2008 Madison Street, Madison Park, Baltimore
Hot House: Architecturally significant townhouse in historic Madison Park, with stunning details throughout, plus a parking pad and garage. Five bedrooms, four bathrooms, 4,500 square feet. Asking price: $515,000
What: As I have noted many times, you just will not find in a new house the details of many old houses. The craftsmen no longer exist, and if you could find them, the cost would be prohibitive. So, if you yearn for a house with architecturally significant details, you would need to buy a historic house, like this one in Madison Park with beautiful and unusual details.
This 1880’s house is located in Madison Park, a neighborhood between Bolton Hill and Upton. It’s on a quiet one-way street, with a private gated parking pad and a detached garage, both a rarity in the city. This house is distinguished from others on the street by its three-story turret topped by its conical roof. Another feature of this house is that it runs the depth of the block, and steps back as you move up the floors. That, and the fact that it’s at the end of the group, allow plenty of light to brighten the house.
As you enter the house, you are struck by the gorgeous Moorish-influenced, hand-carved millwork and fretwork that tops the doors and windows. Some of it is in its original dark hue, while the woodwork along the three flights of stairs has been painted white, which lightens the house enormously.
While the living and dining rooms retain their historic flavor, including the gorgeous pocket doors, the huge, modern kitchen opens onto a large light-filled family room that is suitable for playing or working or watching movies. Follow the beautiful sky-lit staircase up to the second floor to the massive main bedroom with the original built-in storage. Other bedrooms on the second floor also have ample storage, fireplaces, and en-suite bathrooms. The third floor contains the original nursery with an unusual fireplace with Minton-style tiles depicting nursery rhymes.
Where: Madison Park is a quiet neighborhood with one-way streets, just west of Bolton Hill. Many of the neighbors have lived on the street for decades, and the street was home to the late congressman, Elijah Cummings. The houses all date from the late 1800s and the centerpiece of the street is the stunning former home of the Baltimore Hebrew Congregation. It’s just minutes to the JFX, both north- and south-bound.
Final Appraisal: A house with this unique architectural detailing and expansive space doesn’t come on the market very often, and when it does, it’s not in the pristine, updated condition of this house. The price is right at just over $500k, and if the Tweets we’ve seen are any indication, this house won’t be on the market long. The listing for the house is here.
