Curry Oxford House
Project Description
This once stately home, built in the early 1920’s, is located half a block east of St. James Episcopal Church in Baltimore’s Lafayette Square neighborhood. After being neglected and vacant for many years, the St. James Development Corporation purchased the house in January of 2000 as part of their neighborhood revitalization plan. Shortly thereafter EHC was retained to oversee the renovation of the property. EHC secured the architect, contractor and the financing to bring the building back into useful life.
The building is run as an Oxford House and provides permanent housing for six single men in recovery from alcohol and drug dependency. The Oxford House offers a unique recovery house model because it is a democratically self-run recovery home. The three main principles of the Oxford House are: (1) the house must be democratically self-run; (2) the house membership is responsible for all household expenses; and (3) the house must immediately expel any member who uses alcohol or drugs.
Funds generated by the residents of the house have allowed St. James
Development Corporation pursue additional community development projects in Lafayette Square.
Owner
St. James Development Corporation
Architect
RM Sovich Architecture
Contractor
Shackelton Enterprises
Funding Sources
Maryland Affordable Housing Trust, Maryland Housing Rehabilitation Program, The Abell Foundation, The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation