The Doncaster neighborhood was developed on property once belonging to the original manor house that remains. Perhaps a homesick Englishman named the house for the borough of Doncaster in South Yorkshire, “don’ (Celtic for water river) and ceaster (Old English for Roman fort or walled city). Whatever its derivation, I know this charming neighborhood well as my younger sister lives there. The small peninsula is surrounded by water along Hayward Cove, Chapel Cove and the Miles River. Doncaster is also the name of the main street with several shorter streets branching off from it. The compact area, mature landscape and no through traffic make it ideal for walking or biking.
This property enjoys a quiet location at the end of one of the short streets with Hayward Cove lapping the shoreline along the rear and one side of the house. The house is set back from the water and is nestled on a slight knoll in a clearing of evergreen and deciduous trees. Its classic white exterior color palette with black shutters stands out against its setting of green and the massing of the original two-story, three-bay house with a later addition of a single story wing that wraps around the waterside sides of the house gives this Colonial style house great curb appeal.
When I drove up the half circle gravel drive to the house for my tour, there were two entry doors but it was soon clear that the door on the side perpendicular to the street was the main entry with its pedimented front gable supported by columns. The door facing the street is a secondary entrance since its pedimented front gable was supported by brackets and was slightly smaller than the main entry door. The main entry door opens into the dining room with vistas through pairs of sliding doors to the waterside sunroom connected to the screened porch. The brick chimney is located in the center of the original wall and blocks views of the water from the dining room. I would be tempted to remove the brick chimney and reconfigure the supports for the wall above. This would create an open plan dining room-sunroom next to the living room and screened porch for indoor-outdoor flow for relaxing with family or entertaining friends. Since the chimney was originally located at the original exterior wall, removing it would have the added benefit of more floor space to the sunroom and easier sight lines from within the room.
Past the stairs to the second floor, a graceful wide elliptical arch leads to the living room with pairs of sliding doors and a clear vista through the screened porch to Hayward Cove. A side pair of sliding doors lead to a deck overlooking the end of the Cove. The spacious living room easily accommodates a seating group of a full size sofa and loveseat for conversation while enjoying the views of the surrounding water.
The kitchen has a partial height wall to the dining room so the cook has a long vista to the water. The top corner of the kitchen is notched to accommodate the windowless full bath off the hall. Since the laundry is located in the basement, I would be tempted to modify the floor plan to create a laundry and to enlarge the full bath so it could have a window. The room past the bathroom is currently furnished as a sitting room and since this room has a wall of closets, a triple window at one wall and sliding doors onto a deck overlooking Hayward Cove, this would be a delightful bedroom.
The second floor bedrooms are located at each end of the floor with a large bath in between. Each bedroom has a single window on the three exterior walls. Since the rear bedroom faces the water, adding a picture window next to the existing single window and another single double hung window at the end would open up the room to the landscape and water.
This is a unique opportunity to purchase a home that has not been on the market for forty years so you can make updates to suit your personal taste. The one acre property currently has a septic field but the County plans to begin construction on sewer lines in 2023 so adding a primary bath for the main level bedroom could be part of a master plan. Private one-acre waterfront property with a charming Colonial style house in a beautiful setting along Hayward Creek in a highly desirable neighborhood!
For more information about this property, contact Larry Brennan with Benson and Mangold Real Estate at 410-745-0415 (o), 410-443-3659 (c) or [email protected]. For more photographs and pricing, visit https://talbotmdhomes.com/h20/ , “Equal Housing Opportunity”.
Photography by Janelle Stroop, Thru the Lens Photography, 410-310-6838, [email protected]
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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