Fallre 09 21 2016

Page 1

2016

Inventory remains low with some hope for improvement in fall market By MARK LIEBERMAN Current Staff Writer

D

.C.’s inventory remains tight as summer ends — though according to area Realtors, the cooler months promise a modest uptick in transactions even as home prices and demand from buyers continue to rise. The District saw 761 new listings last month, a marginal 1.7

percent increase over August 2015, according to the Local Market Insight report released last week by RealEstate Business Intelligence. The number of active listings in the city decreased slightly year-over-year, from 1,197 in 2015 to 1,128 last month. It’s a dramatic drop, however, compared to August 2011, when 2,055 listings were active. Meanwhile, the average number

of days on the market saw a small year-over-year increase, from 33 days to 38; five years ago, the average duration was nearly double that. Realtors say the current market’s vital signs should remain fairly consistent as the year wears on. “For sellers, quite often, there’s the expectation that the market really takes off after Labor Day. It doesn’t, because the

buyers are sort of feeling their way through a new season,” said Fred Kendrick of TTR Sotheby’s International Realty. “It takes awhile.” Meanwhile, home prices in the District are continuing their steady climb. The median sold price last month was up a little more than 10 percent, from $520,000 in 2015 to $575,250 in 2016. Both of those numbers represent a substantial increase from

Tranquil Kalorama set to hone presidential pedigree

INSIDE Hidden gem in Woodley offers myriad amenities

By MARK LIEBERMAN

— Page RE3

Current Staff Writer

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ext January, Sheridan-Kalorama will welcome a new neighbor with the highest possible public profile. Numerous media outlets reported earlier that this year that President Barack Obama and his family are planning to stay in D.C. and move to the neighborhood while his younger daughter Sasha finishes out high school at Sidwell Friends. The house at 2446 Belmont Road NW that the family will rent looks appealing from the outside, and a quick scan of interior photos suggests even grander things beyond the front door: spacious rooms, lavish furnishings, nine beds, fiveand-a-half baths. The $7 million property assessment reflects the luxuries that await. But observers unfamiliar with Sheridan-Kalorama — sometimes called Kalorama Heights or just Kalorama — would be remiss in thinking that the Obamas’ presence will bring unprecedented prestige to Mark Lieberman/The Current the neighborhood. The small The call-box painting depicts community, nestled between past presidential residents. Connecticut and Massachusetts avenues NW just north of Dupont Circle, boasts a storied tradition of notable residents — and even a presidential pedigree. The neighborhood was first identified as a historic district in 1964, with formal designation in 1989 for an area with about 610 contributing buildings constructed from 1890 to 1945. A recent walking tour revealed just a fraction of Kalorama’s history, and

five years ago, when the median sold price was just below $400,000. The average sold price rose slightly more substantially than the median price this year, from $625,826 to $696,722. With such figures, “we expect it to be a very strong fall market, meaning a seller’s market,” said Joseph Himali, an associate broker with TTR Sotheby’s International Realty. “Inventory is See Market/Page RE12

Spring Valley development sparks concerns about large building’s compatibility

— Page RE4

Mayor brings new attention to Shepherd Park area

Brian Kapur/The Current

Woodrow Wilson lived at 2340 S St. NW until his death in 1924. It is now a museum dedicated to the former president.

residents say they’re not surprised in the slightest the Obamas would be drawn to their little enclave. The name Kalorama comes from a Greek word meaning “beautiful view,” and indeed, the walking tour took place on a radiant if humid Saturday morning, with the neighborhood’s refined tranquility on full display. The occasional car or pedestrian did little to disrupt an overriding sense of peace. The tour itself, led by Washington Walks founder Carolyn Crouch, showcased both architectural diversity and a unified sense of political import. It didn’t take long for houses once occupied by notable figures to pop up. Franklin Delano Roosevelt spent his tenure as assistant secretary of the Navy living at 2131 R St. NW, more than a decade before he took the nation’s highest office. Now the ambassador of Mali calls the 12-bedroom dwelling home. The neighborhood’s roster of notable dignitaries is intimidating. Herbert Hoover spent time at 2300 S St. NW while he was serving as secretary of commerce for Warren Harding, who had lived there a few blocks away while he was a senator representing Ohio in the late 1910s; William Howard Taft lived in what is now the Syrian See Kalorama/Page RE9

— Page RE6

A careful renovation of a decrepit 16th Street Heights home enters the market

— Page RE8

Auction hosts vestiges of Kennedys in Georgetown

— Page RE13

Fall’s varied event lineup includes history lessons, Design House, house tours

— Page RE15 – RE17

RE2 Wednesday,september 21, 2016

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17 RE 3

The Current â– Fall Real Estate Guide 2016

Wednesday, September 21, 2016

RE3

A hidden gem in Woodley offers sparkling features

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here are gems that sparkle and those that draw you in with a more subtle glow. The property at 2735 Cathedral Ave. NW does a little bit of both. Constructed by Zuckerman Builders in 2005, the home has a quietly elegant brick façade open-

ON THE MARKET SUSAN BODIKER

ing up to a jewel-box of an interior set off by high ceilings, custom moldings and millwork, hardwood floors, oversized windows, and dramatic but inviting spaces for living, entertaining, working or just dreaming. This 7,440-square-foot multilevel home with six bedrooms, seven full and three half-baths, a roof garden, a rear patio and a two-car garage is on the market for $3.9 million. Once you enter, the grand entry foyer on the main level leads to a spacious living room that’s linked to a formal dining room by a twosided gas fireplace with stone mantle/ surround and raised hearth. Next to the dining area is an open cook’s kitchen featuring Wood Mode cabinetry with undermount lighting; granite counters and island; a deep stainless sink with disposal; and extensive counter and storage space. Professional

chef-grade stainless appliances include a Thermador selfcleaning convection wall oven, six-burner gas range and selfcleaning oven; Broan hood vent; side-byside Sub-Zero refrigerator with icemaker; and Miele dishwasher. Adjoining the breakfast area is a bright family room with a coffered ceiling and gas fireplace with stone surround flanked by floor-to-ceiling, custom-built bookcases and cabinetry. An entire wall of windows includes an entrance onto a private rear patio and garden. Also on this level is a powder room and walk-in hall closet. Take the stairs (or elevator, which provides access to all five floors) to the second level to find three large bedrooms, each with huge walk-in and linen closets and white ensuite bathrooms with marble countertops and floors and porcelain sinks. Off the hallway is a full laundry room with GE Profile top-load washer and dryer, utility sink and walk-in storage closet, plus a second large storage closet and full bath. The third floor is a masterpiece of a master suite (or two

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This contemporary six-bedroom home at 2735 Cathedral Ave. NW in Woodley Park is priced at $3.9 million. suites, if you prefer). The rear bedroom features two walk-in closets, an exercise room (large enough to accommodate a gymsized treadmill), a neutral en-suite bathroom with separate shower, a freestanding Jacuzzi tub, a single porcelain sink with stone counter, a separate water closet and an adjoining dressing room. The front bedroom is a mirror image of the rear but with the added attraction of a private covered balcony and dark wood bathroom cabinetry. The fourth floor is ideal for summertime entertaining. You enter via a skylit hallway that opens onto a rooftop garden with two pergolas; several landscaped planting beds with irrigation, lighting and water; seating areas and a storage shed. Back inside, there’s a powder room and fullservice kitchen with stainless sink and premium GE appliances (five-burner gas range/self-cleaning oven, microwave, dishwasher,

side open fridge with icemaker and top freezer). But wait — there’s more! On the lowest level is a fully finished in-law or au pair suite currently used as an office. You can enter it from the main stairway or elevator or the rear entrance to the house. The family room (now the waiting room) has a gas fireplace with stone surround and neutral stone floor. There is also a large table-space kitchen with maple wood cabinetry, Formica counters and white GE appliances, including a side open refrigerator with top freezer and icemaker, built-in Spacemaker microwave, fourburner gas range/oven and dishwasher. Off the hallway is a white ceramic full bath, powder room, utility room, several closets, and a space that could be a bedroom or playroom. An added bonus

here: None of the existing walls are load-bearing, allowing you the flexibility of reconfiguring the space in the future. Nestled among mature trees on a beautifully landscaped lot, the home is just steps away from the National Zoo and the shops and restaurants of Connecticut Avenue NW. It’s also an easy walk to the Woodley Park Metro station and beyond into SheridanKalorama and Dupont Circle. The semi-detached six-bedroom, seven-bath contemporary home at 2735 Cathedral Ave. NW is listed for $3.9 million with TTR Sotheby’s International Realty. For more information, contact Michael Rankin at 202-271-3344 or michael.rankin@sir.com, or Stephanie Okonek at 301-5808661 or stephanieokonek@ starpower.net.

