Gramercy Mansion

By Christine Folivi

Gramercy Mansion is a bed-and-breakfast estate that many couples and families love to book for weddings, events, and more. But what many people don’t know is its complex history.

In 1902, Alexander Cassatt, seventh president of the Pennsylvania Railroad and brother of the Impressionist painter Mary Cassatt, bought the estate for his daughter as a wedding present. It was a heavily wooded piece of property in Greenspring Valley, just north of downtown Baltimore, MD, containing 45 acres of the present estate. Sadly, Cassatt died in 1906 before the house was completed.

The estate changed hands a few times and became the home of Benjamin H. Brewster and his family, who lived there for 30 years. After Brewster died, his wife Elizabeth sold it to Hugo Hoffman. Hoffman stayed at the estate for eight years and sold it to the Koinonia Foundation.

The Koinonia Foundation was created by a group of 12 visionary Christians who wanted to spread Christianity around the world. The Koinonia Founda- tion recruited students and taught them how to grow food and literacy skills. They taught them languages and differences in religion politics and culture to prepare them to go abroad as missionaries, and acted basically as the predecessor of Peace Corps, although the Koinonia Foundation was based in Christianity.

Over time, the Foundation turned to a more general spiritual focus—meditations, yoga, gardening, art dance, and philosophy, and psychology.

Gradually, they used up their funds and faced bankruptcy, forcing them to sell the property at an auction. That is when Dr. Ronald and Anne Pomykala bought that estate in 1985. Anne attended the auction even though she wasn’t intending to buy a house that day, but she placed a bid and won.

Anne Pomykala is an enthusiastic gardener who has a love for the outdoors. This mother of six children, with 14 grandchildren, now runs the estate. She spends her time at the Gramercy Mansion hosting events for all to share the beautiful venue.

“I am a gardener at heart,” she said. “I was born in the Riverdale area of Prince George’s County, MD, and moved to Bethesda, MD, when I got married,”

She has traveled around the world to gain gardening inspiration for the estate. She has a group of gardening friends and belongs to a horticultural society that sponsors trips to European gardens; she plans to go to Morocco in April.

“There are different layouts that other countries use,” said Anne.

The estate is on a steep hillside, so the garden is terraced and the levels are supported with oak logs from trees cut down on the property.

The property is filled with color, including ‘Profusion’ Zinnias, Hellebores, red Salvias, and more.

Anne said her favorite flower is the annual begonia. “It blooms in the darkest, shadiest places.’’

The Gramercy hosts five to six weddings a week and clients love the setting. “Even bed-and-breakfast clients love to come out here to sit and read,” said Anne.

The pathways are lined with azaleas and rhododendrons, as well as lots of annuals and perennials.

There are several garden rooms on the estate. Anne has spent endless years perfecting the gardens to what they are today.

Her Japanese garden was created after a trip to Japan and has a water feature at its center. At the moment, it is netted to keep out birds that want to eat the fishes.

Birds are not the only problem the garden faces. Deer are also a menace and they make their way to the garden and eat the plants. This is a common problem for many gardeners in the area.

“We have a separate edible garden for our bed-and-breakfast and we grow tomatoes, squash, and eggplants,” said Pomykala. “An employee left the gate open once and the deer got in and ate the tomatoes!” o

Christine Folivi is a senior at the University of Maryland College Park. This fall, she is an intern at Washington Gardener.

How to Visit

The Gramercy Mansion is at 1400 Greenspring Valley Road, Stevenson, MD.

Wine Suppers and Garden Tours are offered at Gramercy Mansion.

Find out about future events at https://www.gramercymansion.com/.

For bed-and-breakfast reservations or questions, call 410-486-2405.