September 2013 | Custom Home Building
Driving into the town of Brookeville, MD, visitors are greeted by a Welcome sign proudly proclaiming “United States Capital for a Day, August 26, 1814.” The line refers to the day President James Madison sought refuge in Brookeville, following the British invasion and burning of Washington.
Almost 200 years later, this small town steeped in American history, covers only 60 acres with 55 individual properties and approximately 135 residents. When Classic Homes was approached to build a custom home in this exclusive community, they jumped at the opportunity. Little did they know, this would be no ordinary build.
After meeting with Montgomery County’s Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) the scope of the job became clearer. To gain HPC approval and obtain a Historic Work Area Permit (HAWP), the custom home would have to meet a variety of requirements that would be no small feat for the builder.
Classic Homes’ architect and production team took the project as a challenge, and worked tirelessly to make it happen for their client. To meet the HPC specifications, Classic’s architect completely re-designed the Lilystone model to a unique 1 1/2 story custom home.
Classic’s architect studied massing (the interplay between height, length and width that determines overall shape and third dimension of a home) and came up with a floor plan and elevation to suit the requirements. Special exterior finishes were added to further the desired appearance, such as modern garage doors made to look like 19th century barn doors.
After a total of four appearances before the HPC Board, Classic Homes and their client obtained the necessary permits, and construction began. The homeowners were pleased that their Production Coordinator “went above and beyond” and were “grateful to have worked with him through the historic issues.” They also noted that the Site Superintendent “was always on top of the project and responded quickly to questions” throughout the construction of their home.
Completed in July, this beautiful unique custom build is something the builder, the home owner, their friends and neighbors will be talking about for years to come.
