The Federal-style house with 19th-century Victorian and 20th-century Classical Revival modifications is believed to be the oldest home in Rockville that remains a private residence.  Although its origins are a bit murky, the house has a long history that included the first Baptist minister in Rockville and an 80-year ownership by the influential Peter family.  Back in the early 1800s, Upton Beall, a former clerk of the Montgomery County Circuit Court, began buying property from the Williams family. Thomas Williams sold him two lots; Edward Williams, four lots. Beall later sold two of the lots to the Rev. Joseph H. Jones, the pastor of a new congregation in Rockville called Bethel Baptist Church.  [Neighborhood profile: Rockville’s West End]  The Williams family may have built a log cabin on the land, but it is unclear if that was the basis for the current house. A Maryland Historical Trust document shows no evidence of a structure on the lots at the time of purchase or of an older structure within the house that Jones built. But in the 1970s, during a renovation of the home, an expert from Williamsburg said the markings on the logs seemed to date from circa 1790.  Whether Jones expanded upon the older home or used materials from the first house to build the newer house or simply constructed an entirely new dwelling, it is known that a two-story log house was built on the land in 1825. It was constructed using squared, notched logs held together by lime-and-clay plaster.  [Mortgage rates tumble to near-record lows as reverberations from the Brexit vote continue]  Jones owned the home until 1858 or 1859, when George Peter Jr., a member of the Peter family of Georgetown, bought it. Peter’s grandfather, Robert, was the first mayor of Georgetown. The same family built Tudor Place. George Peter served as president of the Maryland state Senate while living in this home.  The Peter family, which lived at the home until 1930, made several modifications to the house. A two-story west wing and a two-story annex on the north side were added. A colonnaded portico was constructed in the early 20th century.  Guy Carter bought the home and later sold it to Wilbur Barnes in 1941. Barnes, who lived there until the early 1970s, extensively renovated and reconstructed the house using materials he sourced from old homes in Maryland and Virginia. Much of the work he did makes it impossible to determine what is original to the 1825 house and what is transplanted.  [Seven-bedroom custom home in Arlington lists for $2.49 million]  By the time Lee and Betsy Muth became owners, the house had fallen into disrepair. The Muths sought to restore where possible, reconstruct where practical and adapt the house to modern living while retaining its historical character.  Patty and Peter Neame, who bought the home in 1999, are the sixth family to own the house. The Neames, their architect Mark Hughes of Harrison Design and builder George Papaheraklis of Finecraft Contractors received awards from Peerless Rockville and Montgomery Preservation for stewardship of a historic home.  The four-bedroom, four-bathroom, 4,350-square-foot house is listed at $1.298 million.  Listing: 106 Adams St. N, Rockville, Md.  Listing agent: Traudel Lange, Washington Fine Properties  Previous House of the Week
HOUSE OF THE WEEK | The circa 1825 home has exposed red oak logs, heart pine floors and seven fireplaces.