12 Middleton Court

It always amazes me when I Google and come up with an old listing for a P&L house. This is exactly how I found a 2017 real estate listing for No. 12 Middleton Court. I've written about Middleton Court before, but the Court in general, not a specific house. 

Middleton Court is on the south side of Homeland and is about 12 houses accessed by a small footpath down the center.

The houses have an alley behind them for parking and car access (Robin Lane and Pasture Lane). The style is always referred to as "Charleston" or Southern Colonial style, although some people dispute that's what it really is!

The houses are all white-washed brick and are architecturally similar, with four bedrooms and three baths.

Number 12 is on the corner of the Court and Paddington Road, so is set slightly differently from the others.

As I was checking the listing, I was surprised to see a framed elevation of the house, with Palmer & Lamdin's signature block in the upper right corner.

Too bad the images are of such low quality, thus I couldn't get a good screen grab of it! 

The 2017 listing is here. 

119 Taplow Road - A True Gem

I am pretty sure I've mentioned that I grew up in an old stone house in Roland Park, one of the only all-stone ones in the neighborhood. But if you go over to Homeland or Guilford, there are many more stone houses. 

The house at 119 Taplow Road is one of those all-stone houses, and of course, it was designed by Palmer & Lamdin.

I happened to take a picture of 119 Taplow the other night as I was driving through Homeland looking at Christmas decorations. It is so completely charming, with its picket fence in the front, and the wreaths in the windows. 

When I started looking into the house, I checked the University of Baltimore's archives catalogue to see if they had anything, and they did - a pretty full set of plans and elevations for the house. Click here to view them. 

This is an interesting house because at first glance, it appears to be symmetrical, but after you study it for a few minutes, you realize that it's not! 

The plans were filed on October 19, 1927 and the client was Guy T.O. Hollyday, a proponent of urban housing renewal, and a man always involved in the real estate business. (click his name for his wiki-bio) The plans aren't in great shape and I had to do a lot of photoshopping them to make them readable. This is the south elevation, or the back of the house. 

The house hasn't been sold since since 1988, so there are no interior images of, but I would bet it's amazing.

P&L and the President's Son

Did you know that the son of President Grover Cleveland lived in Baltimore for decades? He and his second wife and his two sets of children were great friends of my family. If you remember your history, Grover Cleveland married very late in life - while he was the President. His wife was significantly younger than he was... like 40 years younger!

After attending Princeton and Harvard for law school, Dick Cleveland moved to Baltimore to join the law firm of Semmes, Bowen & Semmes. He engaged Palmer & Lamdin to build him a house at No. 6 Cotswold Road, sometimes considered Roland Park, and other times, Homeland.

The house is beautifully situated at the top of a hill. It's less ornate than many of P&L's other houses, without the turrets, dovecotes and the like. It's a Butler stone house with two bay windows with sidelights, flanking the front door and a circular drive leading up to the house. 

In recent years, someone added something above the front door, but I can't tell exactly what it is, even with my ace snooping skills! Someone suggested a retractable ramp to the front door, but I am sure that there would be a more subtle way to do that!

There is not a lot of information about this house, except this odd little piece - basically a preservation easement on the property. 

By the time I came around, the Clevelands had moved to Greenway in Guilford, to a house befitting a presidential son. Finally, they moved to a cottage on Woodlawn in Roland Park, where they lived until Dick Cleveland and his wife, "Aunt Babs" both died. 

101 Witherspoon Road

Friends of mine grew up in this house and used to have epic parties on the enclosed side/back lawn, with drinks on the stone loggia.

At one party, I was gesturing grandly with my arm, and managed to smack someone in the face. This might have been after a drink or two...

Anyway, this is a great house.

It's on the corner of Witherspoon Road and Charles Street, directly across from the big Cathedral. I love a stone house, and this one is no exception. 

This is the realtor's listing from 2015. It's rather scant, but there used to be a word limit on the multiple listing site. 

A stunning Palmer Lamdin stone residence in one of Homeland's premiere locations. This beautifully appointed home is a rare find; from original custom built-ins to a magnificently updated kitchen. This wonderful home combines details of old and new.

Gracious living room and dining room; cozy yet large library and a fabulous loggia make this perfect for entertaining.

Amazing master suite, finished lower level -perfect all around.

   

This house sold for $1.234 million in 2015. The original listing is here. 

3609 Greenway

I have always thought this was an elegant house, sitting at the southern-most end of Guilford. The typical P&L combination of brick and stone, along with the sinuous lantern above the door, really make this an eye-catcher. 

It was on the market earlier this year, but I forgot to write about it, and on my monthly search for new P&L houses, I spotted it. 

From the realtor's listing:

Historic Guilford home designed by Palmer & Lamdin and built by the Roland Park Company featuring 7 spacious Bedrooms, 4 full Bathrooms, 2 half Bathrooms and a fully finished Lower Level. This stately french style Colonial is situated across from the beautiful and quite Gateway Park and is very conveniently located within walking distance to all the wonderful shops, stores, museums and restaurants of Charles Street and Johns Hopkins University and with quick and easy access to Downtown and Towson. When you tour this home, you can't help but notice how it has been lovingly cared for and meticulously maintained by the current owners.

The entire lower level has been fully finished with polished concrete floors, recess lights, fresh paint and a very spacious Laundry Room was added with a sink, wood countertops, storage, and two dryers and one washer. The owners also installed a new French Drain and Sump Pump in the walk-up breezeway for piece of mind.

Back inside the home you are going to fall in love with the fantastic flow of the floor plan. From the luxurious chef's Kitchen - that features a large island with seating, granite countertops, high-end appliances, a range hood, and 42 inch solid wood cabinets - you have excellent sight lines into the Living Room and the Family Room. The Family Room, which is directly off the Kitchen, features a gorgeous stone and brick wall, 4 sets of french doors that lead to the back Patio, 2 skylights and walk-through to the Living Room. The very spacious Living Room features hardwood floors and a gorgeous wood burning fireplace. Off the Living Room is a nice Sunroom that makes for a perfect Office or Library. And if all of this isn't enough, upstairs you will find 7 Bedrooms and 4 full Bathrooms smartly spaced out over the 2nd and 3rd floors. And every bedroom has beautiful hardwood floors!

Outside of the home you will find a cozy side stone patio that was recently rebuilt, a peaceful and private back yard and 2nd large patio that is perfect for relaxing, entertaining guests or enjoying your morning coffee. The home also boasts a sizable 2 car attached garage and plenty of off-street parking in the driveway.

In short, the lovely Guilford home is not one to miss. And it must be seen in person to truly appreciate the size and quality

Can someone please tell me what's up with the Random capitalization in ALL real estate ads? And no caps where there should be caps!

And seriously? This dog is going to be out of its enclosure in a minute!