Home of the Week: Maureen McCunn

The appeal of downtown Annapolis living is not difficult to fathom, nor is a fondness for living in a historical home. To have both, well, that's a dream come true.

"It's a lifetime dream," admitted Maureen McCunn, who purchased her Georgian row home three years ago.

"I looked for a year and a half," she said. "I couldn't find anything in the Historic District that I could afford - I wanted to be in the Historic District for 30 years."

Now that she is, she loves it.

"The best part of living in the Historic District is being able to walk down to City Dock," McCunn said.

According to McCunn, whose home was built in 1822, it's all great, or at least most of it.

"Except the parking," said McCunn, whose home does not have a driveway or garage. "You sort of learn where the spots are - it's terrible during the legislative session, as everybody knows."

With a red brick facade trimmed in black shutters and door, the Maryland flag flying above, and yellow blooms peeking out of flower boxes and flowerpots, the home looks perfectly coordinated and well tailored to its historic environment.

This, to McCunn, is part of being a good steward.

"The integrity of the district that's been maintained and being a part of history - I don't really feel like I own this home. I'm taking care of it for the next person to come along," she said.

Inside, at 1,400 square feet and three bedrooms, the home is like a glimpse of the past, albeit with some modern updates.

One of those updates is the fireplace in the keeping room, just inside the front door. While the brick surround appears to be original, it's a good assumption the original owner of the home could not turn on the fireplace with the throw of a switch.

"Usually what I do during the summer - and BGE will love this - I crank up the air conditioning so I can have the fire on," McCunn said with a laugh.

After placing freshly baked chocolate chip cookies on the table, she threw the switch for instant fire and ambiance.

Part of the allure of the home was its character flaws, or rather character enhancers.

Speaking about other homes in the Historic District, McCunn explained: "A lot of them on the exterior look like they're 200 years old. Then you walk inside - it's been gutted, drywalled - there's no character or historical integrity."

Whether or not the heart of pine floors in her home are original, McCunn isn't certain, but they are beautiful, even with their imperfections.

"The floors were crooked, which is OK," she said. "If I drop something, I know where it's going to roll to."

On the front of the home, a beautiful stained-glass window provides beauty for both the exterior and interior.

"The stained-glass window I designed and my father made," McCunn explained. "My father is a retired hospital administrator. When he retired, he decided he needed something to do."

The window played a big part in the home purchase, too.

"The other reason I knew this was the right house - I had that window for 15 years before," McCunn said. "When I walked in, I saw it would fit this house."

At the far end of the room is a large mural of Annapolis, but there's something conspicuously missing from the banks of the Severn.

"It's historically correct when the house was built, which is what I wanted," McCunn explained. "The house was built in 1822 and the Naval Academy didn't come in until the 1860s."

Heading back, we reach the dining room, done in a very rich oxblood red, with more of Dad's stunning work gracing the windows.

As for the colors in the home, McCunn knew when to call in professional help in the form of Karen Fazekas of Annapolis-based Karen Fazekas Interiors.

"I do my own decorating, but I never pick the right paint color," she said. "I had two criteria: I wanted it to be historically accurate, and two, (I wanted) to try to let light in, because these houses are so dark."

With a little help from Benjamin Moore's historic colors collection, they accomplished both.

The rooster collection in the dining room? Well, that's another story.

"How do I say this?" McCunn began with a smile. "I have a tendency to go overboard with themes. I don't want people to think Karen did the roosters; that was me."

At the rear of the home, the galley kitchen could very well be the piece de resistance of the home, even in its magnificent smallness.

With a tin ceiling, harlequin-patterned wood floor, granite counters that look like marble, farmhouse sink and reproduction period appliances, it's a true blast from the past. A plantation-shuttered window allows for pass-through to the dining room.

The stove itself is a work of art.

"It's called a Heartland stove - it's from Canada," McCunn said. "It's a reproduction from the 1890s."

Under the stairs and along the second floor, board-and-batten doors lend more historic character.

Upstairs, a master bedroom and guest room are beautifully furnished with period decor.

A third-floor loft provides office or additional guest quarters done with a nautical motif. A deck off of this space provides a great spot for stargazing.

"I love this house - I just love it," McCunn proclaimed.

When a dream comes true - when all the stars align and the right homeowner meets just the right home and, of course, some freshly baked chocolate chip cookies are thrown in, too - that's a perfect "Home of the Week."