If houses were feminine in gender, the Italian word for most beautiful, “la bellissima” would certainly apply to this magnificent house on its site at Hopkins Point and surrounded on three sides by San Domingo Creek.. I love architectural history and discovered that “Beverly” was built in 1858 by John Harper who named “Beverly” after the oldest state school, Beverly Grammar School, in East Yorkshire, England. Ship builders, gentlemen farmers and now an artist have called “Beverly” home.
The original house was Italianate in style, and a porch was added later in the Greek Revival style. A final Second Empire style addition in 2006 doubled the size of the house and is stepped back to complement, not overpower, the beauty of the original house’s design.
The Italianate wing contains the formal rooms such as the entrance hall, sitting room, formal dining room, library and porch. Some of my favorite rooms were the spacious entrance hall with the graceful curved stair, the sitting room with a fireplace flanked by two true French doors leading to the porch and the cozy library with its fireplace and full height bookcases.
The Second Empire addition contains the informal rooms such as the gourmet kitchen, butler’s pantry, family room, informal dining, laundry and screened porch. I loved the kitchen with its “L”shape and island arrangement open to the family and informal dining areas.
The second floor contains six bedrooms 5-1/2 baths, an office and large studio. Another stair connects these rooms to the informal areas below.
As “bellissima” as the house is, I could be quite content with the one and a half story guest house whose finishes and furnishings echo the exquisite taste of the interior design of the main house.
For more information about this property, contact Joan Wetmore with Meredith Fine Properties at 410-822-2001 (o), 410-924-2432 © or [email protected], “Equal Housing Opportunity”.
Spy House of the Week is an ongoing series that selects a different home each week. The Spy’s Habitat editor Jennifer Martella makes these selections based exclusively on her experience as a architect.
Jennifer Martella has pursued her dual careers in architecture and real estate since she moved to the Eastern Shore in 2004. Her award winning work has ranged from revitalization projects to a collaboration with the Maya Lin Studio for the Children’s Defense Fund’s corporate retreat in her home state of Tennessee. Her passion for Italian food, wine and culture led her to Piazza Italian Market where she is the Director of Special Events, including weekly wine tastings and quarterly wine dinners.
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