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18 RE 4

RE4

Wednesday, September 21, 2016

The Current â– Fall Real Estate Guide 2016

‘Lady Bird’ faces continued concerns Big building eyed for quiet corridor By BRADY HOLT Current Staff Writer

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group of neighbors east of the former Spring Valley Superfresh property have already sounded off with their objections to plans for a large mixed-use complex there. But last month, a fresh set of concerns emerged from residents to the west. Neighbors there are taking issue with the project’s architectural compatibility with Massachusetts Avenue’s historically protected shopping district, along with the infusion of greater density into a quiet corner of Washington. For this project, called The Lady Bird, Valor Development is proposing to construct two new buildings on the Superfresh site at 48th and Yuma streets NW with about 200 rental apartments, 30 condo units, a new full-size supermarket and other retail space. The larger of the two buildings would stand up to seven

might be perfectly fine on Wisconsin Avenue. Spring Valley resident Chris Stiles said he moved to the neighborhood from Logan Circle and relishes the relative serenity. “The question is: If this goes up, what’s next? I don’t want this to be Renderings courtesy of Valor Development Logan Circle,â€? he Some Spring Valley residents say the proposal clashes in scale and design with said. “If I were to the historic commercial buildings on Massachusetts Avenue (above). The building blindfold you and put you in the middle of is lower to its rear (left), where it would be across from single-family homes. Yuma, you’d think Lansing said the building’s challenged the idea that the projyou were in Fairfax County. design has evolved based on ect could be a major precedentThat’s something you don’t want community requests to respect setter: There are few large, underto lose.â€? nearby single-family homes. But developed properties in the area, Throughout the District, zoncritics have generally been unimhe said, especially given the hising guidelines generally accompressed. toric preservation restrictions on modate greater development on “The buildings in this whole the Spring Valley Shopping major corridors and allow less area are Colonial Revival,â€? ANC Center. density on adjacent side streets. 3D member Alma Gates said. In He also discussed some eleIn areas where developers haven’t the proposed design, she continments of the project that remain already built to the max, neighued, “I see the Old Executive in flux, including its timing, parkbors are frequently caught offing needs and commercial tenguard by the scale of changes that Office Building, I see the RitzCarlton Hotel — I see a lot of ants. are considered “matter of rightâ€? things, but I don’t see Spring Although Valor hopes for a — an automatic entitlement. In Valley.â€? Zoning Commission hearing in this case, some neighbors dis In an email to The Current late 2016 or early 2017, the projagree with Valor’s interpretation after the meeting, Lansing ect could be on hold for years of zoning code, though Lansing defended the proposal. “We amid negotiations with a stands behind his counsel’s guidCanadian hedge fund that conance that the project is in compli- believe that the project architect, Torti Gallas and Partners has trols a long-term lease for the forance except for the planned done an excellent job of capturing mer grocery store, according to supermarket. elements from the surrounding Lansing. “It’s a simple question of do neighborhood while also layering “They’re paying currently on a folks want a grocery store or in inspiration from Best dark store, and their lease runs not,â€? Lansing said. “Because the Addresses,â€? Lansing wrote. “As until 2024,â€? said Lansing. “I can reality of it is from our position we encourage at all meetings, we also say confidently as ownership that if folks don’t want a grocery that we’re willing to wait them store, the building that’s designed welcome and will continue to consider all feedback on the proj- out.â€? can be built without neighborect.â€? On parking, Lansing said hood input.â€? At the meeting, Lansing also Valor is working with American University, whose former law school building — now used for :KDWÂśV :RUNLQJ 1RZ administrative offices — adjoins the project site. The university has longstanding rights to use more than 200 spaces at the :$6+,1*721 ' & ,ÂśP JRLQJ WR WHOO \RX DERXW Superfresh property, and Lansing KRZ EX\HUV EHDWHQ RXW E\ KLJKHU ELGV RQ WZR RWKHU said that if ongoing negotiations KRXVHV ERXJKW WKH SHUIHFW &OHYHODQG 3DUN KRXVH to buy out those rights aren’t sucZLWKRXW DQ\ FRPSHWLWLRQ cessful, Valor will construct additional underground parking. “We 5($/ (67$7( ,16,'(5 *HW Âľ:KDWÂśV :RUNLQJ 1RZ Âś WZLFH D PRQWK ZULWH WR have the designs ready,â€? he said. 0$5-25,( ',&. 678$57 YLGHR#0DUMRULH'LFN6WXDUW FRP Meanwhile, although the majority of the development par$QG \RXÂśOO OHDUQ DERXW WKH VDYY\ &OHYHODQG 3DUN IRU PDQ\ \HDUV EXW LW ZDV WLPH WR PRYH RQ WKH cel is vacant, the project would VHOOHU ZKR DYRLGHG WKH RYHUZKHOP RI JHWWLQJ KHU WKRXJKW RI DOO VKH ZRXOG KDYH WR GR WR PDNH KHU KRXVH ÂłPDUNHW UHDG\´ VWLOO JRW WRS GROODU KRXVH ÂłPDUNHW UHDG\´ ZDV RYHUZKHOPLQJ displace some businesses. At the Aug. 15 meeting, Lansing said 7R ÂżQG RXW ZKDW KDSSHQG QH[W 7KH EX\HUV KDG MXVW ORVW RXW RQ WZR KRXVHV /LNH PRVW he’s been talking with DeCarlo’s ZDWFK KWWS WLQ\XUO FRP 5(VXFFHVVVWRU\ EX\HUV HQWHULQJ WKLV PDUNHW WKH\ MXVW GLGQÂśW EHOLHYH Restaurant about the possibility KRZ FRPSHWLWLYH LW LV 6R WKHLU ÂżUVW RIIHU QHYHU KDG D 7KLQNLQJ RI VHOOLQJ LQ WKH QH[W of leasing space in the new buildFKDQFH 7KH QH[W WLPH DURXQG WKH\ JRW LQWR WKH JDPH PRQWKV" <RX SUREDEO\ ZLWK D YHU\ VWURQJ RIIHU 8QIRUWXQDWHO\ WKH\ FDPH LQ ing but that Salon Jean Paul had KDYH TXHVWLRQV -XVW YLVLW VHFRQG indicated it would not do so. GFKRPHEORJ FRP TXHVWLRQ Asked for an update last week, , XQGHUVWDQG KRZ IUXVWUDWLQJ WKLV PDUNHW FDQ EH IRU D WR ÂżQG RXW ÂłZKDWÂśV ZRUNLQJ Lansing declined to comment furEX\HU VR ,ÂśYH GHYHORSHG D VWUDWHJ\ WKDW KDV PDGH LW QRZ ´ WR JHW WRS GROODU IDVW ther. Valor is also in talks to purHDVLHU IRU GR]HQV RI EX\HUV WR JHW WKH ULJKW KRPH LQ 0DUMRULH 'LFN 6WXDUW WKLV RWKHUZLVH EUXWDO PDUNHW chase the PNC Bank property at &OHYHODQG 3DUNÂśV 4835 Massachusetts, which would , FDOO LW Âł8QGHU WKH 5DGDU´ UHDO HVWDWH ,W ZRUNV OLNH IDYRULWH DJHQW DXWKRU RI be razed to allow for easier WKLV , OLVWHQ WR ZKDW \RX ZDQW , JR ÂżQG LW , KHOS \RX EHVWVHOOHU Âľ81FRPPRQÂś pedestrian and vehicle access to ZLQ LW ZLWK %ULDQ 7UDF\ the new development. 6R EDFN WR WKH VWRU\ $ERXW WKH VDPH WLPH , JRW D Valor will also return to the FDOO IURP D &OHYHODQG 3DUN KRPHRZQHU ZKR ZDQWHG : & $ 1 0LOOHU 5($/7256 community with a complete trafPH WR KHOS KHU VHOO 6KHÂśG OLYHG KDSSLO\ LQ KHU KRPH $ /RQJ )RVWHU &RPSDQ\ fic study later this fall once traffic counts are completed, Lansing said.

stories tall, though both buildings are only four levels in the sections closest to 48th. At the Aug. 15 meeting of Advisory Neighborhood Commission 3D, Will Lansing of Valor said the firm obtained density rights from the adjacent Spring Valley Shopping Center, which will limit future development there while allowing the Lady Bird project without further zoning approvals. Valor is only seeking special permission for the grocery store, which Lansing previously indicated would likely be a Harris Teeter. Lansing said the project has seen significant community support from residents who are enthusiastic about added activity, beautification of a vacant site and the construction of a new neighborhood supermarket. Members of Advisory Neighborhood Commission 3E (American University Park, Friendship Heights, Tenleytown) have also generally been on board with the plans. But ANC 3D, which includes Foxhall, the Palisades, Spring Valley and Wesley Heights, is generally more wary of development than its neighbor to the east. Attendees at the August meeting contended that because Massachusetts Avenue lacks a Metro station, it’s an inappropriate site for the type of project that

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Wednesday,september 21, 2016 RE5

