CANNON STREET

The Cuff House is an impeccably restored historic home with modern amenities and substantial upgrades located on Cannon Street in Chestertown. The location of this home offers water views from the front porch and a short distance to downtown. Turnkey every aspect and finished to the highest standard, this property is sure to please the discerning buyer.

 

This period home dates to the mid 1800’s and has seen a remarkable transformation over two separate renovation projects. The renovations ensured the preservation of the home’s architectural significance, while providing the comforts and convenience of modern living.

 

Two bedrooms and two and one-half baths are in the main residence. Across a beautifully appointed brick courtyard, the two-car garage and loft apartment can be found. Off-street access and parking, irrigation, radiant patio heat for snow and ice control, Lutron lighting system and many more innovative features set this home apart from the crowd.

 

Historic Reference from Maryland Historic Trust Document K-545 dated 5.14.02

The Thomas Cuff House – The Cuff House was probably built by the mid-eighteenth century, a dating supported by Kent County Wills and Land Records for that site, remaining interior woodwork, and an archeological survey. The house was restored in 1987. On the exterior deteriorated circular-sawn siding was replaced by new beaded siding corresponding to old siding fragments found under the eaves. The deteriorated tin roof was replaced with a wood shingle roof similar to several shingles found under old flashing around the chimney. The house as restored is a simple frame, two-story structure, with a central doorway, flanked on each side by 6/6 windows. Two similar windows are on the second story front and three on each gable, one on each floor. The door and window frames have a simple ovolo backhand molding. The rear of the house, invisible from the street, is a modern frame wing with similar windows and siding. The original interior plan of the front four rooms, up and down, remains.

 

There are two rooms on each floor, each with a fireplace built into the large central chimney. The partitions between the rooms are vertical beaded board paneling, probably original to the house. The upstairs room on the right retained all the original woodwork, window and door frames with simple molding, a simple mantel with shelf, and exposed beaded corner posts. The room below also retained an early mantel - a shelf supported on a simple molding and flat pilasters between the opening surround and the bottom of the shelf. The original stairway had been built around the corner of this room but had been removed. A fragment of the railing - simple with a beaded edge along the bottom - was found during the archeological exploration.

 

The left-hand rooms had lost in a fire all original wood trim except the paneling. Locally found K-545 replacement mantels from the late 18th or early 19th century have been installed, as well as corresponding period corner cupboards in each of the first-floor rooms.

One original door remained, with four raised panels, cross-pieces mortised together and fastened with wooden pegs and the shadow of HL hinges. Other doors were reproduced to match it. In the course of re-building the unstable rear wing, the remains of a brick pavement were found back of the first-floor room on the right side. This was left exposed, with shattered bricks replaced. The new rear wing has a three-story hall with staircase rising against four walls from first floor to third, where the attic is lighted by a 616 window at each end. A large new room was built across the back, trimmed with an early Federal style fireplace (from a demolished late 18th century house near Kenton, Delaware), flanking bookcases with keystone arches, and jib doors leading to a screened/glassed-in porch.