On the Market: 805 W. University Parkway - The Other Side

You might remember a few months ago when the "other side" of this house went on the market. These are two semi-detached houses that read, at first glance, like one large house. This property is situated on the South, or upper side of University Parkway, looking out over the dell between the two sides.

Here's what the listing says:

Here is your opportunity to own an extraordinary Roland Park home set on a hill at the apex of Centennial Park. Designed in an Italianate Style by noted architect Edward L. Palmer Jr., this seven bedroom, three and a half bath home has tremendous spaces indoors and outdoors.

The main entry to the home is an airy, Mediterranean-inspired sunroom with large windows and tile floor which is one of the many relaxing places that you'll love.

This leads to the main level of the home where you will find an entrance area with a wide staircase and some of the gorgeous refinished hardwood floors that are throughout the home. A front facing living area features a fireplace, built-in shelving and recessed lighting.

On the southwest side of the home is a formal dining room that leads to the large, updated kitchen.

Expertly remodeled to feel harmonious with the classic design of the home it has the modern touches that you'll appreciate like: a Bertazzoni six-burner gas range with hood, large center seating and prep island with sink, expansive granite countertops on three sides of the room, a second sink and storage everywhere. The kitchen has a walkout to the private rear patio which is perfect for outdoor dining or morning coffee. This area has a walk up to the rear parking pad which is off a secluded private lane.

The yard is fully fenced which is great for privacy and pets. The main level of the home also features a remodeled half bath. The second floor of the home has four large bedrooms including one with a fireplace that could also be another living room, playroom, or study. This level also has two updated bathrooms that are in character with the historic home yet feature wonderful heated flooring.

The top floor has three more bedrooms and a beautiful bathroom with stylish soaking bath and tiled shower. There is also a dedicated laundry area on this floor. The lower level of the home is unfinished but with its large rooms with tall ceilings it could be finished off into an incredible space perfect for a workout room, game room, home theater, or all three!

This house was constructed with efficiency by design and has been shown to have surprising low energy usage for a home of its size.

The full listing for the house is here.  

On the Market: 3703 N. Charles Street

From Baltimore Fishbowl's Hot House:
Classic Georgian in Guilford.
6 Beds/5 Baths. 5,093 Square Feet.
3703 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218. $1,648,000.

When you hear the expression “they just don’t make them like that anymore” this is the kind of style, elegance and craftsmanship of which they speak. The details throughout this house are rare in newly built residences. From the layered and extravagant millwork in almost every room, to the porte cochère leading to the old-school “motor court,” to the beautiful grounds to the myriad details, you will find many hallmarks of the architects, Palmer & Lamdin who designed this house in 1922 as part of their expansive portfolio in Guilford.

As you enter through a double set of beautiful double doors, you’re greeted by a wide center hallway leading to a gracious living room with a beautiful fireplace, and a bright, sunny sunroom beyond that, accessible through two set of French doors. 

The dining room is accented by detailed millwork, and beautiful, deep bay window which overlooks the gardens. A classic swinging door leads to the kitchen which was completely renovated in 2016 with professional-grade appliances, marble counters and a large butler’s pantry.

The second floor features a large main bedroom with en-suite bath with heated floors, two walk-in dressing rooms/closets and a fireplace. There are two additional bedrooms and baths on the second floor, as well as an all-weather glassed-in sunroom, with a wall of bookcases that could be used as a home office or a playroom. The third floor has three additional bedrooms, as well as two full bathrooms and a dressing room with wardrobes for storing out-of-season clothing.

As you move outside, the motor court leads to a large two-car garage with a second floor that could be used as an exercise area or an in-law or au pair apartment. The grounds of this house have been beautifully landscaped which are completely private for playing or entertaining.

This house is tucked in between Bishop’s and St. Martin’s Roads, which are basically the same street. There is ample private parking on the property for you and your guests, because this is a house made for entertaining. It is close to the Hopkins Homewood Campus and Union Memorial Hospital, as well as all of the fun restaurants and shops on St. Paul Street, just below 33^rd Street and the Waverly Market.

This is a house that makes a statement. It would suit a family with lots of friends of all ages and who love to entertain. It’s convenient to uptown and downtown, and as it’s been for the past one hundred years, the prestige of an address in Guilford. The house goes on the market on September 14, 2022. The listing for the house is here.

All images from the listing.

P&L and Cedarcroft

If you don't know it already, Cedarcroft is a small neighborhood in Baltimore, which is just north of Homeland and south of the city line. It was established in the late 1910s and early 1920s. The houses are generally smaller than the ones in Homeland, Roland Park and Guilford. Its laid out on a general grid and is a lovely neighborhood with many old-growth trees.

From the National Register of Historic Places' registration form:

In 1910, the Cedarcroft Land Company employed the architectural firm of Palmer, Willis and Lamdin to produce the subdivision plan. This was the period that Edward L. Palmer, Jr. chief architect of the Roland Park Company was working with Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. as Olmsted designed the Guilford subdivision a short distance to the south.

