6 magnificent Victorian homes
St. Martinsburg, West Virginia
David P. McMasters
The HC Berry house was built circa 1890. This restored four-bedroom painted lady features high ceilings, built-ins, pocket doors, stained-glass transoms, five fireplaces, carved stair spindles, curved bedroom walls, and two balconies; rooms include a parlor, sitting room, 15-foot dining room, primary suite with jetted tub and private porch, and full-floor attic.
David P. McMasters
The 0.4-acre garden lot includes a patio and garage; downtown is walking distance. $550,000. Carolyn Snyder, Snyder Bailey & Assocs., (304) 283-1537.
Chicago, Illinois
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This 1885 Gold Coast town house was renovated in 2017. The single-family, five-bedroom home combines original structural elements and contemporary detail, with high ceilings, clerestory and arched windows, three gas fireplaces, open chef's kitchen with waterfall counters, living room with wet bar, primary bedroom with coffered ceiling, two laundry rooms, roof deck, and two-car garage.
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Nearby are high-end restaurants and shopping and the Oak Street Beach. $3,990,000. Jennifer Ames, Engel & Völkers Chicago North Shore, (773) 908-3632.
Havre de Grace, Maryland
Long & Foster Companies/Forbes Global Properties
The Spencer Silver Mansion is an 1896 stone-clad house. The six-bedroom home features inlaid hardwood parquet floors, original tilework and oak and chestnut woodwork, tiger-oak pocket doors, a stained-glass stair window, an electrified original chandelier, ornate fireplace mantels, a formal parlor and dining room, a butler's pantry, and a wraparound porch.
Long & Foster Companies/Forbes Global Properties
The lot has trees, lawns, flowers, shrubs, and a carriage house with bedroom, kitchenette, and fireplace; town amenities and the river promenade are walking distance. $1,500,000. Eileen Dayton, Long & Foster Companies/Forbes Global Properties, (410) 688-4891.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
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The Baywood Mansion, a seven-bedroom Second Empire home, has been designated a Pittsburgh historic landmark. Built in 1880, the 22-room house retains its inlaid hardwood floors, ornate high ceilings, and elaborate carved-wood and painted details, murals, plasterwork, tile fireplaces, paneling, and stained glass.
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The 1.8-acre wooded, landscaped lot is steps from Highland Park, with the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG aquarium, walking trails, and two lakes. $2,988,000. Mark Jennings, Piatt Sotheby's International Realty, (412) 321-9999.
Charleston, South Carolina
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Built in 1894, this five-bedroom Harleston Village home won a Carolopolis award for excellence in historic preservation. The house features a stained-glass front door, eight carved-wood fireplaces, entry with bay window, octagonal sitting room, double living room and library, chef's kitchen, and octagonal sunroom.
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Outside are a patio, porch, kitchen deck opening to a large walled garden, off-street parking, and Colonial Lake across the street. $3,400,000. Ann Chapman Ailstock, Carolina One Real Estate/Luxury Portfolio International, (843) 729-0263
Craryville, New York
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This 1852 home stands on 11.67 wooded acres between the Catskills and Berkshires. The five-bedroom house has pocket doors, multiple decorated ceilings, a brick fireplace, wide-plank floors, an eat-in cook's kitchen with marble counters, and a back staircase to a library and reading nook.
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The property includes a barn, a 14-foot-deep swimming pond, and a stream; New York City is two hours' drive. $500,000. Jennifer Capala, William Pitt Sotheby's International Realty, (917) 685-6925.
This article was first published in the latest issue of The Week magazine. If you want to read more like it, you can try six risk-free issues of the magazine here.
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