1211 Poplar Hill Road, Baltimore.
Hot House: Quirky Victorian house on Poplar Hill Road. 3 bedrooms/2 baths. 2,570 square feet. Asking price: $625,000.
What: Poplar Hill is one of those tucked-away neighborhoods which abound in Baltimore City. It’s just south of the city line, off of Falls Road, north of Northern Parkway. You make a turn between two auto repair shops and head up what appears to be almost a donkey track. There, at the intersection of Clark’s Hill and Poplar Hill roads, you will spot this quirky Victorian House, complete with stained glass windows, hardwood floors and a wrap-around porch, all situated on just over an acre of land.
As you enter the house through the vast front porch, with its bead-board ceiling, you come into a large hall, featuring a huge pier mirror which conveys with the house. The kitchen has been updated with antique chestnut wood cabinets, kitchen island and dresser, all of which convey with the house. There are marble counters and up-to-date stainless-steel appliances. An adjacent breakfast area is situated in a bay window with an expansive view of the lawn and flagstone patio.
The three bedrooms all have hardwood floors, and the upstairs bathroom has an antique cast-iron clawfoot bathtub. As you head up to the third floor, you’ll find a huge open plan room with dormer windows and a towered skylight.
The foundation of this house might possibly be older than the house itself, and it is set into the hillside, with a stone-floored family room where you can walk out to the property. Also on this level is an old-fashioned root cellar, which may be able to be converted to a wine cellar, a mudroom and a drive-in garage. There is also a fresh-water spring in a stone alcove with lighted water fountains!
The property, which is just over an acre, abounds with flora and fauna, including seasonal flowering bushes, old growth trees and an expansive lawn, plus foxes, deer, rabbits and a wide range of songbirds.
Where: This house is at the west/lower end of Poplar Hill Road, parts of which disappear off the GPS as you’re driving it, and parts of which are, to be kind, rustic. However, it’s a quick walk to the Whole Foods in Mt. Washington Mill, and just a few minutes farther, to the Light Rail Station and shops, restaurants, and bars in Mt. Washington Village.
Final Appraisal: To be absolute clear, this is not going to be the house for everyone. It’s being sold as-is, and the one-acre property does have permission to be subdivided. The house has been renovated to one person’s very specific taste, but for the right person, maybe an artist, it’s going to be the perfect house! The listing for the house is here.
All photographs from the listing.
