Hot House: 100 St. Johns Road, Roland Park, Baltimore, 21210
Cedar shingle house, circa 1900, arts & crafts style “cottage”with wraparound porch. 2,683 sq. ft., with 6 bedrooms, 2 full, 2 half baths, sleeping porch. Many original architectural details. Nine foot ceilings, fireplaces, hardwood floors, replacement windows. Recent roof and boiler. Detached garage, no central a/c. Finished attic, unfinished basement. In good condition, but needs updating throughout: $515,000*
What: A nice family house in a great Roland Park location. Dr. Edward Suarez-Murias and his wife Frances raised nine children here, sent them to school, and launched them into the world. Dr. Suarez-Murias was a Hopkins-trained, Havana-born psychiatrist, known for his interest in the dynamics of human personality, who had a long and successful practice in Baltimore. His family lived here for over 60 years, and now the house is a little tired — a fact which is reflected in the price.
But the potential is there. It’s a big, sunny double lot, with room for swing sets, ball games and gardens. The wide wraparound porch has a view of the whole neighborhood. The front door opens into the living room on the left, with stairs going up on the right. The living room opens into the dining room, and leads into the kitchen. The kitchen is small and basic — “how did they feed nine children here?!” — and probably the first thing that a buyer will have to address, along with central air and new wiring. On the upside, there is plenty of room for reconfiguring the existing space. Upstairs are all six bedrooms, and here it’s the master bedroom that will be a priority. Again, there is lots of space to knock down a wall or two and get the extra size, closets and ‘en suite’ bath that are pretty much the market standard.
There’s a real sleeping porch, a rarity, and many people feel that you haven’t truly experienced summer until you’ve spent a night on one. An unusually located bathroom in between the second and third floors still has it’s original fixtures. The third floor bedrooms are charming, a kids dream, with slanted ceilings, window seats and views up and down the street.
Where: St. Johns Road is two blocks south of the Roland Park Library. It runs on both sides of Roland Avenue, and this house is on the west side. It sits on the north corner of the second block in from Roland Avenue, on a slight rise above the street. You can sit on the big front porch with a glass of lemonade, unobserved, and keep an eye on the neighborhood — kids meandering home from school, joggers, dog walkers and people heading for Eddies. It’s a walkers paradise here, and the destinations are pleasant and varied. There is an old-fashioned feel to the community, which is beloved by its residents and well protected by the Roland Park Association. Roland Park was designed as a street car community, and as a result, most essentials are a short walk away: schools public and private, banks, post office, library, swimming pool, church, florist…Tuxedo Pharmacy, Eddies and Starbucks, Petit Louis and Johnny’s. Everything else you can get on Amazon.
Why: Great location. Double lot. Eddies delivers.
Why not: A low, ancient chain link fence detracts from curb appeal.
Would Suit: Social family who will make the most of the front porch and sunny yard.
NB: Detached garage would make a nice studio. Plenty of street parking.
*House has had “lots of interest,” and is currently under contract.
thanks cynthia for a lovely write up my siblings loved it!
mary miller