First Floor

Beyond heavy wrought-iron gates, a wavy brick path leads to the side steps of a gray stone, Gothic Revival parish house, once belonging to Christ Episcopal Church. Building and gardens are snuggly tucked behind the grand townhouses of Mount Vernon's Chase Street. David Egan opens the building's double doors with an invitation to cross the threshold. The scent of old wood and beeswax wafts through the entrance area, conjuring memories of services, celebrations and quiet reflection. The fragrance lingers in the recessed, arched, diamond-leaded glass windows and in the intricately carved woodwork soaring to 15-foot ceilings.

Two burning rowhouses sent a cloud of billowing smoke over Baltimore's Hampden neighborhood yesterday in a fire that left one firefighter slightly injured, a fire official said. Chief Kevin Cartwright, a Fire Department spokesman, said firefighters were called to the 1200 block of Dellwood Avenue about 11 a.m. About two hours later, the firefighters had the blaze under control. The cause of the fire is under investigation, he said. The blaze heavily damaged two rowhouses at 1207 and 1209 Dellwood Ave. Loveus Whyte, 70, owns the house at 1207 Dellwood where the fire started.

For nearly 30 years, Carole and Mickey Fox lived in the "Sugarville" section of Pikesville in Baltimore County. But when they were looking for a home that required less maintenance, they bought in Baltimore -- at the Village of Cross Keys."

Stone MillBob Ward Homes has opened two models at Stone Mill, a townhouse community in Reisterstown.The Talbot starts at $100,900 for 1,240 square feet of finished space.A 15-by-9-foot living room, 15-by-9-foot dining room, powder room and a 19-by-10-foot kitchen make up the first floor.The second-floor master bedroom is 16 by 11 feet with a closet and an entrance into the hall bath. Two additional 10-by-9-foot bedrooms complete the second floor.The Montgomery starts at $106,400 for 1,400 square feet of finished space.

Questar Homes has opened three models at Avalon, a garage townhouse villa community in Pikesville.Public water and sewer, gas heat and hot water and electric cooking are standard features in the Baltimore County development.The Kay starts at $170,000 for 1,700 to 2,400 square feet of finished space.An optional bath, laundry room, 14-by-9-foot den and a 25-by-14-foot recreation room make up the lower level.A foyer, 18-by-13-foot living room, 12-by-14-foot dining room, a garage and a nook kitchen make up the first floor.

A man, 81, was killed yesterday in a fire in a rowhouse in Northwest Baltimore, said a Fire Department spokesman. Two passers-by rescued his invalid granddaughter.Battalion Chief Hector L. Torres said firefighters found the man in his second-floor bedroom in the dwelling in the 3200 block of Spaulding Ave. in Pimlico. His body was taken to the medical examiner's office for an autopsy, Torres said.He said the man's name was being withheld pending notification of other family members.Torres said the woman, 20, who was not identified, was being treated at Sinai Hospital.

Westlake Builders has opened a new townhouse model at Greenbriar at White Marsh.Gas heat, water and cooking are standard features in this Baltimore County development.The Avalon is a 1,960 square-foot end unit, starting at $99,000.A 10-by-12-foot den, 19-by-15-foot family room and utility room are all options on the lower level of the model.A powder room, a 19-by-16-foot living room and a 19-by-12-foot country kitchen complete the first floor.The second floor consists of a 19-by-14-foot master bedroom with a walk-in closet.

Gilligan Homes has opened its Hunt Cup model in Greenspring Overlook at McDonogh Township, a townhouse community in Owings Mills.Public water and sewer and gas heat, cooking and hot water are standard features in the Baltimore County developmentThe Hunt Cup starts at $108,490 for 1,920 square feet of finished space.A sunken foyer, powder room, 18-by-10-foot great room, 13-by-9-foot dining room and a 11-by-9-foot kitchen are housed on the first floor.The second-floor bedroom is 14 feet by 13 feet with two walk-in closets and an option for a garden bath or sun room.

For nearly 30 years, Carole and Mickey Fox lived in the "Sugarville" section of Pikesville in Baltimore County. But when they were looking for a home that required less maintenance, they bought in Baltimore -- at the Village of Cross Keys."

RON HAS NOW found out what it's like to jump from the frying pan into the fire. He's remodeling his house.When a remodeler is doing work on his own house, you would think it would be a breeze, wouldn't you?Well, it isn't working out that way for Ron and Charlotte. They live in a 1920s-era bungalow in Parkville. When they moved in 12 years ago, the house was adequate. There were two bedrooms upstairs and one downstairs. The largest bedroom was upstairs, but they didn't want either of the kids to be downstairs by themselves, so they took the smaller bedroom on the first level.

