114 S Mechanic St

One of the oldest original houses in Sharpsburg, this log house dates from the 1790s. The property is now named for Margaret Durff, the businesswoman who owned the house before the Civil War. Although Margaret was married, the house was deeded to her alone. As evidenced by purchase records of 'fancy foodstuffs,' she apparently ran a bakery or confectionary from the house, while raising at least 9 children. After serving various roles (including use as a barber shop, the home/office of a town burgess, and an antique shop), Margaret's house was abandoned and faced demolition. Fortunately, it was purchased by the Save Historic Antietam Foundation (their first project!), who in turn sold it to another woman of independent spirit. She rebuilt and updated it, keeping the same footprint and preserving original materials whenever possible. The current owners further improved the property, returning the kitchen to the original 'keeping room,' adding garden access, and building the gardens and fishponds. The basement includes storage space (perfect wine cellar!) and a crawl space which was re-dug during the renovation. It is accessible through a trap door in the garden room. A brick patio links the house and garden. The fenced, 47' x 155' (approx. 1/6 acre) property includes a small garage/outbuilding, the original outhouse, and a storage shed. A raised smoke house has been screened in and offers a ‘treehouse’ view of the fish ponds, waterfall, and gardens.