The development of Cedarcroft also illustrates the process by which the overall appearance of the community was shaped by a few influential house designs. The architectural office of Edward L. Palmer, Jr. created three plans for houses in Cedarcroft in 1916 and 1919. Although only eight houses were constructed using these plans, many of the design elements they employed came to be seen throughout the district.

The path of the roadways of Hollen, Blackburn, and Pinehurst, plus the shallow gutters to be found in part on these roadways, reflect design motifs used in Guilford. Palmer's specifications for houses he designed in Cedarcroft directed builders to use the specifications that the Roland Park Company employed Palmer, continued his relationship with the Cedarcroft Land Company by creating three house designs in 1916 and 1919.

Two of these designs were used for the construction of seven houses. One design used both the ‘front façade’ and the ‘side façade’ as façades facing the roadway. Although there were several Dutch Colonial style houses prior to Palmer's Dutch Colonial at 413 Cedarcroft Road (1919), this outstanding design clearly influenced designers working in Cedarcroft.

The majority of houses in this style in Cedarcroft were built between 1919 and 1930. In addition, Palmer's use of Tudor massing coupled with traditional ornamentation, such as at 6202 Blackburn Lane, clearly influenced other designs in Cedarcroft. Palmer's influence on the architectural quality of Baltimore's early 20th century residential suburbs is widely acknowledged.

Palmer was the first of only two "Company architects" for the Roland Park Company, the other being John A. Ahlers who replaced Palmer in 1935. Both through their own design work and in their contribution to the standards and specifications which the Roland Park Company adopted, these men significantly influenced the quality of architecture found in Roland Park, Guilford, Homeland, the Orchards, parts of Dundalk and Original Northwood.

Many other developers adopted the Roland Park Company system for developments such as Tuscany-Canterbury, Oakenshawe, Woodbrook, Blythewood, and of course, Cedarcroft. 

Another house in Cedarcroft is at 11 Gittings Avenue. This is a more typical P&L house with all sorts of wings, dovecotes, porches, etc.

The house is hidden behind a number of old pine trees, and try as I might, I've been unable to get a good photo of it. Luckily, this image from the Library of Congress is in their files.

On the Market: 107 Upnor Road

This house on Upnor Road is back on the market again after having been sold in 2020 for $699,950. Here is the 2022 listing for $838,000. It doesn't look like a lot of work has been done over the past two years, if the wallpaper behind the bookshelves is any indication.

Here is the [minimal] description from the current listing:

Seamlessly expanded and updated English Cotswold style home on picturesque tree-lined street in Homeland. Expansive main level includes Living Room

with fireplace, formal Dining Room, Study, Updated Kitchen with stainless steel appliances and quartz counter, sunny Family Room, Den and ensuite Bedroom. Primary Bedroom with updated Bath plus 2 additional large Bedroom, 2 updated Baths

and Laundry on the 2nd Level. 3rd floor Bedroom. Gas heat, zoned central air, fenced back yard with Patio, parking pad and professionally landscaped lot.

One thing I really appreciate is when a listing has a floorplan included.

One thing that kills me is the Random capitalization in listings. 

On the Market: 5 Paddington Court

I have written about the houses on Paddington Court a few times, click here to see the posts, and now I see that No. 5 Paddington Court is on the market. 

Here is the listing:

This magnificent Cotswold-style stone home is truly a must see. Designed and built by the Palmer-Lamdin firm in 1929 and situated on a quiet cul-de-sac in Historic Homeland, you will fall in love immediately with its charm. This home welcomes you with its well-manicured, mature gardens. Enter into a large foyer. Main level features a formal living room with wood burning fireplace (cleaned and ready to use regularly), lovely sunroom

which could be used as an office or TV room, a large dining room with plenty of space for a substantial table, breakfast nook with built-in bench seating, pantry, half bathroom, and a very large, luxurious kitchen.

The kitchen boasts Viking appliances, granite counters, farmhouse sink, and the list goes on. The attention to detail in the kitchen alone is stunning. Second level features 4 bedrooms and 3 full baths. Large primary bedroom leads through to a primary full bath with floor-to-ceiling glass tile, heated floors and bidet. Continue through to a perfect workout/prep/closet area and up the very wide stairs to the amazing third level, where you are only limited by your imagination. This could be used as two private office spaces, or one office space and an entertainment area. Fenced in rear yard with stone patio is great for entertaining.

Attached garage can certainly fit a car, or can be used for storage. Slate roof is on an annual maintenance plan. 2 AC systems help with efficiency. Basement is unfinished and has an operable "Baltimore Flush". Top to bottom elegance; a beautiful combination of modern updates and old charm.

Paddington Court is one of several courts that P&L created to establish houses on the boundary of the neighborhood. Others include Middleton Court and Norwood Court. The houses are inward-facing on a central court and have parking and utilities facing the boundary road.

However, there is a circular drive that provides access to all of the houses from the front. 

The listing is here.

