Guess you can say that I have always had a thing for turrets on houses. On the other hand, gun turrets don’t do anything for me.
After I had asked them where they lived, a nice couple in Buzzy’s Country Store last weekend informed me that they live on the water on the road just before Pier 450. I immediately followed up with “Do you own the turret house?” They seemed surprised and pleased that I knew and referred to their home that way.
I continued to explain to them how my son Brady had done some work there for the previous owner and that I had accompanied him a couple of times when he was there. I also told them how much I have always liked turret houses and how cool I thought their house is.
One day this week then, I slipped into their driveway and got the following photo. Unfortunately, I did not get the couple’s names when they were visiting Buzzy’s but the tax records show the property as belonging to Richard and Maryanne Cliff.
All this talk of turrets got me thinking about some other turret houses that I have always enjoyed checking out as I drive past them. Here are my top 5.
Built only a couple years ago, this is one of the newer, more modern of turret houses around. Owned by Kat and Cecil Springer, it is located on the right side of the road just before the Tall Timbers turn. Driving in and out of Route 249 gives me a chance to see and admire it twice a day.
A little further down Rt. 249 and across the St. George’s Island bridge is another great turret house that I like. It belongs to Nancy and Bobby Lumpkins. Unlike other turret homes where the turret is positioned to the side of the house, Nancy’s and Bobby’s has their turret front and center as you pull into their driveway. (Bobby was home the day I pulled in to take this photo and he told me how they had seen a home similar to this in Nags Head and then had this one built here on the Island.)
As for the old time Victorian houses with a turret, I always like to check out this one on Hollywood/Leonardtown Road on property located just after the College of Southern Maryland. While I wasn’t able to track down who the current owners are, I do know that not long ago the house underwent some major renovations and was beautifully restored and yeah, as you can see they kept the turret.
In downtown Leonardtown there is The Front Porch restaurant which oldsters still refer to as the Sterling House (click here to read the History of the Sterling House.)
Interesting factoid I learned about the Sterling House is that the turret was an addition. Frankie posted this on Massey’s “You Know You’re From St. Mary’s” FB page some time ago:
And finally, here is the house and just maybe the reason that I first became tuned into turrets – Mary’s Hope in St. Inigoes.
I first knew Mary’s Hope as Judy and Bill Raley’s home. My Mom and Bill were first cousins, but Bill was more like her older brother. Of course Mom and Judy were also best friends and Bill and Buzzy enjoyed each others company. Thus, our family spent alot of time at the Raley home. While my sisters Donna and Lila hung out with Betty, Amy and Ginny, my brother Stevie and I played and ran around outside with Mike and Johnny (JW.) I loved going over there to visit and to this day every time I return there it brings back a batch of very pleasant memories for me. How the turret plays into all that childhood memory stuff, I’m not sure; but I do know I get a little rush and sense of peace whenever I visit Mary’s Hope and first see the turret there on the house.
Musicality-wise then here is a nice Marc Cohn tune discussing an old house/mansion in upstate New York. Pam and I visited there several years ago but we didn’t get a chance to tour its interior, so I have it on my re-visit list. (It also has a great website worth checking out (click here.))