Tessa Carla Blog's: Where the 1850s Meet the 1950s: Maryland Victorian Comes With a Classic Diner

Friday 28 May 2021

Where the 1850s Meet the 1950s: Maryland Victorian Comes With a Classic Diner

Diner and Victorian — Magan Urdanick/ Exposure Real Estate Photography

Two eras separated by a century collide in one Germantown, MD, home. On the market for $1.25 million, the residence is an intriguing blend of the 1850s and the 1950s.

“There’s very few homes that have a historical significance, have been meticulously updated, and then present themselves with an eight-car garage and a diner. It’s an unusual property. It’s one of a kind,” says Meredith Margolis, the co-listing agent with Molly Peter.

Built in 1850, the home is a gorgeously restored Victorian. The detached garage features room enough for any gearhead—as well as something quite unexpected: a pristine 1950s-era diner.

The resulting listing photos have sparked interest across the web.

“The house itself is extraordinary and special,” Margolis says. “Then, when you start looking at those pictures of the eight-car garage with the diner, it’s amazing how they’ve been married.”

Exterior of home in Germantown, MD
Magan Urdanick/ Exposure Real Estate Photography

Diner
Magan Urdanick/ Exposure Real Estate Photography

Exterior
Magan Urdanick/ Exposure Real Estate Photography

Interior
Magan Urdanick/ Exposure Real Estate Photography

The current owners purchased the house in 2004, and restored it to pristine condition, with period pieces and modern amenities. It’s something of a local landmark, and curious folks have been eager to see the result of the renovations.

“Everyone at some point has driven past [the house] and has been intrigued by it. This is the first time it’s for sale in its beautiful condition,” Margolis says.

Bathroom
Magan Urdanick/ Exposure Real Estate Photography

Kitchen
Magan Urdanick/ Exposure Real Estate Photography

Breakfast nook
Magan Urdanick/ Exposure Real Estate Photography

Dining area
Magan Urdanick/ Exposure Real Estate Photography

Bedroom
Magan Urdanick/ Exposure Real Estate Photography

Known as the John Hanson Gassaway House, the residence measures 3,725 square feet, with three bedrooms and four bathrooms.

“When you experience it, it brings great joy. You can see the joy that the current owners have received living there, because they’ve loved and cared for it and updated it,” Margolis explains. “It is a classic Victorian. One of the sellers always loved the Victorian era. It’s not kitschy. It’s actually beautiful and elegant.”

The furnishings are not included in the list price but could be negotiated into a deal.

Garage
Magan Urdanick/ Exposure Real Estate Photography

Garage with cars
Magan Urdanick/ Exposure Real Estate Photography

Diner detail
Magan Urdanick/ Exposure Real Estate Photography

The house sits on almost 7 acres and has several outbuildings, the largest of which houses the eight-car garage and diner.

“The owners both come from an automobile family, and they are car enthusiasts. He believes that the best decades were the ’50s and the ’60s for American manufacturing—and probably rock and roll,” Margolis says.

Margolis told us she was taken aback when she initially toured the property.

“The garage door came up, and my mouth dropped. It’s in impeccable condition, and then there are historic cars there,” she says. “It is like the ‘Cars’ movie came to life.”

Transporting a visitor back six decades, the beautifully curated diner area has black-and-white checkered floors and period-appropriate aqua blue furnishings.

“I’ve always loved that era, so for me, I went crazy. I was completely enamored,” Margolis says.

Since much of the furnishings are built in, the diner comes with the house.

“It is a great party space, and so are all the grounds,” Margolis explains, adding that a couple once asked the owners if they could get married on the property. “They said yes. It’s just dreamy.”