John and Kathy Marshall purchased a dream project when they bought the old house at 706 W. Main Street. Their house was originally built in 1879 as the third public school in Frederick County. Students entered through double doors into a foyer. There were two winding staircases, one to the left and one to the right. High school age boys went up one set of stairs. The other was used by the girls. However the upper level was one big room. Children in the lower grades were taught in one big room on the ‘first floor. A cupola adorned the roof, but this was removed about 1900. The building was used as a school for just 12 years. Then it became a Masonic lodge for another ten years.

Around 1900 the house was purchased by the Kugler family and remained in their family until 1989 when the Marshall's purchased it as a young married couple. It was purchased from the estate of Goldie Kugler. Nothing had been modernized in the last three or four decades. The room which had been the kitchen had nothing in it except a garage sink. Insurance couldn’t be obtained until the place was rewired. But the Marshalls knew they had found a project which would take years and yet be the home they wanted. They knew they could do much of the work themselves.

As they worked on the renovations they found dozens and dozens of old marbles in out of the way places and discovered a really old baseball bat in an inaccessible crawl space. School blackboards had been covered with wallpaper. They chose to restore one of them in a guest room and now invite guests to add their signatures in chalk. Graffiti was found in the attic with a child’s signature and the date 1888 marked the wall.

The house is now a home to Kathy, John, and their young son The first floor consists of the origin foyer, one remaining winding staircase, living room, dining room music room, kitchen, back staircase, and a half bath. The second floor contains three bedrooms, a laundry room, and two baths. They chose to expose the bricks on one wall in the living room. This wall is three bricks thick which is equal to a 12" thick wall. Ceilings are 13’ high on the first floor.

A three-bay Federal style building named "Eye Of The Storm," home of Larry & Carol Pavek at 101 East Main Street, Emmitsburg, is a home on the 250th Anniversary House Tour. The Pavek's, living there only since September 1996, have decorated in an eclectic style, ranging from the formality of fabric covered walls and Chippendale and Queen Anne style furniture to whimsical collectibles.

The house dates from circa 1840 and from all appearances may have been a tavern. "Modern" hardwood flooring on the first floor was most likely installed at the turn of the century. The original wide pine flooring is still visible on the second floor. The attic has been converted to a master suite and the flooring has been recycled as kitchen cabinets and east wall facing. Late 19th century hand painted woodwork is displayed up the staircase and on the second floor. There is a significant amount of original glass in the windows throughout the house. Antique hardware is on most of the doors and windows. The bare bricked fireplaces, which add an interesting charm to the living room area and kitchen, were originally plastered. The fireplace in the living room was an added feature approximately 125 years ago.

You enter into a large living and dining area and on the east wall, you can still see in the plaster the shadow of the doorway leading to the adjacent property which may have been used as an inn. You proceed up two steps through glass doors to the kitchen. The house has two baths and four bedrooms, one of which, is decidedly small.

After touring the entire house, including balcony and 3rd floor master suite, exit through the dutch doored kitchen into the garden and enjoy!

Many longtime residents of Emmitsburg think of 300 W. Main Street as Doc Cadle’s place. For many years this was the residence and office of the town’s physician. The front door opened into a vestibule. A waiting room, examining rooms, and an office were through a door on the left. After Doctor Cadle moved out to Harney Road he rented the living quarters to tenants and the offices to professional people.

Bill and Chata Carr lived a little farther out of town in a very large, beautiful home next to his veterinary hospital. It was in that home that they raised their family and took of elderly relatives. They had discussed the idea of moving into Emmitsburg to something smaller when there would be just the two of them. When Doctor Cadle’s place came on the market, the Carr’s found a home that would meet their needs and decided to make their ‘last" move. They hired Keith Brown of Taneytown to be their contractor.

The Cadles had remodeled the house in the late 20’s. The stairway was reversed in direction and a sleeping porch was added upstairs along the back of the house. The next door neighbor complained that her view was cut off. As they shared a common wall, Doctor Cadle offered to let her build an extension of her house over into his sleeping porch so that she could add a window for a view. (Her daughter told the Carr's that this addition was no longer needed and so they reclaimed it for a bedroom closet.)

As the Carr's worked with renovations they had a plan derived from caring for their elderly relatives. The house would be a comfortable two-story home for them until they no longer cared to climb stairs. At that time the floor plan would make an ideal one story conversion with the dining room becoming a bedroom. The vestibule was removed and what was the doctor’s office is now a formal dining room, a hallway lined with closets, and a wonderful bathroom with an oversized shower with built-in seating.

The kitchen was enlarged to a pleasant eat in area with a view out onto the deck which has a beam and glass roof complete with a ceiling fan. Beyond that, a step down, is their beautiful garden designed by Bill Gilbert of Fairfield, Pa. A brick walkway leads through perennial gardens. There is no grass for Bill to mow.

Upstairs the master bedroom was originally two rooms. A large skylight was added to the upstairs bathroom. In addition there are two more bedrooms and a den. One bedroom and den were the original sleeping porch.

The home of Joan and John Treadway in nearby Rocky Ridge is another stop on the October 4,1998 House Tour of homes in the Emmitsburg area. This House Tour will celebrate the 250th Anniversary of Frederick County.

Joan and John Treadway bought their lovely large brick home and 67 acres of land in 1993 while searching for a farmhouse built of stone. The actual date of the house is hard to determine. Documents show that the land was bought in 1798 by James Cooper and was part of the army known as "Brooks Reserve." In l799 he deeded the land to his son and the house was probably built soon after this. The only addition to the house has been a porch which is now glassed in.

Photographs show the original front door on the side of the house. This door now opens out onto the porch which runs the full width of the house. A former owner, Mrs. Laurin B. Askew, Jr., planned to open a school devoted to art and music. For this purpose she built an addition on the lower level to become a dormitory.

The flat roof of this addition became a porch floor outside the front door. At a later time this porch was enclosed and a front door was established on the side of the house facing the road. Early photographs also how a breezeway in the house large enough to drive a car through. This has all been enclosed. The second floor room over the breezeway may have been used as slave quarters.

Newspaper records tell us that Virs. Askew and her son used the house as a summer residence while living in Washington, DC. They held several lavish parties for well known dignitaries at the time. Older records indicate that former owners were visited by people who wished to see Mt. St. Mary’s College in the mid 1800’s. Another owner advertised for the return of a runaway slave. The original floor plan of this two story house contained a center hall with a formal parlor and dining room to the right and left. 

These rooms have high ceilings and large windows. What is now the kitchen may have been a downstairs bedroom and what is now the hall and bathroom might have been the kitchen as a large fireplace has been discovered behind the wall. There are two stairways leading up to the bedroom level which has four bedrooms and a large family room. This family room is where Mrs. Askew gave art and dance lessons. There is a second story deck off this room where the gardens and farm land can be enjoyed. One of the bedrooms has been turned into John Treadway’s office. The second floor bathroom was once a porch.

The Treadway's have filled the home with their collection of antiques and oriental rugs. Joan recently opened "Wyndcrest Antiques" in a building near the ample driveway. She specializes in 18th and 19th century American furniture as well as china, silver, crystal, pictures, mirrors and decorative items . Hours are Saturday and Sunday afternoons as well as by appointment.