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20 RE 6

RE6

Wednesday, September 21, 2016

The Current â– Fall Real Estate Guide 2016

Mayor showcases Shepherd Park’s charm By MARK LIEBERMAN Current Staff Writer

A

fter 15 years living in Riggs Park, Mayor Muriel Bowser made a big move at the end of last year. Though a security detail on Orchid Street NW in Colonial Village is a new feature, neighborhood residents say the mayor’s arrival hasn’t made a difference at all. Acqunetta Anderson, a lifelong Ward 4 resident who’s lived in Colonial Village since 1998, represents Bowser’s block as an advisory neighborhood commissioner for the area. She puts it bluntly: Residents hardly even know the mayor resides there. “There hasn’t been any impact to neighbors,� Anderson told The Current. “It’s as quiet as it was.�

Business as usual is an appealing status for Colonial Village, which lies just west of 16th Street and east of Rock Creek Park in Upper Northwest. Numerous residents there and in the adjoining Shepherd Park community told The Current they value the neighborhood’s peaceful atmosphere and suburban feel. The mayor’s arrival didn’t cause a stir because neighbors feel there wasn’t a need for one. That doesn’t mean residents in these neighborhoods don’t like to have fun, though. Evidence of that was on display earlier this summer at the annual Shepherd Park Community Picnic on the grounds of the Lowell School at 1640 Kalmia Road NW. Children of all ages frolicked in the open fields while parents and adults laughed and high-fived over barbecue fare at the July 31

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event. Several D.C. Council members attended, including Ward 4’s Brandon Todd. And during the latter half, Bowser herself appeared, in good spirits despite sweltering conditions. Jasmine Riley, president of Shepherd Elementary’s PTA, summarized the gathering: “Good food, good people — meaning good times.� It wasn’t always this inclusive and genial in Shepherd Park. Back in the early 1900s, the neighborhood started out with an almost exclusively Protestant population, due to covenants that banned Jews and AfricanAmericans from living there. When those restrictions were lifted in the years following World War II, the neighborhood saw an influx of both groups. Shepherd Park’s current demographics skew heavily toward African-Americans — roughly 70 percent as of the 2010 census — but the neighborhood prides itself on inclusion. The citizens association’s unofficial nickname for the neighborhood is “A Garden of Diversity.� Colonial Village represents a small portion of Shepherd Park, comprising fewer than 100 of the broader neighborhood’s 1,500plus homes. A 1994 Washington Post profile characterized the area as an outgrowth of the nature nearby. “What is the difference between Colonial Village and Rock Creek Park?� the reporter wrote. “There are houses in Colonial Village.� The average price of a home in Colonial Village at that time was $408,000, according to the Post. That number has shot up significantly in recent years — for instance, Bowser purchased her home for $832,000, and its 2017 value is up to $855,110, according to public records.

Brian Kapur/The Current

The mayor lives on Orchid Street in Colonial Village, part of the broader Shepherd Park neighborhood known for community spirit. Three of the 23 homes sold in the neighborhood since Jan. 1 of this year went for more than $1 million, and nearly all of the remaining sales were between $700,000 and $900,000. Of the 54 homes sold in Shepherd Park since Jan. 1, one sold above $1 million, and most of the rest sold between $500,000 and $800,000. Residents interviewed at the summer picnic frequently cited the family-friendly vibe and aesthetic appeal of the neighborhood’s homes. Paula Sanderlin Dorosti, who’s lived in the area for 26 years, said she had her eye on Shepherd Park for much of the time that she and her husband spent living closer to downtown. “I call it the ‘Suburb in the City’ because of the flowers and trees,� she said. The area’s serenity marks a contrast to the hustle and bustle at the city’s center, where Mayor Bowser spends much of her time. The atmosphere can be attributed in part to the relative lack of development in Upper Northwest. Anderson points out that residents can easily travel to Silver Spring and Chevy Chase, or use the Metrobuses on 16th Street, to reach amenities.

But two long-gestating projects promise to shake up dynamics in coming years. The Georgia Eastern development on the Maryland border will bring a Harris Teeter supermarket and 199 apartments to 7828 Georgia Ave. NW. Farther south, a massive mixed-use complex with residences, public parks, another grocery store and other retail options is planned for the former site of the Walter Reed Army Medical Center at 6900 Georgia. Neither of those developments touches Shepherd Park and Colonial Village directly. But Riley said the development at Walter Reed helped convince her to buy her current house. And neighborhood leaders have said that the new complex will help close an amenities gap. In the meantime, Shepherd Park and Colonial Village will likely continue to offer a tightknit community vibe. The association keeps busy all year with other popular events like a garden tour, yard sale, potluck dinner and Halloween parade. “People who move into Colonial Village expect a familyoriented, historical neighborhood,� said Anderson. “We like to keep it really beautiful.�

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Fabulously renovated 1906 Farm House on Half an Acre. 5 BR, 4.5 baths, 2 car garage and full art studio. Gated community. Walk to metro, shops and dining.

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Wednesday,september 21, 2016 RE7

the Current

KALORAMA, DC $6,250,000 This elegant residence with approximately 8,000 sq. ft., 14ft ceiling, 3 fireplaces, 8 bedrooms, 4 baths and three half baths once housed the art collection of Joseph Hirshhorn. Notable features include a large living room, spacious library and dining room with the original fireplace mantels fabricated in 1924. The large scale offers the new owners a great home for family or diplomatic use. STAN KELLY +1 202 997 1872

BERKLEY, DC $5,300,000 Built in 2016 and boasting over 7,000 square feet, this residence is inspired by traditional Tuscan Architecture. The cementitious stucco, brick veneer, Cedar lumber, travertine pavers, and the clay tile roofs are examples of the authentic Tuscan materials. An L-shape plan and siting on the lot maximizes privacy, while creating a bright and open view of Glover-Archbold Park. MICHAEL RANKIN +1 202 271 3344

MICHAEL RANKIN +1 202 271 3344

GEORGETOWN $2,195,000 Located in the heart of Georgetown’s East Village, this semidetached Victorian features a modern, spacious open main floor plan, high ceilings, oak and pine floors, and a wall of windows opening to a private landscaped garden. The house features 3 fireplaces with 4 bedrooms, and 3 full bathrooms on the upper 2 levels. Washington Monument views from upper level rear terrace. Finished lower level includes a family room/ den and a bedroom with half bath.

U ST CORRIDOR, DC $1,395,000

BETHESDA, MD $1,380,000

FOREST HILLS, DC $2,600,000

Walking distance to restaurants, shops, and the metro, this residence features a stunning contemporary interior while maintaining a traditional facade. The house features large rooms, high ceilings, walls of windows, and custom millwork. The spacious master suite includes a sitting room and a private balcony with views of the serene garden, which includes a large terrace for outdoor dining.

The historical facade of this 1895 town house belies a gorgeous, modern interior. Totally rebuilt in 2007, this spectacular home features 2,600 sq ft, 3 BR, 3.5 BA, 4 finished levels, top of the line finishes, a roof deck and rear patio, and 2 car garage parking. All of this in one of DC’s most convenient and dynamic neighborhoods.

FRANK SNODGRASS +1 202 257 0978 KIRSTEN WILLIAMS +1 202 657 2022

JONATHAN TAYLOR +1 202 276 3344 MAXWELL RABIN +1 202 669 7406

Spacious stone house (4,248 SF) on one of largest and prettiest Sumner lots (.38 acres). 5BR, 5BA custom home designed for elegant entertaining and utmost comfort. Master suite on main level. Stunning and large private back garden. 2-car garage. Extra driveway. Trifecta of top schools.

GRACE YANG +1 240 205 5671

WESLET HEIGHTS, DC $3,395,000 Stunning residence on large private 1/2 acre lot, offers enormous living room and elegant entertaining spaces, gourmet eat-in kitchen with separate formal dining room. Heated driveway, 2-car garage, and pool. Spacious 2nd floor master suite with fireplace, projection TV, private office, and guest bedroom. Opportunity for 1st floor bedroom. 3rd floor has 3 additional bedrooms. JIM BELL +1 202 607 4000

SPRING VALLEY, DC $1,999,999 Fall in love with this immaculately renovated and expanded 5 bedroom home where interiors offer seamless flow to the award-winning professionally landscaped gardens. From the white picket fence gracing the front yard to a fragrant rose bower embracing the entry, this property welcomes you home and sets the tone for the gracious lifestyle within. CHRISTIE-ANNE WEISS +1 202 256 0105 CHRISTOPHER RITZERT +1 202 256 9241

SILVER SPRING, MD $385,000 Charming 3 BR, 1.5 BA rambler on pretty corner lot. Two picture windows bring light and views into open space living/dining room with beamed ceilings, hardwood floors throughout, and updated kitchen and baths. Large basement and garage. GRACE YANG +1 240 205 5671

GEORGETOWN, DC BROKERAGE | +1 202 333 1212 DOWNTOWN, DC BROKERAGE | +1 202 234 3344 MARYLAND BROKERAGE | +1 301 967 3344 McLEAN, VIRGINIA BROKERAGE | +1 703 319 3344 ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA BROKERAGE | +1 703 310 6800

ttrsir.com

©MMXVI TTR Sotheby’s International Realty, licensed real estate broker. Sotheby’s International Realty and the Sotheby’s International Realty logo are registered service marks used with permission. Each Office Is Independently Owned And Operated. Equal housing opportunity. All information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Price and availability subject to change.

