First Offering in 48 Years! A Rare Opportunity to Acquire a Great American Treasure.
The Brick House c.1835
This extraordinary Georgian revival mansion built in 1835 is steeped in history and beautifully placed on 5 private acres adjoining parkland and nature walks. The expansive grounds are a gardener's delight and include an abundance of existing gardens and many fruit trees. With spacious rooms, high ceilings, and an inviting center hall, this mansion has the quiet elegance of a 19th century manor home. Originally, surrounded by hundreds of acres of cropland in a rural part of Harford county, the Brick House, as it is known, is now its own private rural retreat from the 21st century bustle. Close to malls, stores, restaurants, and just minutes to I-95, it is conveniently located approximately equidistance between Philadelphia & Washnington/Baltimore, yet a world away. Thoughtfully restored and well maintained, the Brick House is a tribute to preservation and a monument to a time when craftsmen took pride in their work.
Honored with inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.
Considered the highest occupied property elevation in the county seat, yet sheltered on the side of a hill.
Includes approximately 1 1/2 acres of woods with mature trees, and is surrounded by wooded land and adjoining nature walks, adjacent to Liriodendron.
Landscaping includes fruit trees and gardens.
Center hall design with a main staircase and a narrower secondary staircase.
Many of the doors are original with double-cross design.
Chimneys have all been relined.
In the dining room, unique silverware drawers are built into the window sills.
Original hearth, in what is now the den.
Original pine floors throughout.
Spacious 4 room basement with 2 rooms wired for telephone & high speed internet (currently offices) and one room is a kitchen.
Yard has invisible fence system for pets.
Gold fish pond on the site of the original ice house.
Besides an extraordinary residence, this property may have potential as a bed & breakfast, small winery, a two family home (it has 2 kitchens and was for many years a two family home), or a home based business and offices.
Out-buildings
Original ice house (relocated to become the tennis shed). A board and batten structure with a cuppola.
Original smoke house. Two stories and made of brick with entrances on both levels (potential conversion to guest quarters).
Original greenhouse is now a potting shed.
Exterior Additions
Clay surfaced tennis court was constructed in 1961. Extremely rare in this area.
Kitchen addition was built on the west side of the house in 1971. Includes kitchen, breakfast area, walk-in pantry, powder room, and screened porch.
ROOMS: Main Level Center Hall 10'x29'- 9.5' ceiling, wood floor, original trim still intact around doors, 2 vintage wall sconces, 2 exterior doors, doors to parlors, dining room, and den, original staircase to second floor. Front Parlor 14'x15'- 9.5' ceiling, wood floor, fireplace with original wood mantel, 3 windows, door to center hall, double doors to rear parlor, cabinet from late 1800's, pine wood floors, original wood trim around windows. Rear Parlor 14'x15'- 9.5' ceiling, wood floor, fireplace with original wood mantel, 3 windows, door to hallway, double doors to front parlor. Dining Room 15'x16'- 9.5' ceiling, wood floor, 2 windows with drawers in window sills, built in china/linen cabinet, fireplace with nested ceramic tile and original wood mantel, wood stove, doors to center hall, kitchen, and den. Den 11'x15'- Wood floor, fireplace with woodburning stove and original wood mantel, back staircase to the second floor, staircase to basement, closet, 2 windows, ceiling fan. Kitchen 10'x26'- Carpet/vinyl floor, wall-mounted oven, pantry, wood ceiling, chandelier, door to screened porch, powder room off kitchen.
Second Floor Landing 17'x13' - wood floor, connecting door to secondary landing and staircase. Bathroom 16'x7' - Tile floor, tub, sink, toilet Master Bedroom 15'x16'- 9.5' ceiling, wood floor, 2 windows, 2 closets, door to hall bathroom, wood floor, fireplace with wood mantel. Bedroom 2 16'x16'- 9.5' ceiling, wood floor, 2 windows, fireplace with mantel, 2 closets, pass-through to master bedroom. Bedroom 3 16'x17'- 9.5' ceiling, wood floor, fireplace with wood mantel, Bedroom 4 10'x12'- Wood floor, fireplace with wood mantel (decorative), wallpaper. Bathroom 10' x 5' - Vinyl floor, Victorian claw-foot tub with luxurious shower enclosure, marble washstand with Kelly fixture, toilet.
History The Brick House was built in 1835, on farm land purchased by Thomas Hays in 1780 and it has been speculated that he was responsible for building the Brick House, because of an inscription: C. Hays, 1835 that appears on a brick taken from the front porch, however, research on the home shows that John McKinny bought the land from Hays in 1828 and was responsible for constructing the home. The house traded hands several times, until purchased by Dr. Howard Kelly in 1897. He soon engaged a prominent Baltimore architectural firm to build a Palladian-Style mansion, "Liriodendum" on the hill over looking the "Brick House". Dr. Kelly, his wife and 9 children then moved into Liriodendum when it was completed and rented the "Brick House" to their gardener. In the last 112 years, this extraordinary property has been owned by just 2 caring families, the Kellys and the current owners, who thoughtfully updated it to reflect the amenities of the times, while preserving its wonderful historic charm and detail.
Dr. Howard Kelly (1858-1943) Often referred to as the "father of gynecology", Kelly was an innovative surgeon and one of the first heads of clinic services at Johns Hopkins Hospital. A protrait painted by John Singer Sargent of Kelly and 3 colleagues hangs in the hospital. He pioneered radiation-therapy, obtaining radium from Madame Curie, and initiated the treatment for cancer that is widely used today. He was also a prolific writer, authoring 575 books and articles, and a naturalist. He purchased this mansion and land as a summer home and lived in "The Brick House" while building his grand mansion, Liriodendrum, just up the hill.
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