French country elegance just north of I-695

“We like the privacy and seclusion here,” he said, noting that the one-mile drive into the gated 12-home Bridge Ridge neighborhood winds through fields where horses graze.

 “It’s a spectacular house with gorgeous stone and brickwork and flawless workmanship,” said builder Pat Hagan, Hagan & Hamilton, Baltimore.

The main level has Brazilian cherry floors. A sweeping curvilinear staircase, accented by a wrought-iron balustrade and wooden handrails, rises in the center. Wide arches, surrounded by decorative pillars and deep molding, frame each room, said listing agent Heidi Krauss, Krauss Real Property Brokerage, Hunt Valley.

“This house is luxurious, massive and open,” Krauss said.

And who does she believe are the likely future owners of this property? A family or childless couple “accustomed to a five-star lifestyle.” Krauss is showing the house mostly to families that want to be near Baltimore.

The uniqueness of the home is what attracts most to it.

Visitors drive up a tree-lined driveway that approaches the home and its two acres. Once inside, the home’s first floor boasts a large office and a two-story great room with a floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace.

The gourmet kitchen has granite countertops, a six-burner Wolf range, Sub-Zero refrigerator, two dishwashers and a full-size wine fridge. A glassed-in breakfast room faces the expansive backyard.

Upstairs are six huge bedrooms. The 23×14 master bath has high ceilings, a travertine marble floor and countertops, river rock accents, a pedestal tub and glass-enclosed shower with body sprays.

On the lower level are 12-foot ceilings, a media room and wine cellar.

The new owners can enjoy an entertainment pavilion in the backyard that includes a massive stone fireplace and is surrounded by a stone patio.

Lush farmland surrounds Bridge Ridge, said Doug Carroll, who has lived in the area and whose ancestors gave Carroll County its name.

Conglomerates now farm most of Greenspring Valley’s 800 open acres. But Carroll, whose wife raises chickens, said he hopes the movement “will attract smaller farmers here who are interested in organic growing.” 

The seeds for such enterprises are literally planted. Down the road from Bridle Ridge, he said, a local farmer harvested a single acre, planted in basil, and sold the sprigs at the Mt. Washington Whole Foods Market.

“We started preserving open space in the 1950s,” he said. “It’s unusual to have this much land so close to Baltimore.”

AT A GLANCE