22 RE 8

RE8

Wednesday, September 21, 2016

The Current â– Fall Real Estate Guide 2016

Decrepit home blossoms after careful restoration

T

hose who regularly travel the 14th Street corridor are likely familiar with the three-story foursquare home at 4820 Iowa Ave. NW. Sitting on a large lot at the corner of Iowa Avenue and Emerson Street, the

ON THE MARKET BRIDEY HEING

prominent property was — until recently — in a state of extreme neglect. Built in 1908, the house was owned for years by a contractor who, despite working on homes professionally, let the house slip into a sad state. Not only was the expansive front porch held up by two-by-fours, but water damage had caused the house to sag in on itself. It was being supported by little more than posts balanced on a few bricks. “Not everyone saw our vision,� said Patrice JenningsDixon, who bought the house in late 2015 with her husband,

Anthony Dixon, and began renovating it soon after. The couple’s long-term contractors had their doubts, thinking the house would be better served by gutting than by working with what was there. But the Dixons saw the potential beneath the grit, and their hands-on approach to renovation helped bring that vision to life. Their focus was making sure that the house has everything a family could need, including Nest thermostats and USB ports in outlets, as well as essentials like storm windows and secure locks, and that the character of the house shines. The result is a functionally new home with all the personality and warmth of age.

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Located at Iowa Avenue and Emerson Street NW, this formerly run-down house has been extensively renovated and is now on the market for $1.295 million. With six bedrooms and four-anda-half bathrooms, including in the finished basement and attic, this 16th Street Heights property is now on the market for $1.295 million. The Dixons started renovating homes in 2014, and in that time, they have worked on six D.C. properties including this one. Most sold within days, but they say they don’t consider their role finished when the house sells: They value having an open relationship with buyers and are happy to field questions about the homes they worked on, or might even stop in to see how owners make the homes their own. From the moment you walk through the front entry of 4820 Iowa — a heavy-duty original door that has been outfitted with new locks and a video alarm system — the Dixons’ careful eye for detail and appreciation for the house’s 100-year history is immediately apparent. Hearing them talk about the state of the house when they purchased it in December 2015, you can more fully appreciate the transformation it has gone through over the last nine months. The front door opens into one of two living rooms, which features a functional copper gas fireplace and stairway to the upper two floors. The first floor is open

and airy, with a second living room to the left with pocket doors on two walls. Along the back of the house is a dining room and kitchen, both with access to the deck and a landscaped backyard. The open-plan kitchen, which is separated from the dining room by a waistheight counter extension, includes all new appliances, marble countertops and dark brown cabinetry. Open wood shelves add extra storage space over the deep farmhouse-style sink, and a pot-filler has been added over the stove. As with the rest of the house, light neutral colors and darker hues create a cozy, classic impression. A half-bath and stairway to the basement are also on the first floor. The finished basement — which the Dixons see as a possible au-pair or in-law suite, or an English basement apartment — includes a large bedroom with natural light, a living area, a full kitchen, a laundry room and a full bathroom. It also has backyard access and carpeting. On the first upper level, four bedrooms and two full baths sit in a square. Each bedroom has a sizable closet, and the hallway has a

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linen closet. The finished attic features a master suite with a bathroom, a bedroom with a sliding door, two closets, and a small sitting area overlooking the backyard. Laundry facilities are also found on the top floor. The Dixons were careful to ensure the house’s vintage character wasn’t lost in renovation. They studied the unifying elements of nearby houses, which were built by the same developer near the turn of the century. Rather than gut the house and start over, they sought ways to highlight or complement the house’s unique features, like the thin-strip heart pine floors or the original windows that still function. “This house has so much character, we would actually move into this house ourselves,� Anthony Dixon said. “When you walk into a house, the house tells you what it wants to do.� Along with the necessary functional updates, including allnew plumbing and electric, Patrice Jennings-Dixon paid extra attention to finding the perfect accents, like the industrial fixtures and the striking stainedglass door on the upper level. The door and other features were actually pieces they had on hand when they bought the house, but they were looking for the perfect home for the eclectic items. “We truly love this house and this project,� Jennings-Dixon said. And they aren’t the only ones; both of them have been approached by many people in the neighborhood who tell them how much they love what they have done and voice appreciation for their having brought the old house back to life. “A bus driver on one of the Metrobuses pulled right into the middle of the street to say, ‘I love this house,’� she said. The six-bedroom, four-and-ahalf-bathroom home at 4820 Iowa Ave. NW is listed for $1.295 million with Compass Real Estate. For more information, contact Jennifer Smira at 202-545-6900 or jsmira@compass.com.

23 RE 9

The Current â– Fall Real Estate Guide 2016

Wednesday, September 21, 2016

RE9

KALORAMA: Tranquil neighborhood set to welcome the Obamas

From Page RE1

Crouch didn’t know. But in an interview with The Current, Waddell sounded ecstatic about the possibility. Embassy at 2215 Wyoming Ave. NW until “I hadn’t thought of that; that’s very he died in 1930. Perhaps most significantly, Woodrow Wilson moved to 2340 S St. NW clever,� Waddell said when presented with the idea. “I’d be quite happy to.� in 1921 after his two terms as president, The job could require a complete redo living there until his death in 1924. His of the existing painting. “I’d do it the first wife Edith continued living in what is now day he arrives, but I might start from known as the President Woodrow Wilson scratch,� Waddell said. House until she died in 1961, when she From Waddell’s perspective, the variety bequeathed the home and its furnishings to of architecture and the overall atmosphere the National Trust for Historic Preservation in Kalorama can’t be beat, for use as a presidential even by a neighborhood museum. like Georgetown. “There’s Anyone walking just some terrific, terrific Kalorama’s streets who houses,� Waddell said. “If I needs a reminder of the five won the lotto, that’s where presidents who lived in the I’d go and live.� neighborhood need only The presidential tradilook at a painted call box at tion will continue come the intersection of 23rd Mark Lieberman/The Current January when the Obamas Street and Wyoming arrive. The stretch of Avenue NW. The call box President Obama’s new is one of several in the home on Belmont Road NW Belmont Road NW that includes their new home, neighborhood that were converted from their original use — mech- and the entire neighborhood in general, will naturally be subject to higher security anisms for police officers to report back to than it ever has before. David Bender, their superiors from the location of their chair of Advisory Neighborhood assigned beat — into art displays in the Commission 2D (Sheridan-Kalorama), told early 2000s. Peter Waddell, a painter who The Current he’s seen numerous agencies lives in nearby Woodley Park, contributed taking a look. six of the converted boxes, including the Onlookers eager to catch a glimpse of one at 23rd and Wyoming, which depicts the president’s new home flocked to the Kalorama’s five presidential residents standing on the stretch of 23rd Street that’s area just after news broke of his decision. Once the family moves in, Bender expects visible from behind the call box. the tangible impact will be minimal. One of the participants in the Kalorama “It’s a good community from the standtour asked Crouch whether Obama would be added to the painting once he moves in. point that their privacy is honored and

accepted,� Bender said. “The bulk of all of the population basically just accepts this is part of who we are.� Bender was initially surprised that the Obamas didn’t choose a neighborhood with more amenities. That said, the proximity to federal agencies, Congress and the White House make Kalorama a “prime location� for a former president, Bender said. Presidents and historic figures aren’t the only points of interest in Kalorama’s past. The neighborhood also boasts the oldest house in the city, at 2401 Kalorama Road NW, which was recently on the market for $12 million. It’s not the oldest unchanged building in D.C. — that honor belongs to the Old Stone House at 3051 M St. NW in Georgetown. But the wooden dwelling was built in 1774 in Danvers, Mass., and later shipped to D.C. in 1937, cementing its place as a hidden figure in the history of the District’s architectural offerings. Nearby at 2145 Decatur St. is the former home of Martha Codman, a wealthy socialite who charmed the city’s upper crust in the mid-19th century. Codman’s cousin Ogden was a prominent architect who built the Decatur Street home. According to Crouch, residents like Codman exemplify the manifestation of the Gilded Age that made Kalorama a popular hub for the prosperous. And the neighborhood has consistently maintained a unified identity even as many of its residents are preoccupied with matters of federal or global importance. The call box restoration program was the most organized effort of its kind in the city, though other restored call boxes are scat-

Brian Kapur/The Current

The Spanish Steps on 22nd Street NW are a popular destination for weddings.

