“Country house”: 10100 Falls Rd, Lutherville Timonium, MD 21093
“City house”: 5 Paddington Ct, Baltimore, MD 21212
What: I couldn’t make up my mind which house to write about this week, so as I was
deciding, I realized that they had one main thing in common: they are both old stone houses. So, I
thought I would write about both of them: the country house and the city house.
Country house: If you’ve ever driven by that corner of Falls and Old Court roads, you know our country house, an old stone house. The house is part of the historic Rockland Mills, with a cheerful
garden of sunflowers, stacked stone wall and more. Rockland is a tiny community of early 19th
century stone houses that formerly housed the workers at the Rockland Grist Mill. These stone
houses had fallen into a dilapidated state, and were rescued by historic preservationist, Marty
Azola. The close-knit Rockland community maintains the driveways, common road, and trails
throughout and the neighbors host community events throughout the year.
This house has three bedrooms and three baths and takes up a little more than 2,600 square
feet. It is on the market for $745,000. It was the Chief Miller’s House and was originally the
largest of the group. Many of the house’s original details remain, including the random-width
flooring, deep windowsills, and numerous fireplaces. The house has been sympathetically
renovated with air-conditioning, a modern kitchen, indoor plumbing and much more.
City house: The city house was designed by favorites Palmer & Lamdin in 1929 as part of a group of six similar houses that make up Paddington Court in Homeland. Two of the houses bracket the
entrance to the court and the other four are laid out around a circular driveway. P&L
designed several of these courts in Homeland and Guilford so that none of the houses would
face out onto a busy street. They clearly took their inspiration from England’s Cotswolds
region and it’s easy to imagine this house with a thatched roof.
Paddington Court has four bedrooms and four baths, and takes up a little more than 3,500
square feet. It is on the market for $850,000. The kitchen has been modernized while still
retaining its vintage look, including a Viking appliances and a breakfast nook. A sunny
enclosed sunporch could be used in a variety of ways, including a home office or family room.
The second floor has four bedrooms and three full baths, and the top floor has space for two
offices or exercise rooms. The back yard is fenced and gated with a stone patio and a garage.
Where: Each of these houses offers different benefits. The country house is literally a minute
to the south-bound JFX (and the Misty Valley farm stand) and a few minutes to the Beltway.
It’s a few minutes to Greenspring Station and to private schools including Park, St. Paul’s and
St. Timothy’s. The city house is just off of Charles Street to take you north or south to your
destination. It is a few minutes’ drive to numerous schools, both public and private.
Final Appraisal: Friends know that I am a city mouse through and through, but I do love
spending time in the country. For other friends, the opposite is true, they love the country
and enjoy popping into the city occasionally. Neither is right or wrong, it’s just personal
preference. The listing for the country house is here. The listing for the city house is here.
All photos are from the listings.
