Home of the Week: A four-star home at Fort Meade

There are two wings, set slightly back from the front of the brick residence. A sunroom running the width of the home was added to the rear in the 1980s. Behind the house is a two-car garage with an apartment that has been transformed into an exercise room with treadmills and a weight bench. Buried in the backyard, under a rolling sweep of greenery, is a pool that a former resident tired of and had filled in.

However, this home has a few details not found on most properties. One is the pair of realistic-looking cannons flanking the front path; the other is an array of active security cameras that watch the property from every angle. That's because the house is home to one of the top officers residing at Fort George G. Meade: Gen. Keith Alexander, the 16th director of the National Security Agency and commander of the U.S. Cyber Command.

He lives there with his wife, Debbie Douglas Alexander, and a small army of visiting children and grandchildren. The couple has four married daughters and 12 grandchildren ranging in age from 10 months to 9 years.

"We've been here five years," Debbie said. "We're growing roots and seeing things grow."

Looking back

A hundred years ago, the area now known as Fort Meade belonged to local farmers and two AME churches. Army camps Meade and Franklin were founded in 1917 during World War I, and eventually merged. Several years later, the camp was briefly renamed Fort Leonard Wood. Just as quickly its name was changed again - to Fort George G. Meade. And in the 1930s, the Army began building permanent brick buildings to replace the World War I-era wooden structures on the post.

Though built by the Army, the Alexanders' quarters and all the family housing at Fort Meade has been privatized since 2002 under the Army's Residential Communities Initiatives program. The properties are owned and managed by Rhode Island-based Picerne Military Housing.

"Picerne has a contract for 50 years, with an option to renew for another 50 years," said one of its community builders, Joseph Cullinan. Picerne has similar contracts at Aberdeen Proving Grounds and forts Bragg, Sill, Rucker, Riley and Polk.

Since taking over, the company has built an additional 600 new units on Fort Meade. Driving by, it's hard to believe the eye-catching residences are on a military base.

When the Alexanders were transferred to Fort Meade, they lived in a nearby home while their new residence was being renovated and refurbished under Joseph's direction.

"Joe said 'What do you want?' " Debbie said. "We are the 36th family to occupy this house. It's not just my house. I didn't want to do something the next person would not like. I wanted to keep the renovations basic, so anyone could move in and use it."

Working with Picerne, Debbie outlined her thoughts on bringing the house into the 21st century. She reviewed plans and selected finishes and paint colors. As a result, the kitchen was stripped down to the plaster. A dividing wall was removed. The space was opened up and attractive new cabinetry, countertops, appliances and plumbing fixtures were installed. The tile floor is new, too.

Carpeting throughout the house was pulled up. New carpeting was laid or the original hardwood floors were exposed. Dated wallpaper was stripped away. Many walls downstairs were painted "Sand Silver," accented with cream ceilings and trim. A lighter tone was used on the second floor.

Lighting fixtures and ceiling fans that blend with the style of the home were added throughout both floors. Every bathroom was updated with new fixtures and tile.

"This is one of our favorite houses," Debbie said. "It's great for entertaining family and friends, and for entertaining officials and foreign dignitaries."

Plenty of plaques

Keith is the first NSA director to live in the house. A plaque on the wall lists all the previous generals (and one second lieutenant) who once resided there. "I love living in a house that's been here so long," mused Debbie. "I wonder about the other people who lived here."

Beyond the front door is a center hall and stairwell. Along the left wall are military plaques. Framed portrait photos of the couple's grandchildren are clustered on a side table. Dozens more photos, many lovingly photographed by Debbie, are scattered throughout the home.

At the rear of the hallway, in the shadow of the staircase, is a long string of wooden hearts strung beneath a plaque carved to resemble a house. Each one is linked to the next. Each heart lists a place or a base the Alexanders once called home.

The Alexanders have moved 20 times since their wedding in 1974, the day after Keith graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. The two had been friends since high school. Debbie earned a degree in elementary education from SUNY Potsdam.

These Syracuse, N.Y., natives have lived overseas twice, both times in Germany. In the U.S., their first quarters were at Fort Knox. They've also lived in Washington, D.C., North Carolina, Texas, Arizona, Kansas and California. Debbie, a former elementary school teacher, stays active with on-base clubs and charities.

Choose your route

Near the front door a pair of archways leads a visitor to either side of the house.

