It is always a special pleasure to write about one of Talbot County’s historic properties and this beautifully maintained county estate was built in the early 19th century on a parcel comprised of four original land grants with surveys dating from 1665 to 1719. This is the first time in over thirty-four years that “Baybury Bank” Farm, consisting of thirty-five acres including a main house, guest house, caretaker house, outbuildings, tillable fields and pastures along San Domingo Creek has been for sale.
At the end of the gravel drive lined with an allee of trees, the front elevation of the main house comes into view framed by overhanging tree branches for a picture perfect vista. The house was built in 1825 with a main wing clad in brick, brick flat lintels over the 6/6 windows and a corbeled brick cornice around the perimeter. The secondary wing telescopes down and is clad in light colored lap siding and pale green shutters that complement the light rose red brick of the main house.
The front door leads to a spacious entrance hall with another door at the rear to the back entryway. The one room-deep plan allows each room to have front and rear windows for water views and cross ventilation. On one side of the entrance hall is the family room and on the other side are the living room, dining room, den, kitchen and service areas. A large waterside screened porch connects to the dining room and to the service areas that lead to the kitchen.
Paneled double doors from the entrance hall lead to the family room and are centered on the end wall fireplace flanked by windows. Since this room is at the end of the house, it has windows on three sides for panoramic views. The living room on the opposite side of the entrance hall has exposed stained wood beams below the white ceiling, another fireplace with built-in millwork and windows to the screened porch. I loved the artisan wavy twig design floor lamp by the wing chair which would be a perfect spot for reading by the fire.
A wide wall opening framed in trim of the same stained wood as the exposed beams leads to the dining room. The table and chairs are centered on the fireplace with antiques, light rose walls with art and the French door leading to the screened porch frames the landscape view beyond. The large kitchen is open to the den with stained wood beams underneath the white ceiling and wood cabinets.
I loved the master bedroom that was above the family room so this room too had windows on three sides and a fireplace. The ceiling with stained wood exposed beams and decking with lighter wood flooring, white walls, pencil post bed with white linens accented by a quilt in the 3-D “tumbling blocks” pattern in browns and cream and the dresser between the rear windows with chairs on either side create a serene space. The other bedrooms were beautifully decorated especially the large bedroom with access to the large deck above the screened porch overlooking the pool and landscape.
The carriage house has a two-car garage and a two-bedroom suite over two floors with a dramatic two-story living room. One of the upper floor bedrooms has twin beds with headboards and footboards in a rustic twig/branch design. The delightful caretaker/guest cottage has a screened porch and a deck at the second floor bedroom. The sitting area below the deck has seating arranged around the wide picture window with water views and woods beyond.
Stunning waterfront historic property, lovingly maintained and close and St. Michaels amenities-truly one of a kind!
For more information about this property, contact Kim Crouch Ozman with Benson & Mangold Real Estate at 410-745-0417 (o), 410-829-7062 (c ) 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.
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