A large Queen Anne Victorian that does a good job of blending historic charm with modern-day amenities is on the market in Takoma Park, Md.
Built in the late 1880s and situated at 7309 Piney Branch Road, the three-story house is located in the town’s popular historic district. It is priced at $675,000.
Greeting guests at the front entrance is a 26-by-7-foot front porch with the original columns. This is a great spot for chatting with neighbors or stepping out to enjoy the brisk winter air.
There is off-street parking for up to three cars in a side driveway area.
Once inside the extra-sunny home, it’s hard to decide which direction to take first. There’s a welcoming entry foyer and alcove with tall ceilings and a coat closet. Hardwood floors found in the foyer extend throughout the home.
The individual rooms are pleasantly spacious, including the 20-by-11-foot formal dining room, which boasts double pocket doors with the original hardware.
Not afraid of color, the owners jazzed up many of the rooms, going with fun shades of red, yellow and green.
While some of the home’s original features are obvious, some are not. An impressive wood-burning fireplace in the living room has the original slat mantel and glass doors. Original cast-iron heating grates can be found on the floor in several of the rooms.
All of the rooms are bright, thanks to large, well-placed windows. The living room comes with a windowed alcove that helps turn it into a sunny retreat.
An arched entryway from the living room leads directly into the back parlor. This room works well as a home office or library and has a wall of built-ins.
A rear addition was built onto the home to accommodate a new 17-by-11-foot kitchen and 17-by-9-foot family room. The owners were careful to incorporate some of the original architecture when adding the kitchen.
The cabinetry is a mixture of old and new, including maple cabinets, some of which feature glass fronts. Additional kitchen features include Italian tumbled-marble backsplashes, granite counters and state-of-the-art appliances, including a stainless steel refrigerator with a bottom freezer, and a downdraft gas cooktop.
The family-room addition is incorporated into the kitchen area and has a granite breakfast bar and seven oversized windows.
Rounding out the main level is a full bath with the original claw-foot tub and ceramic tile floor and a small bonus room that formerly was the butler’s pantry.
There are four bedrooms upstairs, three on the first of two upper levels and the fourth on the top floor.
The master bedroom has a heart-of-pine floor, built-in shelving and a double closet. The second bedroom has hardwood flooring, while the third bedroom, the largest at 23 by 11 feet, is carpeted. The third bedroom has private access through a back stairway that leads into the kitchen and family-room area.
The bedrooms all share a full hall bath with ceramic tiled walls and flooring and a pedestal sink. A smaller, dual-entry room on this level can be used as a fifth bedroom, dressing room or sitting room, if desired.
The top-level bedroom has hardwood floors, an alcove and a large storage room.
For additional storage space, there is an unfinished lower level with a storage room, tool room, workshop area with a freezer and laundry area.
The walk-out lower level offers access directly into the backyard, where guests will find a bilevel deck, attached storage shed and a shaded yard with beautiful trees and plantings that will show their colors in the springtime.
Details:
Address: 7309 Piney Branch Road, Takoma Park, MD 20912
Community: Takoma Park Historic District
Homeowners association fee: None
Age: Built in the late 1880s
Price: $675,000
Lot size: .22 acres
Taxes: $8,298.83
Exterior features: Historic home with cedar and fish-scale-style shingles, German clapboard and front porch with original columns, off-street parking for three vehicles, dual-level wooden deck, storage shed, landscaped yard
Interior features: Four bedrooms; two baths; kitchen and family-room addition; many original features, including staircase, claw-foot tub and windows; hardwood floors; granite counters; breakfast bar; dual staircase; built-ins; high ceilings
Amenities: Historic wood-burning fireplace, workshop area with free-standing freezer, heat pump
Schools: Takoma Park Elementary, Takoma Park Middle, Blair High
Close by: Takoma Park Historic District, shops, parks, playgrounds, library, recreation, dining
Contact: Hank Prensky, Realtor with Long &Foster at 301/455-4427
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