Oak Lea is a private home of 19th-century origin in the Layhill community of

Montgomery County, Maryland Montgomery County is the most populous county in the state of Maryland. As of the 2020 census, the county's population was 1,062,061, increasing by 9.3% from 2010. The county seat and largest municipality is Rockville, although the census-design ...

, described as "the gracious culmination of architectural and building efforts dating back well over a hundred years." The house is composed of three adjoined blocks built at different times: *The north block is a one-and-one-half

story Story or stories may refer to: Common uses * Story, a narrative (an account of imaginary or real people and events) ** Short story, a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting * Story (American English), or storey (British ...

clapboard Clapboard (), also called bevel siding, lap siding, and weatherboard, with regional variation in the definition of these terms, is wooden siding of a building in the form of horizontal boards, often overlapping. ''Clapboard'' in modern Americ ...

log Log most often refers to: * Trunk (botany), the stem and main wooden axis of a tree, called logs when cut ** Logging, cutting down trees for logs ** Firewood, logs used for fuel ** Lumber or timber, converted from wood logs * Logarithm, in mathe ...

structure, which appears to be the oldest part of the house. It has a three-bay

façade A façade () (also written facade) is generally the front part or exterior of a building. It is a Loanword, loan word from the French language, French (), which means 'frontage' or 'face'. In architecture, the façade of a building is often t ...

, obscured by an enclosed

lean-to A lean-to is a type of simple structure originally added to an existing building with the rafters "leaning" against another wall. Free-standing lean-to structures are generally used as shelters. One traditional type of lean-to is known by its Finn ...

porch A porch (from Old French ''porche'', from Latin ''porticus'' "colonnade", from ''porta'' "passage") is a room or gallery located in front of an entrance of a building. A porch is placed in front of the facade of a building it commands, and form ...

, with three-over-six double-hung sash windows and a boxed cornice. A

chimney A chimney is an architectural ventilation structure made of masonry, clay or metal that isolates hot toxic exhaust gases or smoke produced by a boiler, stove, furnace, incinerator, or fireplace from human living areas. Chimneys are typic ...

at the south end of the block was enclosed by construction of the central block. *The central block is two

stories Story or stories may refer to: Common uses * Story, a narrative (an account of imaginary or real people and events) ** Short story, a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting * Story (American English), or storey (British ...

, with a three-bay

, and six-over-six double-hung sash windows. *The south block, also of two

, has a five-

bay A bay is a recessed, coastal body of water that directly connects to a larger main body of water, such as an ocean, a lake, or another bay. A large bay is usually called a Gulf (geography), gulf, sea, sound (geography), sound, or bight (geogra ...

galleried porch, with the fifth bay enclosed as the main doorway, contiguous with the galleried porch, and a two-story

of modern construction at its south end. A

smokehouse A smokehouse (North American) or smokery (British) is a building where meat or fish is cured with smoke Smoke is a suspension of airborne particulates and gases emitted when a material undergoes combustion or pyrolysis, together with t ...

and a

frame A frame is often a structural system that supports other components of a physical construction and/or steel frame that limits the construction's extent. Frame and FRAME may also refer to: Physical objects In building construction *Framing (con ...

bank-barn with a stone

foundation Foundation may refer to: * Foundation (nonprofit), a type of charitable organization ** Foundation (United States law), a type of charitable organization in the U.S. ** Private foundation, a charitable organization that, while serving a good cause ...

were originally located to the west of the house, dating from the property's original

agricultural Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating Plant, plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of Sedentism, sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of Domestication, domesticated species created food ...

use. Additions of three

rooms were the only major changes made in the structure until the house was

renovated Renovation (also called remodeling) is the process of improving broken, damaged, or outdated structures. Renovations are typically done on either commercial or residential buildings. Additionally, renovation can refer to making something new, ...

in 1940. In 1945, the farm's 20th century outbuildings and its

pasture Pasture (from the Latin ''pastus'', past participle of ''pascere'', "to feed") is land used for grazing. Pasture lands in the narrow sense are enclosed tracts of farmland, grazed by domesticated livestock, such as horses, cattle, sheep, or swine ...

land were developed as a

country club A country club is a privately owned club, often with a membership quota and admittance by invitation or sponsorship, that generally offers both a variety of recreational sports and facilities for dining and entertaining. Typical athletic offer ...

and

golf course A golf course is the grounds on which the sport of golf is played. It consists of a series of holes, each consisting of a tee box, a fairway, the rough and other hazards, and a green with a cylindrical hole in the ground, known as a "cup". Th ...

, Argyle Country Club, the

barn A barn is an agricultural building usually on farms and used for various purposes. In North America, a barn refers to structures that house livestock, including cattle and horses, as well as equipment and fodder, and often grain.Allen G. ...

becoming the club house with the

hayloft A hayloft is a space above a barn, stable or cow-shed, traditionally used for storage of hay or other fodder for the animals below. Haylofts were used mainly before the widespread use of very large hay bales, which allow simpler handling of bulk ...

repurposed for

locker rooms A changing-room, locker-room, (usually in a sports, theater, or staff context) or changeroom (regional use) is a room or area designated for changing one's clothes. Changing-rooms are provided in a semi-public situation to enable people to ch ...

, the milking shed as office space, and the

stanchion A stanchion () is a sturdy upright fixture that provides support for some other object. It can be a permanent fixture. Types In architecture stanchions are the upright iron bars in windows that pass through the eyes of the saddle bars or horizo ...

area as the main lounge.Argyle Country Club: ''Our Story'', https://www.argylecc.net/story, last accessed 3 Mar 2019. In 1985, the remainder of the Oak Lea property was developed as Argyle Village, a 90 home subdivision adjacent to Argyle Country Club, with Oak Lea as the centerpiece.Argyle Village Homeowners Association: ''Welcome to Our Community'', http://www.argylevillagehoa.com/argylevillagehoa/page.html, last accessed 3 Mar 2019. In the early mid-20th century, Oak Lea was the home of noted Maryland

golf Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a course in as few strokes as possible. Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standardized playing area, and coping wi ...

Roland MacKenzie Roland MacKenzie (1907-1988) was an American amateur golfer whose career included three selections to Walker Cup teams and five times qualifying for the U.S. Amateur, earning him a reputation as one of America's finest golfers. Life and career Bo ...

.John W. Stewart: "All who knew Roland MacKenzie will recall him fondly" in ''The Baltimore Sun'' (Baltimore, Maryland), issue of Sunday, November 27, 1988, p. 22B, https://www.newspapers.com/image/378253793/?terms=Roland%2BMackenzie, last accessed 3 Mar 2019. Oak Lea was nominated for the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 1974.

External links

Maryland Historical Trust photo of Oak Lea, April 22, 1974, viewed from the north-northeast looking south-southwest (folio 9).

References

{{reflist, 30em Houses in Montgomery County, Maryland Buildings and structures in Montgomery County, Maryland Buildings and structures in Silver Spring, Maryland