The late Howard Head's house on Blythewood road was last on the market in 2023 for $3.17 million, and just sold in June of 2026 for $3.9 million.
Below is the Fishbowl article I wrote about the house in 2023. At the end of the piece are some notes the architect David Gleason sent me about some revisions that were done on the house in the 1970s.
What: In the olden days, tennis racquets and skis were both made
out of wood. Then aircraft engineer, Howard Head, came along and changed these
sports as we knew them. He re-designed skis and the over-sized Prince tennis
racquet and made them out of laminated woods and metals.
The Head’s house at 21 Blythewood
Road looks contemporary, but the property was purchased in 1925, and the house
was built and occupied by February of 1926. There is no architect of record,
but knowing them as I do, I wouldn’t be surprised if it was a Palmer &
Lamdin design.
The house is deceptively small
from the road, but expands to more than 9,000 square feet. While some of the
traditional details remain, the Heads updated, modernized and expanded this
house which you enter the house through a walled courtyard and then into a
traditional wainscoted hallway.
The house opens up to
window-walled rooms with a view over the back gardens, pool and the Stony Run
woods beyond. The living room features a large traditional fireplace, paneled
rooms, and the window wall. The huge modern kitchen, designed by Trish Houck,
has a large island, a large seating area, and built-in cabinet to display your
china collections. The traditional dining room, with its marble fireplace
surround, classic mill-work and trim, parquet floors, and window wall, is
adjacent to the kitchen. A wood-paneled study, beautiful powder room and family
room complete the first floor.
The large hall on the second floor
is centered around a seating area which overlooks the main staircase and the
entry hall. The main bedroom suite contains a large window wall with a balcony
which overlooks the koi pond below. Also in the main suite are a large walk-in
closet, a heated floor and a double, cantilevered vanity. There are additional
en-suite bedrooms, one of which has a fireplace.
The two-acre property features a
swimming pool, a hot tub, a built in teak bar, a two-tier, 11,000 gallon koi
pond, and of course, a tennis court. The plantings on the grounds are
considerate of both the parkland surrounding the property and are lit to
enhance the landscaping. Additionally, there are stone walls, a man-made stream
and waterfall and woodland gardens.
Where:
This house is on Blythewood Road, which winds from
Charles Street around to Wyndhurst Avenue. It backs up to Stony Run Park, with
its trails and wildlife, which is prefect for long walks. It’s close to all of
the amenities on Roland Avenue, including restaurants, schools, and the
library.
Final
Appraisal: Blythewood is one of the
most beautiful streets in Baltimore, with a range of house styles, and gorgeous
old landscaping. This house would suit an active family who love swimming and
tennis. It’s a traditional house which has been tastefully and thoughtfully
modernized while keeping some of its classical elements. The listing for the
house is here.
From David Gleason, FAIA:
I saw where Howard Head’s house at 21 Blythewood sold for $3,900,000.00 in June. I read the write up in the Baltimore Business Journal that credited Head with all the updates and modernization that he did when he moved into the house in the early 1970’s. I also read your Hot House piece in the Fishbowl that was published in April which again cited the alterations and addition with no mention of any other party than Head being involved in the modifications. I would like to infill in the gaps as to where the credit for the improvements should also be listed.
I worked for Peterson and Brickbauer from 1969 to 1971 and it was they who served as architects for the project with Head giving them direction. They were responsible for the design of the Garage/Studio built at the front of the house, laying out the terraces, swimming pool, and tennis court areas. They were instrumental in the impeccable detailing of the house. In addition, they worked closely with the well-known landscaped architect, Kurt Blummel, in organizing the terrace water features well as the general landscaping of the house and grounds. In all, it was a wonderful example of the Architect, Client and Landscape Architect working to transform a 1920’s eclectic house into one of the premier residences in Baltimore. For me, just staring on my architectural career, it was a tremendous learning opportunity seeing this talented and experienced team transform this undistinguished residence into a landmark of architectural distinction.
