This week we bring back Hot House after a six month hiatus. The original writer of the column, Cynthia McIntyre, made Hot House one of the top-ten most read features, week after week, for years. Cynthia has moved on and Meg Fielding takes her place. Meg has written for us over the years and wrote the now shuttered Pigtown Design, a popular local lifestyle blog that often featured beautiful, historic structures around the city.
Hot House: Brooklandville Train Station 10512 Falls Road, Brooklandville, MD 21022
Four bedrooms, two and a half bathrooms, two fireplaces, a first-floor bedroom, on 2.66 acres. Located on the Falls Road corridor just north of the beltway, designated historical landmark in Baltimore County. $649,888
What: If you’re a fan of train stations, quirky architecture or the Valley Inn, the former Brooklandville Train Station, new to the market, is for you.
From 1835 until 1959, the location was a terminal for the old Green Spring branch of the North Central Railway. But it wasn’t until 1905 that this charming brick and stucco rail station was built to accommodate the increasing commuter traffic. The station was used until 1933 when traffic declined, and the station and land were sold to Sumner Parker, who owned the Cloisters, just to the south on Hillside Road. Service to the station was finally terminated in 1959, and the rails were removed. The station building remained and was sold to Buddy Hatfield, former owner of the Valley Inn, who lived there until his death earlier this year. He successfully converted the station to a 4 bedroom, 2.5 bathroom house, while keeping many of the original details, including multi-paned, stained- and leaded-glass windows, ironwork, including rounded radiators, two fireplaces and hardwood floors.
The original covered platforms surround the house and would make excellent outdoor space for entertaining.
Where: While this house is in the country, it’s not remote. Brooklandville Station is just off the top end of the Jones Falls Expressway, at the corner of Falls and Hillside roads. It’s a busy corner, but it’s set back enough that it’s not in a fishbowl. Conveniently, the house sits just across the street from the popular restaurant the Valley Inn. In the summer, the station is shaded by huge old trees. It’s a three-minute drive to the shops and services at Green Spring Station and ten minutes to Quarry Lake. Depending on traffic, it is less than 15 minutes to Penn Station and 30 minutes to the stadiums.
Final appraisal: This house will appeal to those who want a house unlike everyone else’s that retains many of the unique features of its original usage. Architecture lovers or train buffs will love this house but it might not be the place for those who want perfect rooms, a brand-new custom residence, or an open-plan design.