tered across D.C. Two-decade resident Phil Baker led the effort because he felt the “ugly� abandoned call boxes marked an unpleasant contrast to the aesthetically pleasing surroundings, he told The Current. Kalorama also encourages outsiders to take advantage of one of its most significant features: the Spanish Steps, a frequent destination for weddings with approvals provided by ANC 2D. At one time, the entire city north of Florida Avenue — Boundary Street in the 1800s — had a rural, agriculture-based feel that has long since transformed. With the arrival of the first president to remain in D.C. after leaving office in almost a century, it’s easy to imagine Kalorama attracting even more attention in the years to come. The neighbors welcome the ongoing evolution, Baker said. “I think everyone is very excited about the prospect of a president living here,� Baker said. “He’s just one of a long line of ex-presidents who chose to come live in Sheridan-Kalorama. I’m certain he’ll be very happy here, too.�

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24 RE 10

RE10

Wednesday, September 21, 2016 The Current ■ Fall Real Estate Guide 2016

Northwest neighborhoods boast varied history By DANIEL BOWES Current Correspondent

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any of us know the various neighborhoods in Northwest as Metro stops, commercial districts — or as home. However, these neighborhoods have rich histories that even longtime residents may overlook. Between presidential estates and foreign developers, these beloved neighborhoods have been growing and changing the makeup of this city since the 1750s. Fortunately, resources such as Kathryn Schneider Smith’s “Washington at Home: An Illustrated History of Neighborhoods in the Nation’s Capital” — a collection of historians’ articles about different D.C. communities, first published in 1988 and updated in 2010 — and other materials help paint a picture of the city’s evolution. Georgetown is one of the District’s best-known historic neighborhoods, and for good reason: It’s the city’s oldest. With commonly accepted boundaries of the Potomac River, Rock Creek Park and Glover Archbold

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Park, the famous community was once an independent Maryland town that predates the federal capital by more than 50 years. Its waterfront was located strategically along the Potomac River at the river’s farthest inland navigable point. It served shipping, trade and industrial purposes into the 1960s, according to “Washington at Home.” In 1751, the Maryland Assembly permitted a town of 60 acres along the Potomac River. Owned by George Beall and George Gordon, the new area prospered as a shipping town centered around tobacco, the area’s largest cash crop. Even though two Georges owned the land, the town is said to have been named after King George II, according to the National Park Service; however, this has been disputed over the years. Factories and mills were constructed along the waterfront as industry thrived, and during the American Revolution, Georgetown served as a great export and import area for military supplies. Even though the federal capital was established east of it in 1791, Georgetown

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remained a self-governing, independent town. Ultimately, Congress decided to incorporate Georgetown into the limits of Washington City in 1871. Over the years, it became known as the fashionable part of town and attracted visitors from all over the world. Just to the east, placed in between industry and powerful politicians, Foggy Bottom’s location along the Potomac River gave it a mixed personality, according to G. David Anderson and Blanche Wysor Anderson, authors of “Foggy Bottom: Industrial Waterfront to Place of Power” — one of the essays in “Washington at Home” — being adjacent to Georgetown attracted industry and the working class, including Irish, German and African-American people. However, its proximity to power and government to the east attracted rich politicians, international organizations, a major university and federal agencies. The history of the neighborhood begins with Jacob Funk (or Funck), a German immigrant who purchased 130 acres of land with the same general boundaries as today’s Foggy Bottom. Funk named the town Hamburgh, after his native city in Germany. However, it was more commonly known as Funkstown, according to “Washington at Home.” Over the years, the area developed as people from all sorts of backgrounds moved in. “Foggy Bottom was described in those days as being low and swampy with fogs settling in over the river banks and mixing with smog from the gas works,” according to the National Park Service. It is believed that this is where the name “Foggy Bottom” came from. Farther north, Tenleytown, known as “The Top of the Town,” is a vibrant neighborhood community with quaint residential areas and busy commercial areas along one of the city’s busiest thoroughfares. Centered at Wisconsin Avenue and River Road NW, this neighborhood has always been a crossroads village. Since there are no clear boundaries and it was never incorporated as a municipality, Tenleytown was forgotten for years as neighboring communities grew in stature around it. However, in 1981, the historic name was resurrected thanks to a new interest in local history and new retailers coming into the area, according to

Brian Kapur/Current file photos

The iconic Adams Morgan and Georgetown streetscapes may be as recognizable as Dupont Circle’s namesake fountain. “Washington at Home.” In 1984, Tenleytown was further woven into the fabric of D.C. when the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority added a Red Line Metro station to the neighborhood. More than a hundred years ago, the crossroads where Tenleytown is located served as a post office for farmers from as far east as Rock Creek Park. Judith Beck Helm and Kathryn Collison Ray wrote in “Tenleytown: Crossroads” that John Tenally moved from Prince George’s County, Md., to the area in the 1790s and operated a tavern that served as a community gathering spot for all residents of this unnamed territory. The tavern was located at the corner of what is now Wisconsin Avenue and River Road. The tavern grew to be a landmark in the undeveloped, rural area, and became known as Tenally’s Tavern. A village grew up around the tavern and became known as “Tenallytown,” though the spelling has been changed and disputed over the years. A couple of miles west, shaped by its proximity to water, the Palisades is a small but proud neighborhood located along the Potomac River and the C&O Canal. Despite some commercial activity along MacArthur Boulevard NW, this is a mainly residential area with boundaries of Foxhall Road, the Potomac River and the District line. According to Judith Lanius in “Palisades: Waterways and Views,” the area has been continuously inhabited from early times, first by Native Americans and later by European settlers, due to its proximity to water. Many bridges and thoroughfares — most notably the Chain Bridge — have been constructed throughout the years.

Closer to central D.C., the land that became the Dupont Circle neighborhood was 150 years ago still on the outskirts of a growing city. At the time, it consisted of farms, slaughterhouses and a tributary of Rock Creek. Now with the traffic circle and fountain at the center of the neighborhood, Dupont is blocks away from the White House and is one of the city’s most historic and prominent neighborhoods. In the 1870s, the Board of Public Works for the Territory of the District of Columbia started constructing and developing this area. The work involved zoning, converting the tributary into a covered sewer for health reasons, and constructing a more modern bridge at P Street. The bridge improved traffic circulation and provided better access for the future site of the circle. In “Dupont Circle: Fashionable In-town Address,” Linda Wheeler wrote that Alexander Robey “Boss” Shepherd was the most prominent member of the Public Works Board and chose to construct his mansion at the corner of Connecticut Avenue and K Street NW. As soon as the late 1880s, Dupont Circle turned into an affluent neighborhood headlined by the California Syndicate, a group of industrialists who moved to the area, developing it further as they arrived. According to the National Park Service, the Corps of Engineers started building the circle itself — then called Pacific Circle — in 1871. In 1882, Congress authorized a memorial statue of Rear Adm. Samuel Francis DuPont recognizing his service for the Union in the Civil War. Completed in 1884, the bronze statue was replaced with a double-tiered fountain in 1921. See History/Page RE12

25 RE 11

The Current â– Fall Real Estate Guide 2016

Wednesday, September 21, 2016

RE11

Combining homes means space in crowded city By BRIDEY HEING Current Correspondent

T

he D.C. housing market is known for many things, but ample space isn’t one of them. The sky-high prices for condos and row homes here rarely equate to generous square footage. Still, D.C. has its fair share of real estate mavericks ready to buck the trend — by combining two existing properties into one larger home. That feat is seldom easy to achieve. Availability is the first major hurdle a potential buyer has to get past: either swooping in to buy a next-door property as soon as it’s available, or finding two properties for sale right next to each other at the same time. While it may be simpler with condos, it’s still rare for all the stars to align properly. Mandy Mills, of Compass real estate firm, has worked with combined properties in the past and is currently showing a home

at 2220 Q St. NW made up of two carriage houses. “I don’t think they are super common, but they are a sort of interesting way for people to gain some square footage in the city,� Mills said. Many buyers pursuing this option are looking for the kind of space that’s nearly impossible to find in the D.C. market, and combining two properties can sometimes be easier than waiting for lightning to strike with the right single dwelling. “We call the three-bedroom condo the unicorn. You see them in the wild every once in a while,� said Mills. “There’s a great opportunity for people to buy two condo units next to each other and combine them.� Two condos are not only easier for buyers to come by, but also easier to combine, due in part to building restrictions on row houses and stand-alone properties. In many neighborhoods, historic preservation regulations can make combining two homes difficult,

with rules prohibiting major exterior changes. But even with condos, structural changes can require hard-to-come-by board approval. The right architectural vision can help make such a process less daunting. In Georgetown, the owner of 1246 27th St. NW purchased the row house next door at 1250 for $1.1 million when it went on sale earlier this spring, aiming to combine the two properties into a single large home for a growing family. The Old Georgetown Board, which reviews exterior changes in the neighborhood’s federally protected historic district, recently approved planned facade alterations that include converting 1246’s front door into a window. Creative solutions of that sort are common with combined homes, Mills said. “These days, if people are going to do it, they’re going to do it right,� she said. “It can be an opportunity to make something

Photo courtesy of Compass

Compass real estate is currently showing a home made up of two carriage houses at 2220 Q St. NW in Dupont Circle. really glamorous.� Mills points to her currently available combined carriage houses in Dupont Circle as an example of the unexpected functionality such properties can offer. Despite its atypical layout, the property is still clearly one home. “The house is super unusual and fabulous, but it also flows nicely together,� she said. “So there are twist and turns, but it’s one big house.� Whether buying or selling a combined home, Mills sees

uniqueness as the biggest advantage for these types of properties. From extra bedrooms to former kitchens that have become luxurious bathrooms, combined homes have their own special character that may be difficult to come by otherwise. And for those who buy properties with the intention of combining them, the difficulty can be worth it in value added. “Whether you combine two houses or two condos, you create something special in the city,� Mills said.

