Although I will continue to rely upon real estate agents’ listings as Houses of the Week, beginning this month, I will endeavor to include houses that are unique private homes. I will rely upon my “scouts” who live in Talbot County’s many towns and villages and my “Oxford Scout” told me about today’s featured house that the Oxford Historic District plaque identifies as the Haddaway House, circa 1876. I first walked around the exterior of the house to admire and photograph this Italianate house with its full front porch, bay projections that mirror each other on the side walls and tall windows. The original part of the house is two bays wide by two bays deep with later additions that include the kitchen/family room, screened breezeway, laundry and two-car garage on this corner site.
Before I went in to meet the Owners, I paused to admire the two-bay front elevation with its side entry door, wide and tall 2/2 windows, light blue lap siding, black shutters and white trim. The first floor windows stretch from just above the floor to the underside of the porch ceiling and the upper floor windows stretch from the top of the low slope roof to the white cornice board. The cornice board is articulated with brackets that protrude from the face of the wall and the porch columns are embellished with brackets and fretwork.
The Owners greeted me at the door and I immediately realized from the vistas I glimpsed that this house was a treasure of design and indeed it was. I was fortunate to visit on a sunny day to savor the rooms flooded with light from the large and tall windows. The entry hall has delightful interior architecture from the stairs that wind up to the second floor and the tableau of an antique table with a mirror above resting against the upper run of the stairs that is the spring line for a curved wall leading the way to the dining room. Below the side wall is an antique settee with a blue upholstery accented with pillows and artwork above. At the ceiling, the first of many period lighting fixtures provides ambient lighting.
The cased doorway that introduces the front parlor is on axis with the side wall’s window flanked by more art above a mix of upholstered pieces and an Amish Windsor rocking chair. When I moved further into the room I was fascinated by the striking exposed chimney with its form that corbeled up from the firebox opening to a slender chimney above to become a freestanding piece of sculptural. The owners proudly explained that they had liberated the chimney from its drywall enclosure and a renowned local masonry artisan, Miriam Maynard, restored it. She first carefully chipped away the old chinking and repointed the brick with mortar whose mix included both coal chips and oyster shells for color and texture. The crown molding wrapping around the top of the chimney was indeed the crowning touch and bricks recycled from Chestertown have a new life as the hearth. The other focal point of the room is the wide cased opening with a pair of original nine feet tall paneled wood pocket doors to the adjoining dining room. The Owner had lovingly removed the paint and restored these magnificent doors. As I passed through the room, I noticed a small square artwork that was the first of many I saw throughout the house. The Owners explained the artworks were their very clever solution to hide unsightly wall thermostats-a stroke of design genius! After their explanation, I was on a scavenger hunt to discover the other artworks and made a mental note to commission one of my artist friends to do the same for my house.
The dining room’s chimney is identical to the one in the front parlor but here unfortunately the brick had been painted white and it is impossible to completely remove paint from brick surfaces. Undaunted, they called once again on Miriam Maynard who worked her magic. She mixed the same oyster-coal chip mortar with white mortar and sponged coal dust as a faux finish over the white painted brick. No hearth remained so the Owners found a slate remnant for a new hearth and keystone above the firebox opening. Their carpenter deftly used the irregular edge of the slate as a mold to fit the wood flooring against it like two pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. Opposite the chimney is a bay shaped floor projection centered on a beautiful wood table surrounded by Windsor chairs. The Owners encouraged me to sit and as I sank into the undulations of the wood seat they told me the furniture was the work of the renowned Robert Treate Hogg Cabinetmaker Shop of Oxford, PA, a happy and fitting coincidence. The 150 year old heart pine flooring planks were rescued from a uniform factory in Conshohocken, PA, that had been in business since the Civil War before it closed.
Further delights awaited in the kitchen where other artisan creations vied for my attention. The ornate ironwork that has a new life as the pantry door was once an elevator door and the original call plate still lights up when you push the button beside it! I admired the lack of upper cabinets and learned the pot rack for the copper pots was fabricated by Bobby Haddaway from oyster tongs and rakes. I loved the feel of this kitchen with these details, the exposed stained beams, white cabinets and dark countertops,the low brick backsplash that corbels up to meet the underside of the range’s stainless steel hood, the butcher block inserts into the countertops that were discovered at the Crumpton Auction House and the wood countertop planks from the ABC Printing Company in Boston, the first printing company in America.
