Primetime Living 9.27.26 - Flipbook - Page 14
14
| Sunday, September 27, 2026
RETIREMENT LIVING
Carefree Living in the
Heart of Downtown
The Cottages at Historic
Havre de Grace
By Linda L. Esterson, Contributing Writer
W
hen providing input on the development of the former Upper Chesapeake
Harford Memorial Hospital site in historic Havre de Grace, the main request
of community members was to ensure the site would offer single family
homes. They did not desire to see multi-home hi-rise buildings; they wanted to return
the town to its former glory.
“We’ve tried to honor that in everything that we’ve done to continue the
old-town feel of Havre de Grace,” says
Clark Turner, representative of Bob
Ward Trademark Custom Homes, a
local company developing the site into
a new community called The Cottages
at Historic Havre de Grace. “There
were many community input meetings before we ever purchased this
property, and the overriding message
from the community was is that they
didn’t want high density; they wanted single-family houses to return the
neighborhood to what it was before the
hospital was built.”
According to Turner, The Cottages at
Historic Havre de Grace was originally
planned to comprise just one block
of senior cottages. After experiencing
an outpouring of interest, the project
expanded to include to 63 homes.
In Havre de Grace alone, the senior
population, defined as age 65 and
older, exceeds 20%. This falls above
the national average by 4%. “There’s a
real unfulfilled need out here for senior
cottages,” Turner notes.
The floor plans for The Cottages,
located on nine acres near the
Susquehanna River waterfront, are all
designed with master bedrooms on the
first floor, allowing for aging in place.
For many who live in the area, their
two-story homes with cumbersome
staircases necessitate a move to a
safer living environment as they grow
older.
The Cottages will be available as
one- and two-story options, with twoand three-bedroom homes ranging
from approximately 1,400 to 2,000
square feet. In addition to spacious
first-floor master bedroom suites,
home designs include true main-level
living with side-by-side washer and
dryer, full basements for storage, hobbies or entertaining, and rear-entry
two-car garages.
“We’re designing homes where people can age in place without steps
from the garage, without steps into the
shower, with wider doorways,” Turner
adds. “Our designs will allow homeowners to live in a spacious, safe
environment that is comfortable, not
institutional.”
The community will be well-appointed, with shrubbery and landscaping
in front of every home and more than
60 street trees lining the roadways.
Central to the community will be formal
gardens, sitting areas, fountains and
water features, and community lawns,
all promoting a relaxed and fulfilling
lifestyle. The homeowners’ association
will maintain common areas, with grass
cutting and snow removal a priority,
leaving just worry-free enjoyment on
the agenda for homeowners.
Havre de Grace is considered by
area leaders as a “college town for
seniors,” and with The Cottages, that
description will ring true. An active
lifestyle awaits as The Cottages will
be walking distance to all that Havre
de Grace offers. Several mini parks
will line the streets within the community and connect to walkways that
lead to the waterfront, where they
will find the scenic Havre de Grace
Promenade, Concord Point Lighthouse
Park, David Craig Park and Tydings
Memorial Park. Just blocks away are
restaurants, museums including the
Havre de Grace Decoy Museum and
the Havre de Grace Maritime Museum,
art galleries, antique shops and a variety of attractions.
“There is so much for everyone to do
within walking distance,” adds Joanna
West, a Trademark representative.
“There’s no need to get in a car to
leave the area for dining, shopping or
