July 31, 2011

Stemmer House: A Rare Sale

For nearly 40 years, an old family friend has lived on an extraordinary property just outside of Baltimore – Stemmer House  – but now it’s time for it to be sold. Both the woman and the property are quite amazing. stemmer1The house was originally built in the 1700’s, twenty-five or more miles from where it’s located today. stemmer4 In the 1930’s, the house was dissembled and each brick was numbered so when the house was rebuilt, everything would be in its proper place. The owners who had moved the house never lived in it, and it was given to their daughter, who sold it to our friend almost 40 years ago.stemmer2 stemmer3During that time, the owner has created the most incredible gardens – everything from water lily and swan ponds to shade gardens to Asian gardens to formal gardens. stemmer11 She’s done most of the work herself, working in the heat of summer and the cold of winter to achieve her vision. The grounds are populated with swans and peacocks, as well as horses. stemmer15 The house’s interiors are a testament to the owner’s love of travel and her range of interests – including gourmet cooking of the highest order! The kitchen includes some fabulous antiques, as well as a massive Aga cooker. stemmer6 The living rooms are a mix of pieces that she’s collected on her travels, as well as artwork spanning several centuries. stemmer9The wall-covering in the center hallway looks like it could be DeGournay, Zuber or Gracie. It’s stunning. The peacock feathers in the Chinoiserie urn are from the peacocks on the property. My mother has some of the feathers from these birds, too.stemmer7 And the paper in the upper hallway is subtle, yet striking and modern. stemmer8 The bedrooms are charming and cozy with fireplaces to warm them on a chilly night.stemmer10This family’s previous house was an old church, and they have the steeple from that property as a garden folly at this estate. stemmer14 This amazing house and the surrounding grounds will be auctioned on Wednesday, August 2nd. Details are here. stemmer13I have such admiration for the owner of this house and how she’s transformed the gardens into a showplace for herself and her friends and family. I know how difficult the decision to let this property go must have been for her. stemmer12 Isn’t this place amazing?

8 comments:

  1. Ah she gives us hope! Hopefully our little houses don't take 40 years! Gorgeous...

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  2. Yes, it is amazing. Hopefully the property will get a new owner that appreciates it as much.

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  3. OH! MY! GOODNESS!!!!! Whoever gets this place will certainly have a showplace on their hands with those incredible gardens! And did you LOOK at that urn those peacock feathers were resting in? I would crawl on my hands and knees from Dallas to Baltimore to make it mine if that were possible! By the way: do YOU plan to attend the auction?

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  4. Thank you for sharing this beautiful house with us. I hope the new owner gets appreciates it and loves it just as much. I found this article about the house. Great interview of the house's owner. She sounds like a remarkable and wonderful woman. Wish her the best.

    http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2011-07-29/features/bs-hm-stemmer-house-20110730_1_holdridge-estate-green-spring-valley

    ~Monique

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  5. Fantastic gardens! An amazing master gardener.

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  6. Wow - what an amazing house. Above $1.4M - I wish!
    Dianne
    XOXO

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  7. This house and property are amazing! I hope the new owner keeps it intact. Thanks you for sharing.

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  8. The grounds were open to a Horticulture tour this past spring and were impressive, but definitely showed a lack of maintenance. Hopefully the new owners will be able to restore them to prime condition. So much potential.

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