History is often a word that people associate with textbooks and professors speaking in monotones. But with the Naval Academy Museum's complete renovation and redesign, the history of the Navy has become something real and vibrant to academy visitors and midshipmen. The museum reopened two weeks ago after undergoing an $11.6 million head-to-toe makeover. "We completely gutted this building," said Scott Harmon, the museum director. The only things left standing at one point, he said, were "the outside walls and the concrete floors."

Two years ago, Jeff Little decided he had enough of the sheep and goats and big barns on his farm in Churchville, Harford County. "I agreed with him," said his wife, Kim Little. "I told him to find me an old stone house in Darlington." And so Jeff Little did an Internet search and found Kaziah's Diary. The three-story stone colonial was certainly in scenic Darlington and certainly old, dating to 1810. However, it was also obscured from the road by thick overgrowth and was, quite decidedly, in need of a total top-to-bottom restoration.

The Annapolis Board of Appeals has upheld a Department of Planning and Zoning decision to allow a homeless shelter to be built on Hudson Street, despite contention from a local businessman who said the shelter does not conform to the city zoning code at the proposed building site. Michael Roblyer, who has a law firm on Willow Street near the proposed shelter site, filed an appeal in February that the Light House Homeless Prevention Support Center, which is scheduled to start construction this summer at 10 Hudson St., could not be built in a BCE, or business corridor enhancement, zone because of the way certain terms are defined in the city code.

When the opportunity to create a custom three-level town house on the harbor front in Canton presented itself about six years ago, Paige T. Davis Sr. grabbed it. Davis set about altering everything from the floor plan to the floor itself. "I had them redo the floor plan. I like open space," said the retired executive, who also had the oak flooring on the second, or main, level laid in a herringbone pattern. Throughout the house, Davis indulged his preference for sleek built-in furniture and cabinetry.

Scouring Federal Hill, Don Smith and Bob Marciak hoped they would find a spacious rowhouse, a little different in style, that would accommodate their wish for a backyard as a soothing refuge from the bustling city. They looked at about 50 houses, Smith recalled, before opening the door to a renovated century-old residence where a gas fireplace exuded a welcome feeling, where the wide living room had a wall of built-in cabinets and shelves, and where a graceful staircase and decorative columns drew the eye toward the rest of the house.

A 14-year-old Brooklyn boy died last night at Maryland Shock Trauma Center shortly after he was shot by an unknown assailant near a Baltimore City fire station, police said. Steven Graham of the 500 block of Annabel Ave. was at the intersection of Maude Avenue and 4th Street about 7:30 p.m. when he was shot, possibly by an occupant of a car that sped away, police said. Graham fell to the pavement nearly in front of Engine Company 35. Graham's killing came about nine hours after an unidentified man was found shot on the first floor of a West Baltimore rowhouse.

When Jeanne and Sean St. Martin bought an old house on a hill above Historic Ellicott City's Main Street, they became the owners of a building that had been turned into three apartments and had been rented for decades. They could see the sky through numerous places in the roof. That was 22 years and many improvements ago. The couple, both accountants, removed walls, created rooms, dumped three work kitchens in favor of one airy eat-in and stripped the black paint off the pine floors in a home that already had a few additions to the original house.

You might expect to find a Harley-Davidson motorcycle tucked into a mechanic's garage. But not one with bright turquoise trim and fenders carved out in pearl white like a '57 Corvette. And you wouldn't be surprised to see a few oil stains on the floor or a glimpse of chrome, but a dual-sided fireplace, bubbling hot tub and hanging quilted art would certainly cause a doubletake. That's because this former garage is actually enjoying a second life as an urban chic townhouse in Baltimore's Canton neighborhood.

From this home in a residential oasis in downtown Annapolis, every window offers a view - whether a slice of the city and its waterfront, or a peek at a serene garden. "You can see the capitol, the steeples, the cityscape, and it's so open with the big windows," said Gary Richardson who, with his wife, Mary, owns the house overlooking Spa Creek. Eleven-foot ceilings on the first and second floors add to a sense of openness in the house, which is a short walk from the business district, but seems a world apart from its daytime bustle and nightlife.

A weekly look at a fun place to catch a Ravens game: Canton Station 1028 S. Conkling St., Baltimore Viewing pleasure: The first floor has three plasma TVs and six 21-inch TVs; the second floor has five plasma TVs and is non-smoking; the third floor has two living room setups, each with leather couches and seats and a plasma TV, plus a third plasma TV and additional monitors for viewing. Best seat in the house: Any of the four booths on the first floor let you see all the day's action.