.bensonandmangold.com or contact Dennis at  [email protected],  “Equal Housing Opportunity.”

Open Houses:
June 15th,  10:00-1:00
June 21st, 10:00-Noon
June 22nd, 11:00-1:00[email protected] 

Photography by Broadview Interactive LLC, [email protected]

Contributor Jennifer Martella has pursued dual careers in architecture and real estate since she moved to the Eastern Shore in 2004. She has reestablished her architectural practice for residential and commercial projects and is a real estate agent for Meredith Fine Properties. She especially enjoys using her architectural expertise to help buyers envision how they could modify a potential property. Her Italian heritage led her to Piazza Italian Market, where she hosts wine tastings every Friday and Saturday afternoons.

Since one of my criteria for selection of a House of the Week is Landscape Design, I always look forward to featuring the work of Landscape Designer Jan Kirsh. Several years ago, the historic Miracle House property was a House of the Week, so my focus then was on its architecture and its unique history. The property with a cottage and one room school house was once a ten week summer haven for Baltimore children whose parents had been exposed to  tuberculosis. The Miracle House’s tranquil setting on the Chesapeake Bay and the fresh breezes, swimming in the Bay and nutritious food helped the children build up their resistance to the disease.  The Miracle House is now a private residence with a main cottage and a school house is now a guest house.  

Soon after the Owner acquired the property, he realized that his existing random collection of plantings did not maximize the site’s potential. Four years ago, he retained Jan Kirsh to re-invent the spaces to “turn the garden around, and to make it into a head turning garden.” 

Kirsh began by accenting the majestic Oak and Loblolly pines with three native flowering Viburnum shrubs strategically placed to act as visual anchors in the entry bed. On the day of my visit,  I admired the golden yellow carex (sedge) a grass-like plant, that are evergreen and how they lighten the shady garden. A texturally rich combination of shrubs and ground covers provide seasonal interest, with flowers, glossy leaves and various shades of green foliage. Many shrubs are evergreen so the garden is not dormant throughout the winter.

Seeing the transformation of the entry drive to the property, I remembered its  “before” look. The Owner was quite fortunate to have these extraordinarily  towering Loblolly Pines and Oaks that evoke an almost ‘Cathedral like’ feeling. The dappled shade they and other trees provide were an asset in his vision for the gardens that would have breathtaking views of the Chesapeake Bay. 

As I slowly drove along the gravel entry drive that is parallel to the front elevation of the house, I admired how one side of the drive faces the grove of pines and the other side facing the house now has a profusion of green plantings with accents of color. Kirsh told me she had slowly walked the pine area and sprayed white paint in a meandering line to show her landscaping crew the demarcation line where the bed of pine needles would meet the grassy area along the gravel drive. 

New plantings of  epimedium (heart shaped ground cover) and shrubs of dwarf nandina, viburnum, and boxwood offer shades of green. The Owner is especially fond of annuals so  Kirsh added the purple sunpatiens in front of the white dwarf abelia (flowering shrubs).

At the parking area by the main house, I recognized the deep lavender butterfly bushes next to the golden yellow sedge’s thin strands with the evergreen shrub chamaecyparis obtusa (false cypress) as a sentinel in the background. 

After parking my car, I admired how Kirsh’s mix of blue-gray gravel for the driveway and parking area and the 3/8” Delaware gravel walkway areas defines their common edge. The driveway curves to provide parking for the Guest House. In between the houses, more plantings surround the pool area with views of the Bay. Kirsh deftly handled the adjustment and redesign of the parking areas to define +how guests would approach the three entries to the main house and the one entry to the Guest House. 

Groups of Lamb’s Ear, Panicum Virgatum (native ‘switch grass’) and the tall Northern Bayberry that is a native, very hardy shrub, form the edge of the 3/8” Delaware gravel walkway.  

At the corner of the blue chip gravel parking area, a single stone paver marks the transition from the parking to 3/8” Delaware gravel walkway to the main house. I admired the textures of the Lamb’s Ear, Hydrangea shrub and Molinia (commonly called muhly grass). In the early fall, this native grass displays a cloud of delicate pink flowers that is a surprising visual treat. 

What was once a somewhat barren area under the majestic oak and loblolly pines near the entrance to the main house is now a vibrant mix of boxwood, sarcoccoca and viburnum shrubs, pots of tropical plants, “elephant ears” with annual torenia and the low epimedium ground cover. Kirsh’s keen eye for texture, shapes and sizes of plant leaves and how the composition rises from the low epimedium to the tall elephant ears comes together beautifully in this tranquil spot.  

I have long admired Kirsh’s special talent for creating hardscapes. To expand the Owner’s deck onto a terrace that would blend into the front walkway, Kirsh recycled ‘left overs’ from the pool surround, and the masons saw cut the bluestone pavers into strips. Kirsh’s  scale drawing was transferred to the ground and was actually drawn with paint; then Kirsh oversaw the team of masons who installed the work. I loved the textures and colors of the hand selected oversized river rocks and the Owner was quite appreciative of Kirsh’s artistry. 

