Action on Blythewood Road: Old Estate Hits The Market, and a Teardown Down the Street

Hot House: 4 Blythewood Road, Baltimore, MD 21210

Georgian-style estate home, circa 1923, designed by noted local architect Laurence Fowler, stone with slate roof. Needs work. Ten bedrooms, eight baths over 10,088 sq. ft. Nine-foot ceilings, french doors, bow windows. Marble entrance foyer opens to grand hall, formal living and dining rooms with fireplace, sunroom with fireplace, kitchen breakfast room, butler’s pantry, large master suite with study and bath. Elegant motor court, bluestone terrace with pergola, heated swimming pool, no central air. To be sold as is. 2.36 acres: $1,535,000

What: The beautiful Ward estate, a stately stone mansion that was once home to the late Baltimore philanthropist and friend-to-many, Mrs. Dorothy Mears Ward, has a for-sale sign in the front yard for the first time in 50 years. The big wrought iron gates stand open, and although the rooms are empty, they have an expectant air, as if waiting for a new owner to raise the curtain on a second act. The house is solid and systems are intact, but it needs a complete overhaul.

Meanwhile, let’s take a detour down to 27 Blythewood, near Wyndhurst Avenue, where something else is afoot. The former home of ex-Baltimore Police Commissioner Tom Frazier has been torn down, as predicted by a real estate agent in a Hot House from December 2015. The house, with its 1.76-acre lot, was in foreclosure after 22 years on the market without a nibble.

Most interestingly, the buyers, who paid $650,00 last March, are Arsh and Lauren Mirmiran. Arsh Mirmiran is a partner in Caves Valley Partners with lots of huge development projects on his plate at the moment, including Cross Street Market. Stay tuned.

Where: Blythewood is one of Baltimore’s premiere streets, a long, winding road with an entrance from Charles Street (access restricted during high traffic hours). The Ward estate is at the Charles Street end. From Charles, it passes many large and lovely homes on its way to the Wyndhurst Avenue entrance, near the Mirmirans’ teardown.

Why: 4 Blythewood Road has the patina of age; it’s the real thing.

Why Not: You want a smart house.

Would Suit: Project manager.

NB: Although the entrance to 4 Blythewood is at the back, a long drive along the side of the house and the elegant motor court make for an impressive approach to a city home.