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Hot House: 1128 N. Calvert St.

Mansion and carriage house with gorgeous details ideal for hotel, office, B&B, distinguished residence, private club or business. Large public spaces on first floor. Spacious rooms, many with fireplaces and adjoining baths on second and third floors. Twelve bedrooms, 8 bathrooms. Wood floors under carpet well preserved. Designed by architect Charles Carson in 1891 for the Hooper Family: $1,245,000

What: The Josephites, a Roman Catholic order devoted to serving the African American community, have owned this property for the past 87 years. This building was not only the residence of the priests, but it was their headquarters, and it held their archives and printing plant for their magazine. The Josephites have since moved to Lake Avenue in North Baltimore.

The house was owned by the Hooper and White families, who owned mills along the Jones Falls and manufactured burlap and cotton duck.

The details in this house are unlike any you can find in a house of comparable size built today. The gorgeous milled woodwork, loads of marble, including tesserae floors, numerous fireplaces, stained glass windows, built-in bookcases, a graceful staircase, elegant plasterwork, and so much more, make this a serious showplace. In February, the house hosted the Baltimore Architecture Foundation’s annual Groundhog Day Party with more than 200 guests, and there was room for more!

It would be the perfect city townhouse for a family who does a LOT of entertaining. But the zoning is such that it can be used as a private home, a hotel, offices, a private club or business. The house is located just across the street from the Ivy Hotel with its Magdelena Restaurant. It comes with a separate carriage house which you could use as a rental property, or a printing press, like the Josephites did. With its 12 bedrooms and eight bathrooms, everyone in the extended family could stay for the holidays.

Where: The house is in the heart of Mount Vernon, on Calvert and Biddle Streets. Eddie’s of Mount Vernon is a few blocks away, and restaurants of every cuisine are within walking distance. The Wilkens School and the Baltimore School for the Arts are the only schools in the immediate area. Still, the new owners would not lack for cultural experiences with Peabody, the Walters and the Maryland Historical Society close by. The house is very unassuming from the street, so you may have to take a pass or two before you find it.

Final Appraisal: When the word unique is used in real estate, this is the type of house that should be referenced. The opportunities that this house presents are virtually unlimited, and it’s just waiting for a person with the right vision to come along and be the fourth owner. View the listing here.

Update: This story has been edited to reflect that this is not the first time the house has been put on the market in 87 years. Although the house did not sell, it was put on the market in June of 2018 and delisted on January 1 of this year. It was again listed later in January 2019 and withdrawn in August 2019. It was most recently listed in October 2019. – SGD