List price: $1,950,000
Year built: 1849
Real estate agent: Nick Piscatelli, Maryland Commercial Ventures, LLC
Last sold price/date: $500,000 on April 26, 2005
Property size: 5,368-square-foot lot
Unique features: In 1849, Baltimore was a booming port city of nearly 170,000 people, including the residents of a stately new three-story brick home at 106 E. Chase St., in Mount Vernon. Nearly two centuries later, having dodged a wrecking ball in the 1960s, the mansion bears a dignified elegance akin to that of its past. The hand-painted plaster ceilings, decorative Roman murals and stained and beveled glass windows hark back to a time of hoop skirts, top hats and grandeur for the well-to-do.
Each of the 15 rooms has a cachet of its own; no two are remotely alike. There are black chestnut sliding doors and marble bathroom floors; cherry kitchen cabinets and finely carved mantels atop the nine fireplaces. The dining room is paneled in Honduran mahogany and gold leaf. The back courtyard has a stylish cast iron fountain.
Among others, the home has belonged to George Carrell Jenkins, a wealthy financier, philanthropist and Civil War veteran who lived there from 1880 until he died in 1930. Jenkins and his wife, who was kin to Francis Scott Key, founded Bon Secours Hospital and funded the construction of two buildings (one of them Jenkins Hall) on the campus of Loyola University Maryland. Jenkins’ country estate, in Baltimore County, became the site of Villa Julie College (now Stevenson University).
Have a news tip? Contact Mike Klingaman at jklingaman@baltsun.com and 410-332-6456.
]]>List price: $2,250,000
Year built: 2001
Realtor: Charlotte Savoy, The KW Collective
Last sold price/date: $1,260,000 / July 12, 2013
Property size: 3.36 acres
Unique features: This three-story colonial has the traditional perks of a high-end home — a two-story foyer, lustrous hardwood floors and an inordinate number of bathrooms (six). But the all-brick home also has more offbeat features that may tip the scales for particular home-seekers. For instance, that cavernous foyer boasts a chandelier on a hoist system; the kitchen is full of (100) cabinets; and there’s a trickling waterfall in the back yard of the nearly 3.5-acre estate in Howard County.
Want more one-offs? There’s a dumbwaiter to the three-car garage and a heated koi pond. The breakfast room has a fireplace. The dining room has two chandeliers. The butler’s pantry has a wet bar. And the home has several space-saving pocket (sliding) doors — though, with more than 7,600 square feet of living space, the place has elbow room throughout.
So much for anomalies. Like a growing number of trendy residences, this one boasts a home theater and fitness center. There’s also a basketball hoop outside, a perk that’s curiously absent from many high-end estates. The property abuts a tract of 275 acres of preserved land.
What’s missing? A swimming pool, though there’s plenty of room to build one. Until then, one can swim with the fishes; the koi won’t bite.
Have a news tip? Contact Mike Klingaman at jklingaman@baltsun.com and 410-332-6456.
]]>List price: $4,250,000
Year built: 1899
Realtor: Karen Hubble Bisbee, Hubble Bisbee Christie’s International
Last sold price/date: $2,093,750 / March 26, 1992
Property size: 3.47 acres
Unique features: Aging gracefully is a challenge, for homes and for humans. This 19th-century mansion near Stevenson seems to have weathered time well: its joints don’t creak, and the only crow’s feet are those of real birds on the nearly 3.5-acre wooded estate.
Built in 1899, the four-story, brick Georgian home has 25 rooms, an Old World elegance, and prominent ties to Baltimore’s academic lore. It was the country estate of the late Robert Brent Keyser, once president of Johns Hopkins University’s Board of Trustees, whose family helped establish the school’s Homewood campus in 1914.
The house features a marble foyer, a wood-paneled library and seemingly endless passageways throughout. Wherever you go, one of eight bathrooms is nearby. Two of the four bedrooms have fireplaces. One of the home’s seven hearths is in the master suite, which boasts two bathrooms — with both stone and marble floors — plus a spacious sitting room. Several stained-glass windows and French doors lend a rich atmosphere. Even the attic is classy, with its vaulted ceiling beneath the mansion’s slate roof.
The grounds are peppered with patios and terraces, as well as stone fences and benches. Out front, there’s an old-fashioned fountain to welcome arrivals; out back, there’s an in-ground pool to really make their day.
Have a news tip? Contact Mike Klingaman at jklingaman@baltsun.com and 410-332-6456.
]]>List price: $4,175,000
Year built: 1869
Real estate agent: Diane Donohue, Monument Sotheby’s International Realty
Last sold price/date: $2,499,000 / Dec. 11, 2020
Property size: 3.05 acres
Unique features: This imposing three-story colonial has many perks — a bridal staircase, Italian marble, hardwood floors and its own gym. It also has a skeleton in the closet. The mansion recently belonged to Kevin Merrill, the Towson financier now serving time for running a multi-million dollar Ponzi (investment fraud) scheme. When FBI agents arrested him there, in 2018, they seized $500,000 in cash on site. “You were on your way to becoming the next Bernie Madoff,” said U.S. District Judge Richard Bennett during Merrill’s 2019 sentencing.
