500 Orange St., Georgetown

Step through the garden gate and the rest of the world goes quiet. This English brick cottage in Georgetown's Willowbank neighborhood feels like a storybook. Brick paths wander through secret garden rooms under the live oaks, past a vine-covered pergola and hidden corners made for morning coffee and evening conversation. Inside, the warmth is immediate. Two beams cut from real ship hulls carry the house, and stained glass glows in the old openings where the ship's conduit once ran. A fireplace anchors the dining room, a clawfoot tub waits in the bath, and the screened porch looks straight into the gardens. Everything is on one level. Out back, a carriage-house-style apartment with its own entry welcomes guests, a studio or a quiet place to work. A cottage like this rarely comes along. Come feel it for yourself.