Description
A beautifully restored and renovated historic stone home near the Susquehana River and minutes from I-95 and the MARC train. This converted c.1800 tavern, originally Gale’s Tavern, is set on 2.5 acres with award winning gardens, large workshop shed, green house, incredible stone “Octogon” structure used for chickens and 1+ acres of mature woods. The house features a gourmet kitchen with gas range, stainless steel appliances and granite counters, and there are beautiful original wood floors throughout. This is a unique home of rare and beautiful distinction, close to Baltimore, DC and Philadelphia…yet a world away.
ROOMS
1st Floor
Living Room 15′ x 15′ – Wood floor, built-in bookcases, 2 windows.
Family Room 16′ x 8′ – Wood floor, hanging lamp, crown molding, fireplace (closed) with wood mantel, door to side porch, door to kitchen, 2 windows.
Side Entry Hall/Mud Room 8′ x 7′ – Wood floor, door to garage.
Kitchen 16′ x 14′ – Wood floor, cherry cabinets, stainless steel appliances, GE gas range, granite counters, recessed lighting, wood burning stove, built-in window seats, built-in bookcases, 4 windows.
Hall Bathroom/Laundry 7′ x 5′ – Wood floor, washer & dryer, closet, 1 window.
Front Porch
Garage 20′ x 15′ – One car garage with a concrete floor.
2nd Floor
Hall 12′ x 7′ – Wood floor, closet.
Hall Bathroom 12′ x 8′ – Wood floor, claw foot tub, built-in cabinet, closet, 1 window.
Bedroom 1 16′ x 9′ – Wood floor, walk-in closet, exposed wood beam ceiling, 2 windows.
Bedroom 2 16′ x 12′ – Wood floor, exposed wood beam ceiling, 2 windows.
Study/Office 17′ x 12′ – Wood floor, stairs to 3rd floor, door to screened “sleeping” porch,2 windows.
Screened “Sleeping” Porch 33′ x 10′ – Wood floor.
3rd Floor
Primary Bedroom Suite 19′ x 12′ – Wood floor, recessed lighting, exposed wood beam ceiling, built-in cabinets, 1 window.
*Bathroom 10′ x 5′ – Wood floor, built-in cabinet, shower, 1 window.
Bedroom 4 15′ x 12′ – Wood floor, track lighting, built-in cabinets, closet, door to attic, 1 window, 1 skylight.
Office/Study 13′ x 8′ – Wood floor, recessed lighting, exposed wood beam ceiling, wainscot, built-in cabinets, 1 window, 1 skylight.
Attic
Unfinished
Basement
Improved Cellar
Outbuildings
Machine Shed/Workshop
Octogon Stone Chicken House
Green House
BRIEF HISTORY (Seller Provided)
- Age: At least 220 years. The first deed we could find was dated 1803 for an existing building, so it could be much older.
- Notables: Legend has it that the Marquis de Lafayette slept here. Probably other founding fathers stopped here as well because this building was originally “Gale’s Tavern.” During the 18th and early 19th Centuries, travelers between Philadelphia and Virginia had to wait in Perryville taverns and inns for a ferry ride across the Susquehanna River. Many notables, including George Washington, often stopped at Rodgers Tavern, which is about a mile away in downtown Perryville. But some must have stopped at Gale’s Tavern. This area was a hotbed of activity during the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812.
- Native history: We have dug up arrowheads and scraping tools in the garden and yard.
- Original and preserved craftsmanship: We have worked hard to preserve as much of the original craftsmanship as possible while making the house comfortable for 21 st Century citizens. When something new was required, we were careful to use materials and styles that matched the original. Among the preserved highlights:
– 2 original doors with original massive black iron hinges
– Revealed original stonework in living room
– Kitchen and 3 rd floor’s beautifully restored original wide-plank flooring, featuring the pegs that were used to raft the virgin timber logs down the Susquehanna River.
– Hinged wall on the 2nd floor, used by the tavern keeper to turn the space into meeting or dance rooms.
– Original ceiling joists revealed on 2nd and 3 d floors.
ACREAGE: 2.47 acres
Large fenced-in organic garden – winner of many blue and grand champion ribbons from the Cecil County Fair. Fully caged Grand Champion Blueberry bushes.
- Wooded lot with mature trees
- Expansive Lawn
- 2 Pear trees
- Fig tree
- 2 Grape arbors
PERRYVILLE HISTORY
The rich history of the Town of Perryville began in 1608 when Captain John Smith became the first European explorer to navigate the Susquehanna River and visit the area. Perryville was first settled in 1622 when Edward Palmer was granted a patent for a settlement on what is now Garrett Island. In the 1600s, Lord Baltimore granted George Talbot 31,000 acres of land which included the Perryville area. Before incorporation in 1882, Perryville was known as Lower Ferry, circa 1695, Susquehanna, circa 1700s, and finally Perryville was named after Mary Perry, the wife of John Bateman.
During the Revolutionary War, Perryville served as a staging area for the Continental Army. Colonel John Rodgers, who operated the ferry and tavern in Perryville, raised the 5th Company of the Maryland Militia. This company became part of the famous Flying Corps and was instrumental during the early stages of the Revolutionary War. Colonel Rodgers’ son, John Rodgers, became Commodore of the American Navy and was instrumental in clearing the Tripoli Pirates from the Mediterranean Sea. Commodore Rodgers served with distinction during the War of 1812. George Washington frequently stopped at Rodgers Tavern on his trips from Virginia to New York.
During the 1800s, Perryville was the central point for the Wilmington to Baltimore Rail Line. During the War between the States, the rail line between Perryville and Baltimore was destroyed. To transport troops and munitions to Annapolis, the Union Army again began the operation of the ferry across the Susquehanna.
Throughout the 1900s Perryville continued to serve as a railroad town. The advent of the interstate highway system helped Perryville metamorphose into a highway town. Perryville is the home of the Perry Point Veterans Hospital, the Perryville Travel Plaza, and the Hollywood Casino-Perryville.
The Town of Perryville offers a variety of services to its citizenry. The Perryville Community Park is open and available for public use. Perryville is the second largest municipality in Cecil County and continues to expand and grow, anchoring the southwest corner of Cecil County. Please visit and explore the Town of Perryville; a trip through the town is a trip through the roots of America.
more…
ABOUT GEORGE GALE
George Gale (June 3, 1756 – January 2, 1815) was an American politician and the first representative of the fifth congressional district of Maryland.
Gale was born in Somerset County in the Province of Maryland in 1756. He attended public school and served in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. When Maryland convened its convention to ratify the United States Constitution in 1788, Gale was a member. He was then elected to the First United States Congress as a member of the House of Representatives. He served from 1789 to 1791, when George Washington appointed him supervisor of distilled liquors for the district of Maryland.
Gale died in Cecil County, Maryland in 1815. He is buried in what was formerly the Gale family cemetery. It is now on the grounds of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Perryville, MD.
LINKS
Historic Perryville, MD – Town of Perryville website
Wikipedia – George Gale (congressman)