The elegant 19th-century estate boasts treasures of its own. Built just after the Civil War, it has six bedrooms, five bathrooms and more than 7,400 square feet of living space. Set on a quiet, tree-lined ridge in Ruxton, the home offers four fireplaces (gas and wood-burning), coffered beam ceilings and skylights to showcase the place. There are bright Italian Carrara countertops, twin wine refrigerators and an oversized breakfast island in the sprawling kitchen.
The master suite features a fireplace, a generous dressing area and a private porch. There’s also a gleaming white marble spa bath and soaking tub. A back staircase allows for private comings and goings. On the property is a patio with an all-brick hearth, a stylish parking courtyard and a heated garage that can fit five cars. That must have irked Merrill; reportedly, he owned about 20 of them.
Have a news tip? Contact Mike Klingaman at jklingaman@baltsun.com and 410-332-6456.
]]>List price: $1,899,950
Year built: 2004
Real estate agent: Skip Tolley, EXP Realty
Last sold price/date: $1,275,000 / May 15, 2018
Property size: .39 acre
Unique features: The round windows could pass for portals on a ship. A ceramic mermaid embellishes the master bath. And a 100-foot pier begs a plunge into Middle River, on sultry summer days. This contemporary home, near Essex, speaks to the sea.
A three-story residence, it sits at the mouth of Middle River and the edge of Turkey Point Park — a true surf-and-turf setting. A gated entrance leads to the multi-turreted structure, which features a two-story living room and hardwood floors. With nearly 6,000 square feet of living space, it boasts four bedrooms and four bathrooms, the fanciest of which bears the mermaid statue.
Windows abound; some are floor-to-ceiling, offering panoramic water views, others are graceful circles that give a cruise-line feel to the place. Stylish curved walls and three gas fireplaces add to the aesthetics of the home, built in 2004. There’s also a fitness room, a full porch (with retractable screens, for easy power washing) and an eight-seat theater with leather chairs.
The quiet property — the last stop on a dead-end road — includes a three-car garage, an in-ground irrigation system and a private dock with a boat lift and three jet ski lifts.
Have a news tip? Contact Mike Klingaman at jklingaman@baltsun.com and 410-332-6456.
]]>List price: $1,525,000
Year built: 1743
Real estate agent: Tressa Manna, RE/MAX Advantage Realty
Last sold price/date: $1,050,000 on June 1, 2021
Property size: 44.97 acres
Unique features: Some properties evoke a sense of the past. Two buildings on this 45-acre estate are listed on the National Register of Historic Places: a stone grist mill (1827) along Broad Creek in northern Harford County, and the miller’s house, a rubblestone structure and the oldest part of the main home, built in 1743. While contemporary additions to the storied exterior may jolt the senses, the property preserves the last vestiges of the bustling 19th-century village of Mill Green. The main house is also the only private residence in the county listed on the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom.
The historic home offers five bedrooms, four full bathrooms, six fireplaces and hardwood floors throughout. The kitchen and an upstairs bedroom share a striking stone wall, nearly 300 years old. A wine cellar and wet bar add perks for entertaining. The rear deck gives a view of Broad Creek and the 4,500 feet of frontage it affords for swimming, tubing and fishing.
The surroundings, mostly wooded, include a renovated, two-bedroom guest cottage; two spacious garages (4 and 12-car); a 3-stall horse barn; and the mill, nearly two centuries old, though stripped of its interior workings. There’s also a tennis court and a koi pond, with a fountain, which was originally an in-ground swimming pool built in 1938 — reportedly, the first of its kind in Harford County.
Have a news tip? Contact Mike Klingaman at jklingaman@baltsun.com and 410-332-6456.
]]>List price: $2,000,000
Year built: 2007
Real estate agent: Jake Northrop, Northrop Realty
Last sold price/date: n/a (single owner)
Property size: 6.17 acres
Unique features: The woods are lovely, dark and deep — and, best of all, need no upkeep. This all-brick colonial, on a cloistered 6-acre homestead in Howard County, offers forested surroundings and a calming view for those inclined.
With six bedrooms and six baths (four full), the home boasts more than 7,500 square feet of living space, with enough recessed ceilings to make the place seem larger. The two-story foyer has Brazilian cherry hardwood floors (the norm throughout) and a Venetian window that evokes a sense of grandeur without being gaudy. Three fireplaces add ambiance, and there’s plenty of wood to feed the flames. There’s a generous island in the kitchen, which leads to a breakfast niche and a panorama of the woods and wildlife out back. Windows abound, with remote-controlled blinds (“smart” shades, with motors), though who’d want to block a look-see at Bambi?
Besides its wet bar, the primary suite features a bathroom with Turkish marble tile, a skylight and a jetted tub with oversized dual-head shower (remember the nozzle that KO’d Kramer on “Seinfeld”?). Also, there’s a hot tub on the suite’s private deck, which overlooks the heated saltwater pool.
