Hot House: Colonial Revival in Guilford boasts timeless beauty

3900 Greenway, Baltimore, MD 21218.

Hot House: Classic Colonial Revival in Guilford. 7 bedrooms/5 bathrooms. 6,589 square feet. Asking price: $788,000.

What: There is a reason that Colonial Revival houses are so popular – their classic design never looks dated. They can be 100 years old, as this one is, or newly built, and with their symmetrical, four-square design, they always look great, and can be customized to any period of design.

You might have noticed this house, situated on the corner of Greenway and 39th Street because of the pond yachts that sit in some of the windows. Completely charming! You enter the home through a vestibule and come into a light-filled stair hall with a gorgeous, curved staircase overlooking a set of diamond-paned leaded-glass windows. The hall also features a fireplace with an arched niche on either side.

The formal living room has a fireplace, and leads to a small sitting room, as well as a glass-walled, terra cotta-floored sunroom on the south side of the house. The formal dining room also has a fireplace and a ceiling height mirror, flanked by elegant columns. The sitting room has a large bay window, with a window seat, as well as another fireplace and a cabinet with leaded glass windows. The modern, light-filled kitchen is adjacent to a breakfast room, a large covered porch, and a back hallway with a servants’ staircase.

The gracious main staircase sweeps up to the second floor with the primary bedrooms. The main bedroom features an adjoining sitting room, two walk-in closets, two fireplaces and an en-suite bathroom. Two of the other bedrooms on the second floor feature French doors leading to a covered porch, which was probably used as a sleeping porch before air conditioning.

On the third floor, there are three additional bedrooms, a common hallway bathroom, and a
large “recreation” room, probably originally used as a nursery for the children of the house. The property also holds a large parking pad and a garage, entered via the 30th Street side.

One quibble with this house is that the shutters, which add significant charm to the façade of the house, have been removed (but hopefully, saved!). I’ve split the picture, so that you get an idea of the house with the shutters added back.

Where: This house is on the south-east corner of Greenway and 39 th Street. It’s a short trip downtown, or up to Towson. The shops and restaurants in Charles Village are just a few
blocks to the south, and the Guilford Association is active in hosting events for the
neighborhood. The details, especially the main staircase and the millwork, are just beautiful.

Final Appraisal: This is a lovely house, and with the shutters added back, will be timeless. A colonial revival house like this one can be styled to any taste from contemporary to classical. With seven bedrooms, there is plenty of room for home offices for everyone! The listing for the house is here.