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RE12

Wednesday, September 21, 2016 The Current ■ Fall Real Estate Guide 2016

MARKET: Inventory remains low but fall brings strong prospects for Northwest real estate

From Page RE1

low and demand has been very strong.” Homes in the $750,000 to $1 million range are particularly hot at the moment, according to Chris Jones of Long & Foster Real Estate in Georgetown. As prices go higher than that, demand drops a bit because prospective buyers struggle to secure the necessary loans, Jones said. The high demand for more affordable homes can be attributed in part to “phenomenal” interest rates, according to Nora Burke of McEnearney Associates. Buyers feel more comfortable purchasing a home when they have assurance that they’re going to see a favorable long-term value. Big picture, the District’s strong economy sets up a fertile ground for real estate action, according to Keene Taylor Jr., principal broker and sales manager for the Taylor Agostino Group of Long & Foster. “People are

feeling more confident, and that’s good for the market in general,” he said — whether residents are “expanding their home or moving up.” But Taylor also notes that the “constrained supply” of the housing market in D.C., with few new options for large-scale singlefamily home development, continues to control the number of transactions, leading to untapped demand, he said. With inventory still relatively low, houses newly on the market tend to get snapped up quickly. As sellers become more aware that the market continues to favor them, Taylor thinks the inventory will in turn expand with more properties for sale. “Buyers need to be vigilant, working with an agent who can keep a sharp eye out and also an ear to the ground [on what] might be upcoming so that you’re ready to take advantage of it if it happens to be a good match for your needs,” he said. And despite the sellers’ mar-

ket, it’s still vital to price homes fairly — otherwise D.C.’s generally savvy buyers won’t bite. Ten years ago, buyers weren’t as conscious about getting the best value, Kendrick said. Now, appealing homes will sit on the

❝Buyers need to be vigilant, working with an agent who can keep a sharp eye out … .❞ — Keene Taylor Jr. market for a month if the pricing is awry. “You can’t just put something on the market at any price and have it sell, no matter what neighborhood,” he said. “There’s still some price sensitivity.” Kendrick said he’s concerned that the continuing low inventory is a sign of unhealthiness. But Himali is confident that more homes will become available in October and November. And he

expects that in neighborhoods with particularly low inventory, like Mount Pleasant and American University Park, as well as areas downtown, transactions will be especially quick. Speedy transactions are most likely to occur when the buyer jumps immediately on an opportunity, according to Paula Nesbitt of the Banner Team at Long & Foster. “If they want to buy, buyers should get out, see the inventory and make offers. I have seen some agents out with the same people for two, three, four weeks,” Nesbitt said. “Make an offer, because you don’t know what seller will take if you don’t ever write anything.” Several Realtors mentioned the trend of improving desirability of D.C. Public Schools as an enticement for families to flock to the area in the years to come. Further out, Taylor is keeping an eye on the rising cost of living in the city, which could deter long-term real estate growth. And he

expects to see an oversupply of condominiums, a problem that’s unlikely to occur with single-family homes. As for the upcoming presidential election, all of the Realtors interviewed for this article say the housing market impact, no matter the outcome, won’t be as significant as many observers tend to fear. D.C. residents from the outgoing administration often stay in the area to take other jobs or leverage connections, and new administrations often draw on staffers already in the region. Meanwhile, the broader impact of policies put forth by either Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump won’t be felt for a while, Realtors said. “When it has an impact, it’s because of the election’s effect on the economy and consumer confidence rather than a direct impact on how many people are buying or selling,” Taylor said. “We’ve never seen a big jump in moves over the last 20-plus years directly related to the election.”

HISTORY: Neighborhoods derive names from key figures in varied, complex histories

From Page RE10

Regardless, the name “Dupont Circle” remained. “Boss” Shepherd also got a neighborhood to himself farther north. The area east of Rock Creek Park and west of 16th Street was dubbed Shepherd Park after Shepherd built a mansion there in the 19th century, according to the local citizens association’s website. Until World War II, building covenants restricted Jews and African-Americans from living in the quiet residential neighborhood. But the Supreme Court ruled those covenants illegal after the war, and its population skews almost 70 percent African-American today. On the other side of the park, Chevy Chase is a neighborhood with a suburban feeling, located on the border of the District of Columbia and Maryland. The neighborhood has charming residential sectors bisected by a thriving commercial district. In 1890, this area was all farmland, with large country estates and dirt roads. According to Historic Chevy Chase DC, the land was bought by two of Washington’s most prominent developers, Francis Griffith Newlands and Fulton Gordon. With help from the California Syndicate, they incorporated the Chevy Chase Land Co. and oversaw the creation and development of one of the most popular suburban areas in the nation’s capital. The early-20th-century suburb was located along the D.C. electric streetcar route, making it easily accessible to downtown Washington. Cleveland Park is on the same corridor. Before Washington, D.C., existed, the area that would become this neighborhood was part of the rural farmlands of Maryland included in a land grant purchased by George Beall in 1723, according to “Washington at Home.” Gen. Uriah Forrest, a one-time mayor of Georgetown, purchased some of the land from Beall around 1790. Forrest and his family spent

summers on the land, looking over Georgetown, first living in a stone cottage that had been built in the 1740s; in 1794, Forrest built a two-story home in front of the cottage and renamed the estate Rosedale. Living at what would become the corner of 36th and Newark streets NW, the Forrests are considered the first inhabitants of Cleveland Park. Rosedale was split up over the years, but a portion of the estate remains today in the 3500 block of Newark; it is likely the oldest extant building in the District, according to Kathleen Sinclair Wood, author of “Cleveland Park: Country Living in the City.” The neighborhood is named after President Grover Cleveland, who bought a country house on the subdivided property in 1886 in order to escape the pressures of the city during his presidency. When he lost his bid for re-election, Cleveland sold his land. Developers would use it in creating three subdivisions: Cleveland Park, Oak View and Cleveland Heights. Nearby Wesley Heights and Spring Valley are two of the most recently developed neighborhoods in the city. Located around Foxhall Road, New Mexico Avenue and Massachusetts Avenue, these two neighborhoods provide a suburban feeling with astounding proximity to downtown. W.C. & A.N. Miller Cos., a real estate and development entity, bought the land here in the 1920s, and began developing it into communities that offered affluent families a new kind of city living, Diane Shaw wrote in “Wesley Heights and Spring Valley: Persistency in Consistency.” Wesley Heights was developed before Spring Valley and opened in 1923. “Wesley Heights: The Garden Spot of Washington” proclaimed a 1930 advertisement. The first Spring Valley homes were completed in 1929, offering the same ideals as Wesley Heights. According to Shaw, the physical and social aspects of these neighborhoods reflected a nationwide trend in real estate referred to as “community builders.” With the slogan “Miller Built,” developers prid-

Brian Kapur/Current file photo

Glover Park is named for the banker who bought much of its land in 1911.