A turn to the left is a path through the long formal dining room. A navy blue brocade cloth covers the dark hardwood table. High on a shelf, Debbie has placed her collection of Precious Moments ceramics.

Approaching the kitchen, a vintage door, mounted between a hinge set into the floor and a metal pivot set on top of the door, swings open with a push on the doorplate. It has a peephole. The kitchen staff in the home's early days could watch discreetly through the peephole for signs that diners were ready for the next course - or to avoid a collision.

The new kitchen is homey, lined with cherry wood cabinets and stainless steel appliances. But it's spacious enough to feed a platoon in style. Where the dividing wall and built-in desk once stood is now a casual breakfast bar with tall chairs. An adjacent room, a half-library/half-mudroom, now serves as a kitchen annex.

The smaller room opens onto the long sunroom. "This was an exterior porch years ago. It was eventually enclosed and then made into a year-round room," Debbie explained. "We got rid of the linoleum floor and drop ceiling, put in carpeting and raised the ceiling."

The brick wall, originally the rear exterior wall on the house, was painted, and all the windows and doors were replaced. It's a cozy spot for family fun.

"One of the questions we ask ourselves when we move to a new place is, 'Where will the TV go? Where will the pool table fit?' " Debbie said. With a laugh, she added: "They both are here in the sunroom!"

Creative kin

Over the years, to transform their new officer's quarters into a family home, Debbie learned to quickly "get out of the packing boxes as fast as I can. We'd surround ourselves with family pictures."

The beautiful, intricate, hand-stitched quilts made by the late Joyce Douglas, Debbie's mother, are another talisman of "home." Joyce also created several needlepoint artworks on display in the house.

The formal living room features a working gas fireplace. Atop the wooden mantel are about 10 ceramic American bald eagles, cast and hand-painted by Keith. More of his eagles are in other rooms. Showing signs of an emerging talent, Keith also has painted several woodland landscapes displayed in the second-floor hallway and bedrooms.

Just off the living room is a Florida room that is really the "poker room." A table is set up for the next game. Nearby is a chess set arranged with four rows of figurines, ceramic pieces that Keith also cast and painted.

Above the doorway is a shelf lined with German steins and a sword given to Keith when he left CENTCOM (United States Central Command). His West Point sword is sheathed in a nearby case, and hanging on a wall near one of the two doorways is a sword presented to Keith's grandfather by members of the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen.

Up the stairs

The second floor has four bedrooms and a sunroom used as a sleeping room, plus a small deck surrounded by railings. The four guest rooms are simple. There is usually a dresser and two or more coverlet-covered beds awaiting the next visit from the grandchildren. Most are decorated with a child's favorite stuffed toy.

"I assign one family per room," Debbie said. "I can bring in extra beds, cots or Pack 'N Plays (portable baby cribs). Each room is personalized with family photos." In one guest room, low bookcases hold dozens of old photo albums.

The master bedroom serves a dual purpose. In addition to the Alexanders' bed, covered in a gold and bronze awning-striped duvet, Debbie and Keith have his-and-hers computer desks, each neat as the proverbial pin.

"We keep it real simple," Debbie said. "We spent more money on the kids and the things they needed."

She allowed herself one luxury, though. Resting on a dressing table in the master bathroom is a single-serving coffee maker. Next to it is a coffee pod carousel that holds about 20 coffee pods.

"Sometimes, there are people working downstairs and I need a cup of coffee right away," she laughed.

The attic has a cedar closet and space for a children's playroom or another bedroom. "Hmmm," Debbie said, glancing at Joseph, the builder.

"Whenever you'd like, we can draw up some floor plans," he responded.

Home base

Whether or not the attic is transformed, the Alexanders are enjoying their stay at Fort Meade.

"This base always has something going on. It is close to Baltimore, Annapolis and Washington. There are plenty of places to go off-base," Debbie said. "But there are plenty of things to do here, too. There are outdoor concerts and movies by the lake. There is a new park just a few hundred yards away with a beautiful fountain."

Is it enjoyable enough to stay another five years?

"I think we'll be here a couple more years," Debbie said. "Living in one spot for 2 1/2 years used to seem like a long time."

With a warm smile, she added: "I'm having a great time living here."

Would you like to see your house, townhome, condo, apartment or cottage featured as The Capital's Home of the Week? To nominate your home, e-mail Wendi Winters at wendi@quantumstep.com. Include your contact information and details about your residence.