215 Northway Updated

Right after I started Palmer & Lamdin, I wrote about the house owned by Dr. Harvey Grant Beck. I'd found a bookplate with his house as the illustration, finally matched it to his house in Guilford, and then realized it was a Palmer & Lamdin!  

As I was conducting my monthly P&L search, I came up with an article on the house in the 1926 Architectural Forum magazine with pictures of the house, plans, and a brief article. Please excuse the poor quality of the photographs. 

My understanding is that the current owner of the house has the blueprints, and I will try and get my hands on them.

3805 Greenway Re-visited

I am always amazed that when I Google P&L, new entries show up, and this is one case. The house at 3805 Greenway is stunning, by anyone's assessment. When it was on the market in 2021, the realtors conducted an interview with the owners, and I stumbled on it when I was doing my monthly P&L search this week. Here's the link to the original post on the house.

On the Market: 406 Bretton Place

No. 406 Bretton Place is one of 17 houses on this tiny road, just off of Juniper Road in Guilford. These houses, designed as two sets of seven houses, and one set of three, were built in 1914-1915. 

Here is the copy from the real estate ad. (Can someone please explain the Random capitalizations to Me? It's endemic in all real estate Ads.)

Beautifully Updated Tudor Townhome Perfectly Situated in the Historic Guildford neighborhood. Manicured landscaping and Mature Trees line this fantastic street. Walk up to the covered front porch and enter your Oasis!

A Cozy Brick Fireplace accents the freshly painted living room living room to warm you on those chilly nights! Walk through to the adjoining formal dining room and renovated kitchen which reveals gorgeous ceramic tile, granite countertops, sleek stainless steel appliances, two wall mounted ovens and a beautiful cooktop. Entertaining will be a breeze with this layout. Open the kitchen door to spacious wooden deck waiting for your charm and design. The second level of the Home has Oak flooring and a primary bedroom suite boasting a sitting/dressing room. The Second large bedroom equipped with a walk in closet offers access to a private balcony and shares the second level bath Third level boast two huge additional room, private bath, second private balcony. Lower level of this home boasts plenty of storage and gives you a blank slate to Create the Space you've been wanting.

Here is a picture of the house across the street from 406. You can see some of the tell-tale P&L details, including the jerkin-head roofline, the varied patterns in the brickwork and the arches on the loggia. (Sorry for the bad picture, it was a really small part of a bigger picture.) 

Apparently, No. 406 had sold a few months ago, but the buyer backed out, so it's back on the market. The listing is here.

American Apartment Houses of Today: Illustrating Plans, Details, Exteriors

As I was searching for Palmer & Lamdin today, I came across an old issue of "American Apartment Houses of Today: Illustrating Plans, Details, Exteriors" from 1926. This was pretty much the time when the firm was busiest, designing everything from single family homes, grand apartment buildings and even a very elegant parking garage! 

I found the plans for two P&L projects, about which I have written before: The Roland Park Apartments, and the St. Paul Court Apartments. 

These old trade journals can be a goldmine of information!

On the Market: 803 W. University Parkway

Nestled on the south side of University Parkway, overlooking the large green dell, this house is very deceptive on many levels. It’s one of P&L’s more unusual houses, first, because it’s a very early concrete house, second, because it’s in a Mediterranean style, and third, because it’s semi-detached. But at 4,200 square feet and eight bedrooms, it’s not a small house!

You enter the house through a wonderful porch, complete with classic steel windows, and a terra cotta tile floor, which is suitable for use three seasons of the year and immediately invokes a Mediterranean vibe.

Once you fully enter the house, you see that there is almost a Arts and Crafts-style in the original woodwork on the ceilings, staircase and fireplace, which fits in with the construction date of 1906. The main staircase is topped by an Arts and Crafts-style skylight. The current owners have taken full advantage of this style with paint colors which accent the wood beautifully.

The main level features the large hallway, a living room and dining room, both with fireplaces that have been adapted to wood-stoves, as well as an updated kitchen with a large island, which works well with the house’s Arts and Crafts style, and a newly installed powder room. There is a back staircase that leads up from the kitchen. The second level features four bedrooms and two baths, and the third floor has an additional four bedrooms and a bathroom. All of the bathrooms have recently been renovated.

The grounds of this house include a large patio off the kitchen, as well as two private parking spaces, which are always an asset.

The sweeping and winding University Parkway is one of Baltimore’s prettiest streets, with the “upper” and “lower” portions being home to some of the most distinguished houses in the city, many of them by Palmer & Lamdin. This house is within easy walking distance of the Rotunda and all it has to offer, as well as to Johns Hopkins University and all of its myriad programs and schools. The two off-street parking spaces are an added bonus this house offers.

If you’re an architecture geek, the fact that this house is one of the earliest concrete houses built is a bonus, as well as its design by Palmer & Lamdin, in addition to several other houses along University Parkway. The eight bedrooms can be filled by home offices or extra space for everyone. The listing for the house is here.

 Originally published in Baltimore Fishbowl