 

One of Kirsh’s signature paths with random large stone using Mexican beach pebbles as “mortar” connects the deck at the side of the house to the pool.  (This photograph shows the work when it was in progress.)  The grasses to the right are calamagrostis and the grasses to the left are acorus and dark green perennial allium ‘Millenium’ (its splendid small globe shaped flowers are not in bloom yet.)

Before Kirsh was involved with the landscape design, the Owner had turned his keen eye to the design and construction of the swimming pool and its surround of bluestone paving.  Kirsh designed complementary plantings with sweeps of acorus with patches of ornamental grasses and summer blooming allium that continued the very contemporary tone of the Owner’s vision. 

The pool area highlights how unique this site is. The expanse of the Chesapeake Bay could have been too dominant but here it is a partner. The grand view of the Bay is balanced by color, foliage, hardscape and new planters..  

The Owner’s design for the bluestone pool surround widens to include a dining area and wraps around the diving board at the waterside edge of the pool. Blocks of color draw your eye from indoor and outdoor entertaining areas, across the expanse of the glistening pool water’s surface to the maturing background hedges. At the edge of bluestone are yellow acorus, allium, calamagrostis (feathered red grass) with the northern bayberry and callicarpa dichotoma (Beauty Berry) at the back corner.

The trio of texture and color of this part of the landscape at the rear corner of the pool area is exquisite when summer turns into fall. Yellow acorus is between the allium ‘Millenium’ with mature seed heads in the fall and the tall, narrow Calamagrostis (feather reed grass) in flower with plumes is the backdrop to this delightful late season composition.

I have always loved Elephant’s Ears and these newer hybrids with their yellow “spine” and their giant leaves are set against the rear wall of the main house. Steps from the classic restored sunroom lead down to the Bayside hot tub deck.

Given the strong cold winter winds over the Bay, Kirsh specified hardy shrubs and trees. She chose evergreen boxwood as accents along the expanse of lawn to the Bay. At the BBQ grille location, Kirsh chose a tree lilac that is another solution to withstand winter’s cold temperatures and winds from the Bay. Spots of annual color add summer interest to the shrub borders. The flashes of color here are annual Lantana, whose delicate flowers belie its being a tough, deer resistant plant that requires minimal care.  I love to play croquet and the wide and deep lawn would be perfect for the game.

Kirsh specified shrubs including hydrangea paniculata, abelia, weigelia and Osmanthus to both screen the pool equipment shed and to also provide a colorful rotation during the season when the pool is the primary outdoor room. The shrubs form a background for the plantings surrounding the pool, which was Kirsh’s intentional painterly backdrop for the planting. When Kirsh created the  mixed ‘privacy shrub borders’ of paramount importance was her respect of  the views from neighboring properties so that their long views to the broad water of the Bay would remain open. 

 As I strolled past the pool area, I was struck by how Kirsh located the shrubs in offset parallel rows perpendicular to the Bay so one can see the Bay between the rows as you stroll the grounds. When I reluctantly reached my car, I looked back and the diagonal vista of the shrubbery rows seemed to form a continuous  meandering line. I was also impressed how Kirsh creatively re-used existing plants and transplanted them so they could happily thrive in their new locations. She also added kousa dogwoods along the lawn edge where it meets the existing woodland to make a crisp and clean bed line that defines the lawn. 

As I drove away, I contemplated how the grounds were transformed in the years since I last visited this magical spot. The Owner was a true collaborator with Kirsh and he clearly articulated the specific feeling he wanted the grounds to represent. His primary goal was to make the property a space of pure delight for family, friends and visitors with the hope that they celebrated this naturally beautiful setting, enhanced by seasonal gardens, as much as he does. He was fortunate to have had a Landscape Designer as gifted as Kirsh is for his collaborator. She attentively listened when he described his vision, which enabled her to not only meet but also to exceed his goals.  Kirsh appreciated how the Owner’s enthusiasm for the project affected everyone from the contractors to the  installation crew and how he also contributed his labor to artfully placing some of the Mexican beach pebbles in the paths. 

I don’t use these Italian superlatives lightly but bravissimo to the Owner and bravissima to Jan Kirsh for their transformation of this exquisite property! This novice gardener thoroughly enjoyed passing her mini-course on identifying plants by their correct names.

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Landscape Designer: Jan Kirsh, Jan Kirsh Studio, www.jankirshstudio.com, 410-745-5252

Contributor Jennifer Martella has pursued dual careers in architecture and real estate since she moved to the Eastern Shore in 2004. She has reestablished her architectural practice for residential and commercial projects and is a real estate agent for Meredith Fine Properties. She especially enjoys using her architectural expertise to help buyers envision how they could modify a potential property. Her Italian heritage led her to Piazza Italian Market, where she hosts wine tastings every Friday and Saturday afternoons.