Somerset, Bowie: Where Belair Began
Levitt opened Belair in 1960 with eight furnished model houses on Sussex Lane in Somerset. Today Somerset posts the highest median of the Belair sections, and the widest spread between updated and dated homes.
Belair at Bowie started on Sussex Lane in Somerset. In 1960 Levitt and Sons finished eight display houses there, lined up on the south side of the street facing a grassed park in full view of Annapolis Road (MD 450), and that sales and exhibit center is where the first buyers walked through.
Today Somerset closed 11 sales at a $536,000 median in Bright MLS data, April to September 2026, the highest median of any Belair section. It also took a median 31 days to sell, which tells you condition varies a lot from house to house.
Where is Somerset?
Somerset is one of the five original Levitt sections that the Historic American Buildings Survey places between Route 50 on the south, MD 197 (Collington Road) on the west, Annapolis Road on the north and Crain Highway on the east. Its streets start with S: Stonehaven, Sussex, Salem and Swirl Lanes are all Somerset addresses documented in the HABS survey.
Somerset is inside the City of Bowie, in Council District 2, alongside Somerset Park, Kenilworth, Tulip Grove, Buckingham and Foxhill.
Which Levitt models are in Somerset?
Because it was first, Somerset holds some of the best documented Levitt houses in the country. HABS recorded several here, built in 1960 and 1961:
| HABS house | Model | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 12405 Sussex Lane | Rancher (later called the Buckingham) | One of the eight 1960 display houses; L-shaped plan, three bedrooms in one wing, central air |
| 12420 Stonehaven Lane | Cape Cod | Four bedrooms, a full bath on each floor |
| 12500 Swirl Lane | Four bedroom Colonial (the Gladstone) | Corner lot, exterior nearly unchanged since 1960 to 1961 |
| 12413 Salem Lane | Country Clubber | 2,170 square feet, four bedrooms; the largest model that went into production |
One detail only Somerset and Buckingham have: a modern facade version of the Country Clubber, offered only in those two sections from 1960 to 1962. Levitt dropped the Country Clubber from Belair by 1965. Original Levitt lots generally measured about 8,400 square feet; check the SDAT record for the exact lot.
Water, taxes and HOA
Somerset is on City of Bowie water and sewer, named in the City's service area list. Fiscal 2026 rates were $7.11 per thousand gallons for water and $10.20 for sewer. There is no mandatory HOA in the original Levitt sections.
As a City neighborhood you get twice weekly trash pickup, City leaf collection and Bowie Police, and you pay the City property tax, which rises from $0.40 to $0.58 per $100 for fiscal 2027. Tell your lender to escrow at the new rate. See Bowie property taxes explained.
Pools, parks and errands
The private Belair Bath and Tennis Club, at Belair Drive and Tulip Grove Drive, was Levitt's first swim club, opened for the 1962 season (301-262-5522). Belair Mansion, at 12207 Tulip Grove Drive, is a free City museum on weekends, and Foxhill Park on Collington Road adds courts and fields. Annapolis Road, in view of the original Sussex Lane model row, carries most daily shopping.
More options: Bowie parks and recreation and where Bowie eats and shops.
Which schools serve this section?
Prince George's County Public Schools assigns every address by boundary, not by section name, and boundaries were redrawn in the county's recent boundary initiative. Enter the exact street address in the PGCPS School Finder and save a dated screenshot before you rely on it. If the tool cannot find the address, Pupil Accounting takes questions at school.boundaries@pgcps.org or 301-952-6300.
To compare schools, read each school's page on the Maryland School Report Card site from the Maryland State Department of Education, which publishes the star rating, assessment results, attendance and other measures by year. Our Bowie schools guide explains how to read it.
Before you buy a Somerset house
These are 1960 to 1964 houses. Expect the lead paint disclosure, and focus inspection on plumbing, the electrical panel, slab moisture, windows and the permit history of additions. Inside the City, a fence over 4 feet or a shed of 150 square feet or more needs a City permit as well as the county's. Our Bowie home buying guide walks through the steps.
Ready to look at Somerset?
See the wider Belair overview, browse current listings, or get a home value estimate priced against S street sales. Call or text Bruno at (240) 418-3809, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.
Sources: Historic American Buildings Survey, Belair at Bowie (HABS MD-1253), HABS MD-1269, 12405 Sussex Lane, HABS MD-1255, 12420 Stonehaven Lane, HABS MD-1260, 12500 Swirl Lane, HABS MD-1270, 12413 Salem Lane, HABS MD-1265, Belair Bath and Tennis Club, City of Bowie New Residents (water service areas), City of Bowie neighborhoods by council district, City of Bowie water and sewer rates, SDAT 2026 to 2027 tax rates, PGCPS School Finder, Bright MLS data, April to September 2026.
Questions about this part of Bowie?
Call or text Bruno at (240) 418-3809, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.