Historic Maryland Avenue House c.1924

Historic Maryland Avenue House  c.1924

This is a storybook Historic American Four Square with Queen Anne detailing in desirable Montgomery County Maryland close to parks, shopping & entertainment. Located in Gaithersburg’s historic Realty Park, this home is a wonderful blend of historic detailing and modern amenities, including beautiful wood floors, original moldings, fireplace with wood mantel, window seat & wrap around porch, as well as, a spacious updated kitchen, 3.5 modern bathrooms, central air conditioning, insulated windows and vinyl siding. Built nearly 100 years ago, by craftsmen that took pride in their work, this home features a full walk up attic suitable for storage or finishing and a finished basement with a family room (or 4th bedroom), full bathroom, den, utility room & laundry room.
The current owners have maintained and improved this classic home with respectful longevity in mind. This is a home of rare and beautiful distinction, close to Baltimore & Washington, DC, yet a world away.

Commuting

Guide to Transportation
Less than 1 mile (approx. 5 blocks) to the Gaithersburg MARC train station
3.1 miles to the Shady Grove METRO Station

Historic Realty Park (M-21-202)

(Not A designated historic district with restrictions)
Realty Park is a small early to mid-20th century residential community located in the City of Gaithersburg. The area is bounded by Frederick Road on the west and is comprised of parcels on both the north and south sides of Maryland and Montgomery avenues, and parcels facing the east and west sides of Highland and Oak avenues. It also includes five parcels facing the west side of Russell Avenue that were part of W. Magruder’s Subdivision. All structures within the area are in residential use with the exception of the properties abutting North Frederick Avenue which are in commercial use.

Realty Park was platted in May 1920 on 26 acres of land that Charles Herman Rabbitt sold to the Gaithersburg Realty Company on April 23, 1920. The neighborhood plan consists of two major east-west roads, Maryland and Montgomery avenues, and several smaller streets, Central, Highland, Oak and Prospect avenues. Central Avenue is now just a grassy path, not a paved road. This layout is consistent with the earlier Brookes, Russell and Walker neighborhood to the south. Because the five structures on Russell Avenue that were part of W. Magruder’s Subdivision are of a similar style and era to those in Realty Park, they are included as part of the Realty Park Historic District.

The Realty Park Historic District is comprised of 71 properties. Of the 71 properties, 57 contribute to the district and 14 do not contribute. Structures in Realty Park are smaller in scale when compared to those in Brookes, Russell, and Walker to the south. They are typically frame and two stories tall. The structures represent a wide variety of early to mid-20th century building types and styles including bungalows, Cape Cods, Cotswold cottages and small, frame Colonial Revival buildings. The existence of structures with attached garages on the lower level, particularly along Montgomery Avenue, shows the increasing importance of the automobile to community residents. The streets are lined with mature trees. Lots are a consistent size and houses are set back a consistent distance (~20 feet) from the road.
more (MHT)…

Brief History of Gaithersburg

Gaithersburg was a small rural community in the early 19th century. Commerce did not boom until the coming of the railroad in the late 19th century. Rail service from Gaithersburg was established in September 1872, but the line was not yet complete to Rockville. Regular service of the Metropolitan Branch of the Baltimore & Ohio (B&O) Railroad began in May 1873, and the town soon became the commercial hub of central Montgomery County. Commerce shifted from Frederick Avenue to Diamond Avenue near the train station which soon became the hub of town. The town established its own government in 1878. The current train station was built in 1884 on the east side of Summit Avenue, and trains still play a role in Gaithersburg today. The MARC commuter rail line, a successor to the trains run by the B&O, still provides daily commuter service to Washington for the residents of Gaithersburg.

As early as 1887 the railroad was advertising monthly tickets for the 21.5 mile trip from Gaithersburg to Washington. While many commuters settled in towns closer to Washington such as Takoma Park and Kensington, an increasing number of commuters traveled from Gaithersburg. This trend likely precipitated the development of the area known as Brookes, Russell and Walker south of Realty Park but just north of the train station. While this suburban community evolved from a series of subdivisions of land that was added to the city, it has a cohesive architectural style because it was developed over a short period of time.
more (MHT)…

Upgrades & Improvements

Central Air Conditioning
Gas Boiler
Kitchen renovated 1994
Stainless steel chimney flue
Copper Roof 2001
Renovation of 2nd floor bathrooms
Compressor 10-15 years old
HVAC installed 1990’s
Vinyl siding
Insulated windows

LINKS

Maryland Historical Trust – Historic Realty Park
Maryland Histoical Trust – Old Town Gaithersburg
MARC train – 5 S. Summit Ave. Gaithersburg, MD 20877
City of Gaithersburg – General information