Historic home in Titusville offers an array of original elements

The dining room has a working fireplace and the same deep ceiling moldings as the living room, as well as detailed wainscoting

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The "Maddock House" in Titusville, now for sale, was built in 1915 and features much of the original architecture. Above: the exterior includes three-story-high Doric columns.


   The "Maddock House" on River Road in Titusville is an elegant example of Greek Revival architecture, which was popular at the turn of the century. A visitor to this beautifully designed and proportioned home can readily see the quality of yesterday’s craftsmanship.
   Built in 1915, this classic, all-brick, three-story home overlooking the Delaware River retains an amazing array of original elements. Starting with its most impressive exterior feature — the three-story-high Doric columns — one enters the home to a grand, two-story center staircase entry with a gallery wrapping completely around the second floor. As a guest had written about the house, "The staircase is straight out of ‘Gone with the Wind.’ One could almost envision Scarlett O’Hara fluttering down, finding Rhett Butler waiting at the bottom."

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One enters the home to a grand, two-story staricase entry with a gallery wrapping around the second floor.


   From this stunning entry one moves to the left into a high-ceiling, 1930s living room with a fireplace, two sets of French doors to the covered outdoor patio, marvelously crafted, deep box ceiling moldings and large windows bringing in the eastern and western sun at either end of the room.
   To go from the foyer to the right, one enters a spacious dining room that invites gracious formal dinners or informal family gatherings. The dining room has a working fireplace and the same deep ceiling moldings as the living room, as well as detailed wainscoting. Of special interest in the dining room are the corner cupboards, each with interior moldings carved into the form of a large shell.
   And then one can step down from the dining room into the charming, more casual window-wrapped sunroom with attached greenhouse, full of blooming flowers. This room has a working fireplace made of large river stone and original Mercer tile floors.
   Overall, the home contains almost 5000 square feet of space on three floors, with 13 rooms, five bedrooms on the second level and two on the third level, four full and two half baths, five working, wood-burning fireplaces, refinished hardwood floors and two staircases. It was professionally redecorated in 2000, including a remodeled kitchen. A separate butler’s pantry is another of the original elements and adds a great deal of storage space. There is ample room on the third floor for a home office or artist’s studio. The remodeling retained all the intricate moldings, sconces and a non-functioning speaking tube in the master bedroom, which had been used for calling the maid.
   Although known as the "Maddock House," Archibald Maddock did not actually build the home. It was designed by Roberta Parker, a respected architect who, with her husband, built the property on what had been a farm. Mr. Maddock bought the home in 1921 and lived there until his death.
   Mr. Archibald Maddock was president of the Thomas Maddock Pottery Company, which was one of the most prominent of the many pottery companies that thrived in Trenton in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The firm was started in 1850 and in 1874 began to make "sanitary ware," a euphemism for toilets, and became one of the country’s leading manufacturers of toilets. The Maddock firm built a large new plant in Hamilton (next to the new railroad station) in the 1920s and sold out to American Standard in 1929.
   Mr. Maddock installed most of the oldest plantings on this three acre property — the apple, cherry, chestnut, pear, holly, sycamore, gingko, larch and other trees, plus many kinds of flowering shrubs. He bordered the property with rows of daffodils. The current owners bought it in 1971 and added substantially to the gardens and plantings, since the late Nancy Johnson was an avid and talented master gardener. They also put in a water garden with a waterfall, lily/fish pond, streams, rocks imported from the Delaware Water Gap, various trees and shrubs and an in-ground pool.
   This lovely and gracious home on its sprawling three acres of mature trees, shrubs and gardens is now for sale. For more information, call Billie Moore, broker/agent at RE/MAX Premiere Properties, at (609) 737-7474, ext 359.