ed themselves on the quality and architecture of these homes as well. Located just north of Georgetown, Glover Park is a community “loved for its walkability, proximity to parkland, quaint row houses and small apartments, its commercial strip and restaurant row, convenience to downtown,” according to gloverparkdc.com. For years in 1800s, Glover Park was known as suburb of Georgetown, and the earliest known inhabitant was Peter Colter, according to gloverparkhistory.com, a German immigrant who lived in the area around 1808. However, the most influential resident was a banker named Charles Carroll Glover, who purchased much of the present neighborhood for development in 1911. Back into the center of town, Adams Morgan is a popular night spot where clubs are surrounded by a community with a deep history of racial diversity, according to Olivia Cadaval, author of “Adams Morgan: Diversity With a Latin Beat.” Located to the north of Dupont Circle at the crossroads of 18th Street and Columbia Road NW, the broader neighborhood is considered to include Kalorama Triangle, Meridian Heights, Lanier Heights and Washington Heights. The name and boundaries are about 50 years old and are a product of biracial community efforts to improve the area,

according to “Washington at Home.” According to “The Names of Washington, D.C.” by Dex Nilsson, the story of the name starts in 1954, when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that segregation in public schools was unconstitutional. In the area, then commonly referred to as “18th and Columbia,” there were two public elementary schools: Thomas P. Morgan School for black students and John Quincy Adams School for white students. The principals of the schools came together to form the Adams-Morgan Better Neighborhood Conference in an effort to create a healthier, more tolerant community. The name Adams Morgan became part of the fabric of D.C. Bounded on three sides by Rock Creek Park, Crestwood established itself as a residential community a little over a century ago, according to the neighborhood’s website. The small parcel of land exchanged numerous times in the 1700s and grew more desirable in the 1800s, when several mills were established including Peirce Mill. Large-scale development began in the early 1900s when 16th Street NW opened to traffic, and the name Crestwood became associated with a portion of the neighborhood in 1938. Building covenants like the ones in nearby Shepherd Park restricted many residents until World War II, but the neighborhood has evolved into one of the city’s most diverse in recent decades. Just northeast of Crestwood, free African-Americans settled the area now known as Brightwood in the 1820s, decades before slavery was abolished, according to the community’s website. The neighborhood is notable for including the spot at which Abraham Lincoln became the only U.S. president to come under enemy fire in battle. More than 40 soldiers who died during the Battle of Fort Stevens, which occurred right on the neighborhood’s turf, are buried in the nearby Battleground Memorial Cemetery at 6625 Georgia Ave. NW, which Lincoln himself dedicated.

C h 1 a M p p b J f M g c r o i 1 g a a n d

27 RE 13

The Current ■ Fall Real Estate Guide 2016

Wednesday, September 21, 2016

RE13

Auction to offers vestiges of the Kennedys’ pre-White House residence By BRIDEY HEING Current Correspondent

A

dmirers of Camelot have something special to look forward to this election season: Virginia-based auction house The Potomack Co. is holding its Presidential, Historical & Political Auction on Nov. 5. The company offers this event every four years to mark the presidential election. This year, however, it is in the rare position of having lots from not one but two Kennedy family residencies, including the Georgetown home from which the Kennedys moved to the White House. The stately home at 3307 N St. NW was a special one for the Kennedys, not least because it was the home in which they lived when John F. Kennedy was elected president and John Jr. was born. Shortly after moving into the White House in 1961, the Kennedys sold the home to another family,

who maintained many of the features Jackie Kennedy had introduced. The home held a unique place in Jackie’s heart, as shown in the letters being put up for auction. “Jackie writes about how much they love this house and how she doesn’t think she’ll ever love another house this much,” said Elizabeth Wainstein, owner of the Potomack Co. and a furniture and decorative arts specialist. “It was their last family home before the White House.” Lots from the N Street house include letters from Jackie Kennedy, the deed signed by her and JFK, a garden fountain and a glass chandelier. Also up for auction are wall sconces that will be familiar to history buffs — they are featured in photos of the family on their doorstep, and served as part of the backdrop for Kennedy’s cabinet announcements after his election. That blend of historical significance and personal impor-

tance are a unique draw that Wainstein sees as having significance. “I think a lot of people will be interested for different reasons,” she said. “Some from the historical-architectural perspective, and others from the Camelot-Kennedy perspective.” The architectural aspect of the sale is notable, as is the fact that the fountain and chandelier were both personally bought by Jackie Kennedy for the house. The chandelier had an emotional significance, as shown in a letter Jackie sent to the family that bought the house after she moved out. In it, she asks if she can have the chandelier back, because she and her sister bought it at a flea market in Paris. She also talks about the hectic circumstances under which they left the N Street house, with a new baby and a presidential inauguration making the move particularly difficult. In addition to lots from the Georgetown house, the auction will include furniture and art from the family’s Glen Ora country home in Middleburg, Va. The house was bought as a country retreat shortly after they moved into the White House, around the same time they sold the house in Georgetown. The lots include a bed from the room in which the president slept and two parquetry

Photos courtesy of the Potomack Co.

Items associated with the Kennedys’ home at 3307 N St. NW in Georgetown include the deed they signed (above), a glass chandelier (upper right) and wall sconces (lower right) visible in historical photos from the era. commodes from the room Jackie used as a private bedroom. The art and furniture up for auction also includes paintings from the 18th and 19th centuries. Just like in the Georgetown home, Jackie’s love for French design is clear in the Glen Ora consignments. “Jackie was really drawn to

that house because its owners were French and it was decorated in a French provincial style,” Wainstein said. The Presidential, Historical & Political Auction will be held on Nov. 5 at The Potomack Co. in Old Town Alexandria. For details, visit potomackcompany.com.

RE 14 Wednesday,september 21, 2016

the Current

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Administered by American Home

29 RE 15

The Current â– Fall Real Estate Guide 2016

Foxhall Road to host Design House

RE15

Exhibit eyes timber construction boom

T

he French ambassador’s former residence at 2509 Foxhall Road NW will beckon local design aficionados throughout October with 21 transformed spaces as the 2016 DC Design House. Proceeds will benefit Children’s National Health System. The five-story Wesley Heights/ Berkley home chosen for the ninth annual event is listed at $10.8 million by Nancy Itteilag of Washington Fine Properties. It was built in 2010 by Gibson Builders and was home most recently to the French ambassador while his residence was renovated. The 11,242-square-foot house has seven bedrooms, eight full bathrooms, two half-baths, three kitchens, five fireplaces, a sauna, exercise and party rooms, a wine cellar, an elevator and an infinity pool. (The home is next door to the 2013 DC Design House.) Since mid-August, area designers have tackled a variety of tasks, including features common to many homes such as front garden and porch, dining room, living room and master bedroom suite. More unusual spaces include “The Library and Whiskey Bar,� “Mademoiselle Chambre,� “Lady Lair� and “Vintage Cabana/Roof Deck.� A preview day will take place

Wednesday, September 21, 2016

Photo by Angie Seckinger

This year’s DC Design House is at 2509 Foxhall Road NW, just next door from the home featured in 2013. A preview day is Oct. 1.

Saturday, Oct. 1, from noon to 4 p.m., with tickets available for $60. The Design House will open to the public on Sunday, Oct. 2, from noon to 5 p.m., with admission costing $35. Public viewing will continue through Oct. 30 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and from noon to 5 p.m. on weekends. Tickets can be purchased online at dcdesignhouse.com or at the door. Organizers estimate that the annual DC Design House has attracted over 70,000 visitors and raised more than $1.5 million for the Children’s National Health System since its launch in 2008. Husband-and-wife founders Skip and Debbie Singleton, principals of DC Living Real Estate, continue to lead the event’s all-volunteer staff.

“Timber City,� a new exhibit at the National Building Museum, will highlight a recent boom in timber construction worldwide, including U.S.based projects such as a new gym at the Washington Latin Public Charter School. The exhibit will open Saturday and continue through May 21. The featured projects — including London’s Murray Grove, the world’s first tall timber residential building — “illustrate the proven value of timber as a modern, strong, and versatile building material,� according to exhibit curators.

The exhibit also aims to “challenge the notion that wood is an antiquated building material.� The National Building Museum is located at 401 F St. NW. Admission costs $10 for adults and $7 for seniors, students and ages 3 through 17; it is free for museum members and ages 2 and younger. Details are available at nbm.org. In addition to several talks by architects and designers, related public programs will include an Oct. 1 tour of Washington Latin’s Martha C. Cutts Gymnasium — the first D.C. building to use “cross

Courtesy of SHoP Architects PC

The 10-story residence known as 475 West 18th will be the first structural timber building in New York City.

laminated timber,� a flexible building system made from industrial dried lumber stacked together at right angles and glued over the entire surface. Registration is required for the tour; tickets cost $25 to $35.

Renovated Shaw row house featured on green tour

A

row house in Shaw is one of 40 homes being featured in the 26th annual Metropolitan Washington, DC Solar & Green Home Tour on Saturday, Oct. 1, and Sunday, Oct. 2, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Located at 2233 12th Place NW, the two-story 1890 home has 870 square feet of habitable space, according to the tour brochure. The Shaw row house will be featured on the tour’s second day. When the owners bought the home, half of the first floor was uninhabitable due to damage from water and termites, necessitating extensive renovations. In 2008, the Metro DC chapter of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry selected the ensuing project for the group’s Grand Award for

Full House Green Remodel. The full renovation included a new stair and light-monitor/solar chimney with rooftop photovoltaic panels, as well as installation of high-efficiency HVAC systems. Sustainable materials include bamboo and cork floors, low VOC paints, recycled glass tires and paperstone countertops. The back yard features a rainwater collection system, composting, and patio space with permeable paving. The tour brochure is available for $5 at several locations in the region, including the offices of DC Solar United Neighborhoods, 3199 Mount Pleasant St. NW; and at Riide, 1933 9th St. NW. A PDF of the guide is available for download at solartour.org/download.html.