Off the kitchen is a screened breezeway to the laundry/mudroom and the two car garage. I was enchanted by the Owner’s impeccably restored antique car with foot pedals shaped like actual feet and the turn signal that pops up the side of the car.
The kitchen is open to a sitting room with another exposed corbeled chimney that was restored by Miriam Maynard. Here the firebox is wider than the base of the chimney, creating ledges on both side for display. The bricks in the hearth were recycled from Washington College and one wonders if President Washington had tread upon these very bricks. I am a huge fan of the glass artisan Dale Chihuly and the art pieces in the room’s shelving were actually the work of high school students who participated in the “Hilltop Artists” program in Tacoma, WA, sponsored by Chihuly. Obviously the students had paid attention to the Master’s lessons.
Between the rear sitting room and the office is a full bath with a European design concept of a shower without walls defined by the floor drain and rain shower head above. The walls are floor to ceiling subway tile and I loved the white octagonal tiles in the floor with insets of black tiles to create a flower detail and the frosted glass of the window panes for privacy without window treatments.
The office is opposite the dining room in plan so the same bay floor projection is mirrored here but this bay is infilled with a seat with a hinge for storage below. Cushions and pillow make this a cozy respite from office work where both Owners can share the antique partners desk. The office is behind the entry hall so it shares the same curved wall that is now festooned with a curved iron light fixture that is now lit by gas instead of candles.
The second floor contains three bedrooms, a music room and a large hall bath. The primary bedroom at the front corner has the large front double window and a side window between built-in closets for sunlight throughout the day. If I were lucky enough to be a guest, it would be difficult to choose between the front and rear bedrooms. I loved the streetside bedroom with its front double window and side window, wood furnishings and the striking bed linens that are the handiwork of the Owners’ niece whose colorful and playful designs reminded me of Bemelsman’s work. The rear bedroom is a sunny, cheerful space from windows on all three sides and the rear double window is surrounded by built-in woodwork for display. The colorful bed linens with sunflower designs and the Lichtenstein prints add the finishing touches. As we were leaving this room, I asked the Owners if the tea set, tray and colorful pedestal base were a McKenzie Childs design. I learned the set was antique silverplate whose bases had been cleverly painted as well as the tray and pedestal. The music room has access to a deck with wonderful views of Oxford’s landscape. The spacious hall bath has a large tiled shower with a rain shower fitting and a freestanding soaking tub. I loved the Mission styled wood mirror above the lavatory and the unique artwork that appeared to be a maze by an Aboriginal artist Ronnie Tjampitjinpa.
As I reluctantly left these remarkable and thoughtfully arranged interiors filled with art and crafts, I was amazed that I had been there two hours but there was so much to admire and to learn from the Owners who graciously shared their home and time with me. Many thanks for your hospitality!
Masonry Restorer: Miriam Maynard, 302-233-4755 Amish Furniture: Robert Treate Hogg Cabinetmaker Shop, (717) 529-2522 Bed Linens: Art by JB, [email protected]; graphic art: society6.com/donutsandcoffee.
For more about the Crumpton Auction house, visit my article https://talbotspy.org/dixons-furniture-auction-nirvana-in-crumpton-by-jennifer-martella/
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.
Miriam Maynard says
Wonderful article! Thrilling to see the work / time put in recognized, and published.
Very tastefully done!
I am the Masonette, who helped restore the masonry at the Haddaway House — Morris Residence. Although, I need to give due credit to my Amazing Husband Justin Maynard who in my eyes is a “Master Mason” I couldn’t have done it without him: He was by my side throughout the entire process.. It was our honor to work with George and Margaret! Their love and care for the Haddaway House is beyond the norm we come across in our line of work..
Forever will hold a special place in our hearts.
Thank you again!
Justin & Miriam Maynard
Maynards Masonry LLC
jennifer martella says
Miriam,
I am delighted to hear from you and hope you get inquiries from my article! As an architect, I was so impressed with your masonry artistry and will be happy to refer clients to you!
Thx for being a Spy reader
Jennifer