The previous owner, who does home restorations, left little to chance: the residence has a 50-year roof, a whole-house generator, an energy-saving recirculation pump and more than 1,000 gallons of stored water for emergencies.
Have a news tip? Contact Mike Klingaman at jklingaman@baltsun.com and 410-332-6456.
]]>List Price: $2,800,000
Year built: 1985
Real estate agent: Jeannette Westcott, Keller Williams Realty Centre
Last sold price/date: $520,000 / Oct. 21, 2015
Property size: 2.73 acres
Unique features: At the southern tip of Anne Arundel County sits this contemporary-style home, an upscale entry in a still-rural landscape. Perched on the cusp of Herring Bay, the 40-year-old estate overlooks the water and is close to Herrington Harbour South, a high-end marina with its boating, swimming and recreation perks.
It’s a bright and airy residence with, in part, lofty 10-foot ceilings and sleek Italian ceramic tile floors. The entrance alone sets the tone, with a front door imported from Germany, a custom-made chandelier in the foyer, and a split and winding staircase leading to the upper level. There are four bedrooms and three full bathrooms, one with a soaking tub and heaven-sent heated floors.
The kitchen boasts a 6-burner gas cooktop with griddle, two sinks and double ovens. Cabinet space abounds, and a butler’s pantry adds another sink and more convenient storage space, at arm’s length, for busy cooks. Other amenities include a wine cellar, cigar lounge and wet bar.
The nearly 3-acre property features a heated outdoor pool and a vine-draped gazebo with a kitchen, TV and eating area. Raised garden beds and handsome fencing keep critters at bay, while an irrigation system keeps the lawn looking lush. There are two garages (one with a guest suite overhead) and an enormous circular driveway, totaling 24 parking spaces. Apparently, someone counted.
Have a news tip? Contact Mike Klingaman at jklingaman@baltsun.com and 410-332-6456.
]]>List price: $3,550,000
Year built: 1896
Real estate agent: Thomas Mooney, O’Conor, Mooney & Fitzgerald
Last sold price/date: $1,450,000/ Feb. 9, 1993
Property size: 8.08 acres
Unique features: There’s enough history in this home to fill several books in its rosewood-paneled library. Built in 1896, the four-story mansion boasts eight bedrooms, nine full baths and a history laced with names of VIPs who’ve crossed its threshold through the years.
An early owner was William Hurst, a well-heeled businessman, in whose dry-goods store the Great Baltimore Fire of 1904 began. Later, the Lutherville estate was sold to J. Fife Symington Jr., a Maryland Republican leader who hosted political gatherings at the elegant hilltop residence. Richard Nixon, Barry Goldwater and Spiro Agnew hobnobbed here. A 1962 fundraiser drew 1,500 Republicans and an elephant that was shipped in from New York. (The pachyderm proceeded to trample flower beds and destroy a favorite maple tree.)
Nowadays, the 8-acre landscape features manicured grounds, impressive vegetation, a circular driveway and an in-ground pool and spa beside a bluestone patio. The spacious interior (nearly 11,500 square feet) has eight fireplaces, French doors, a butler’s pantry and an expansive ballroom that would surely share its political secrets, if walls could talk. A porch and balcony add charm to the place.
Among the outbuildings are a two-bedroom guest house with office; a two-car garage; and a 7-stall barn which has, of all things, a basketball court on the second floor.
Have a news tip? Contact Mike Klingaman at jklingaman@baltsun.com and 410-332-6456.
]]>List price: $1,300,000
Year built: 1996
Real estate agent: Jonathan Scheffenacker, Redfin Corp
Last sold price/date: $1,000,000 / June 3, 2022
Property size: 6.41 acres
Unique features: This is not a cookie-cutter home. The windows and doors come in all shapes and sizes; the rooms have quirky angles. There’s a touch of whimsy to this cottage-style residence in Reisterstown, as though the builder chuckled all through its construction on a quiet cul-de-sac near Liberty Reservoir.
It’s no surprise that for 10 years, this place was the home of actor Terry O’Quinn, a star of “Lost,” the offbeat TV series that won him an Emmy in 2007. O’Quinn raised a family on the nearly 6.5-acre estate (his wife attended nearby Franklin High) before selling it in 2010 for a reported $995,000.
The three-story home with a stucco front has six bedrooms, each with its own flair. One has a turret and stained glass windows; another, a small trapezoidal wooden door, reminiscent of the tree house of the Keebler elves. A third bedroom boasts skylights and a wet bar. There’s a style for every mood.
The main level features gleaming hardwood floors, two fireplaces and a chef’s kitchen with two ovens, a pair of sinks, a microwave drawer and a commercial-sized refrigerator. There’s another full kitchen in the basement, plus two bedrooms, a powder room and private laundry. Out back are a 1,200 square-foot deck, a workshop and a two-car garage. With more than 7,000 square feet of living space, getting lost here would not be a bad thing.
Have a news tip? Contact Mike Klingaman at jklingaman@baltsun.com and 410-332-6456.
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