A home fit for a duchess has hit the Baltimore housing market for $1 million.
This beautiful building from 1886 once served as an educational institution for the former Duchess of Windsor and American socialite Wallis Simpson.
The 3,698-square-foot compound — with six bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms — was serving as Miss O’Donnell’s School when Wallis visited the property, the Baltimore sun.
She would later return to the estate to have tea with her old teacher, Ada O’Donnell Boone, the publication said.
“You don’t just buy a house; you inherit an inheritance,” said the Red fin list reads.
This beautiful 1886 house once served as an educational institution for the former Duchess of Windsor and American socialite Wallis Simpson
The 3,600-square-foot home, with six bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms, served as Miss O’Donnell’s School when Wallis graced the property
Even more impressive is that the house has 18 rooms and the new homeowner would be only the sixth owner of the property, according to Redfin. The sale is being brokered by Marc Cashin And Ashling McGowan.
But the house on North Calvert Street was more than just Wallis’ schoolhouse. Some of Baltimore’s most prominent residents were welcomed inside and philanthropic fundraisers were held there, the listing says.
The original owners, Sarah and Francis White, held fundraising events at the home for poor families and children with special needs, The Baltimore Sun reported.
Despite being centuries old, the home features modern sophistication. Fifth owners “meticulously” renovated the historic home in 2015 to add a new kitchen, bathroom, HVAC systems, plumbing and electrical, costing more than $350,000, according to Redfin.
“Experience the elegance of a bygone era, enhanced by the conveniences of modern living,” the ad reads.
The stained glass windows have also been restored, as have the crystal chandeliers.
Simpson would later marry King Edward VIII after he abdicated the throne for her. The British public did not want him to marry her because she had been divorced twice
The four-story home, located a 40-minute drive from Washington DC, still has its original clawfoot tub from 1876, according to the listing.
There are also five parking spaces and the enclosed backyard offers plenty of privacy.
The interior of the home is filled with deep wood tones and dark, neutral painted walls for an elegant look.
The living room has a round bay window, a fireplace and several large windows that provide plenty of natural light.
The room leads to a taupe-colored dining area with large windows and a fireplace.
The kitchen looks like it came straight out of a cooking show with its floor-to-ceiling brick walls, modern tiled floors and marble cooking islands with white cabinets
The master bathroom is completely white and marble and has a double sink
The kitchen looks like it came straight from a cooking show, with its floor-to-ceiling exposed brick walls, modern tiled floors and marble cooking islands with white cabinets.
All equipment is modern and made of stainless steel and fits seamlessly into the natural colored room.
The bedrooms are all painted in dark colours and have the same beautiful hardwood floors.
The master bathroom is all white and marble and has a double sink.
The front of the house is built with “stately marble” that “takes you back to an era where craftsmanship was paramount and no detail was overlooked,” the listing reads.
The bedrooms are all painted in dark colours and have the same beautiful hardwood floors
The taupe-colored dining area also features large windows and a fireplace. Some of Baltimore’s most prominent residents have been welcomed inside and philanthropic fundraisers have been held here
Simpson’s old school building last sold in 2014 for $330,000.
Simpson was born in 1896 in Blue Ridge Summit, Pennsylvania and died in 1986 in Paris, France.
The American society lady married British King Edward VIII after he abdicated the throne to marry her, as she was a divorcee.
She divorced Navy pilot Earl W. Spencer in 1927 after nine years of marriage, according to Britannica.
In 1928, she married American Ernest A. Simpson, who lived in England. The couple lived near London, where Simpson would eventually meet Edward, then the Prince of Wales.
“I have found it impossible to bear the heavy burden of responsibility and to discharge the duties of King as I would wish to do without the help and support of the woman I love,” then-King Edward VIII (pictured with Simpson in 1942) told the British public when he abdicated the throne.
The American society lady befriended the royal and eventually fell in love with her, so in 1936 she filed for divorce from Simpson.
However, the British public were unhappy with Simpson being divorced twice and Edward renounced his title in December 1936 to marry her.
“I have found it impossible to bear the heavy burden of responsibility and to discharge my duties as King as I would wish without the help and support of the woman I love,” he said in a famous radio broadcast, according to Britannica.
After his abdication he became Duke of Windsor.
When Simpson’s divorce became final in 1937, the couple married on June 3, 1937 in France.