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30 RE 16

RE16

Wednesday, September 21, 2016

The Current ■ Fall Real Estate Guide 2016

Smithsonian series on Georgetown history leads varied slate replete with house tours, design talks

T

he Smithsonian Associates will host a lunchtime lecture series highlighting six of Georgetown’s historic sites. The talks will highlight various aspects of the neighborhood’s history — a village predating the establishment of the federal district; a key 19th-century shipping center for tobacco, coal and lumber; and the site of expansive estates home to prominent families. The series will kick off on Tuesday, Sept. 27, with a talk by National Park Service ranger Jeff Reardon on the Old Stone House, built in 1765 and now the oldest structure on its original foundation in the District. Dave Jackson, superintendent of Oak Hill Cemetery, will follow suit with an Oct. 4 lecture on one of the nation’s finest examples of garden cemeteries. To round out the series, James Carder, archivist and house collection manager at Dumbarton Oaks, will discuss the gardens laid out by landscape gardener Beatrix Farrand on the 53-acre estate owned by Mildred and Robert Woods Bliss, on Oct. 11; Patricia Barber, director of development for the C&O Canal Trust, will discuss the construction of the canal in the 19th century as an economic boost for Georgetown, on Oct. 18; Grant Quertermous, curator of collections at Tudor Place Historic House and Garden, will discuss the grand neoclassical house built for Thomas and Martha Custis Peter with an inheritance from George Washington, on Oct. 25; and Jerry McCoy, special collections librarian in the Peabody Room of the Georgetown Library, will discuss the origins of the extensive collection of Georgetown history that fills the library’s top floor, on Nov. 1.

The lectures will be held from noon to 1 p.m. at the S. Dillon Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Drive SW. Tickets to the full series cost $110 to $150, or $200 to $260 with inclusion of a bus tour of Georgetown on Saturday, Nov. 5; tickets to individual lectures cost $20 to $30. 202-6333030; smithsonianassociates.org.

Association will hold its 49th annual house tour on Sunday, Oct. 16, from noon to 5 p.m. This year’s tour will focus on the northwestern edge of the neighborhood near the outer boundary of the original L’Enfant city and along the WicomicoSunderland Escarpment that is part of the Atlantic Seaboard fall line. Palisades Village to host After starting in the lowlands house tour in Spring Valley of P Street NW among grand The Palisades Village will fea- townhouses, tourgoers will rise to ture eight homes in Spring Valley the Florida Avenue rim where as part of the aging-in-place stops such as the American group’s fourth Geophysical annual house Union and the tour on new Hepburn Saturday, Oct. Apartments 15, from 11 promise pana.m. to 4 p.m. oramic views. The selected The tour homes include will also large Tudors include a and Colonials “mouse that have been house,” an art Photo by HomeVisit.com/Matt Brazier gallery in a remodeled and expanded, with This Tilden Street NW home in carriage house, interiors featur- Spring Valley is part of the and condos in ing a mix of a restored chaPalisades Village’s upcoming antiques, tradi- house tour on Oct. 15. teau-style mantional furnishsion once gutings and contemporary art and ted by fire. An afternoon tea from furniture. The neighborhood is 2 to 4:30 p.m. will be held on the noted for its expansive lawns and terrace of the Friends Meeting a countryside feeling within the House. District’s borders. Tickets cost $40 and are avail Advance tickets cost $30 and able at dupont-circle.org/housetour. are available at palisadesvillage.org or by calling 202-244-3310. Day-of Also on the fall calendar: ■ Saturday, Sept. 24: The tickets will be available for $35 at Cleveland Park Historical Society and 5018 Tilden St. NW beginning at the D.C. Preservation League will host a 10:30 a.m. workshop on “Energy Efficiency and Old The Palisades Village helps Homes,” about green technologies that seniors continue to live at home can help homeowners save money within the neighborhoods of Berkley, out sacrificing the architectural integrity Foxhall, Kent, Palisades, Spring of their home or violating historic district Valley and Wesley Heights. guidelines. Speakers are Nakita Reed, a managing member of Encore Dupont tour to highlight Sustainable Design, which aims to comarea’s northwest section bine historic preservation with energy The Dupont Circle Citizens efficiency and sustainable design; and John Sandor, an architectural historian and expert in the repair and replacement of windows in historic buildings. 2 to 4 p.m. Free; reservations requested. Cleveland Park Congregational Church, 3400 Lowell St. NW. dcpreservation.org. ■ Monday, Sept. 26: Estella M. Chung, historian and curator at Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens, will present an illustrated tour of heiress and socialite Marjorie Merriweather Post’s glamorous houses — from the glamour of Palm Beach, to the rustic whimsy of the Adirondacks, to the distinguished social scene of Washington. Chung will also sign copies of her book “Living 3351 Tennyson St, NW, DC 4416 50th St, NW, DC Artfully: At Home With Marjorie Merriweather Post.” Noon. Free. George Both houses listed and sold within a week! Washington University Museum and Textile Museum, 701 21st St. NW. 202994-5200. ■ Tuesday, Sept. 27: The Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc. 4400 Jenifer St, NW Washington Chapter of the American Washington, DC 20015 Institute of Architects will host its “Chapter Design Awards Jurors’ 202-364-1300 (office) Roundtable & Discussion.” Jurors will 202-549-7515 (cell) discuss their picks and show winning

Experience...Service...Results

Mary Zitello

Brian Kapur/Current file photo

A Smithsonian Associates series on historic sites in Georgetown will include a talk on construction of the C&O Canal in the 19th century.

Institute of Architects. Registration submissions in the four project categories — Architecture, Interior Architecture, required. District Architecture Center, 421 7th St. NW. aidc.com. Historic Resources, and Urban Design ■ Saturday, Oct. 1: Washington and Master Planning. 6 to 8 p.m. $35; Walks’ “Get Local!” series will present a $15 for members of the District tour of the swath of Southwest D.C. Architecture Center or the American shaped by “urban renewal” policies of Institute of Architects. Registration the 1960s. Though often criticized as required. District Architecture Center, fostering wholesale destruction of 19th421 7th St. NW. aidc.com. century neighborhoods, urban renewal ■ Tuesday, Sept. 27: Robert in this case brought in architects like Kanigel, professor emeritus of science writing at the Massachusetts Institute of Chloethiel Woodard Smith, who used the vocabulary of modernism to design Technology, will discuss his book “Eyes enduring residential communities, on the Street: The Life of Jane Jacobs,” according to tour guide and Washington about the influential urban visionary Walks founder Carolyn Crouch. 11 a.m. who challenged the theories of urban $15 to $20. Meet outside the renewal, garden cities and new urbanWaterfront Metro station. ism. 7 p.m. Free. Politics and Prose, washingtonwalks.com. 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW. 202-364■ Saturday, Oct. 8: The Spring 1919. Valley office of McEnearney Associates ■ Wednesday, Sept. 28: C. will host electronics recycling, old paint Colston Burrell, principal at Native collection and free shredding. The sevLandscape Design and Restoration, will enth annual event will also include discuss “Beauty, Integrity, and household goods collection for A Wider Resilience: Can a Garden Have Everything?” Burrell will explore whether Circle, a Montgomery Council nonprofit that redistributes furniture and home we can make a difference by changing goods to individuals and families transithe way we approach design, plant choice, planting techniques and mainte- tioning out of homeless situations or to those simply living without life’s necessinance regimes. 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Free; ties. 9 a.m. to noon. Free; $5 per conreservations required. Conservatory Garden Court, U.S. Botanic Garden, 100 tainer to recycle paint. McEnearney Associates, 4315 50th St. NW. Maryland Ave. SW. 202-225-8333. ■ Friday, Sept. 30: Barbara Kreski, mcenearney.com/DCRecycles. ■ Saturday, Oct. 8: Atlas Obscura director of horticultural therapy services DC will present a tour of “The Tunnels at the Chicago Botanic Garden, will disand Trapdoors of Tudor Place.” For the cuss “Gardening as We Age,” about event, Tudor Place ways to help keep curator Grant your thumb green Quertermous and for a lifetime as education coordiway to age more nator Laura gracefully. Noon to Brandt will lead 1 p.m. Free; reseran exclusive vations required. underground, Conservatory behind-closedClassroom, U.S. doors investigaBotanic Garden, tion of the estate. 100 Maryland Highlights will Ave. SW. 202-225include a fallout 8333. shelter construct■ Friday, ed by owner Sept. 30: Peter Armistead Peter Stratton, senior vice president and Photo courtesy of Tudor Place 3rd at the height of the Cold War, director of accesTudor Place will host a rare tour the so-called sibility compliance on Oct. 8 of the tunnels and “dungeon,” and and consulting the kitchen’s trapwith Steven Winter trapdoors beneath the historic Georgetown estate. doors and other Associates, will hidden spaces discuss “Fair Housing — Are You Covered?”, regarding under the historic 5.5-acre Georgetown estate. 2 to 4 p.m. $25. Meet at the the Fair Housing Amendments Act of Visitor Center, Tudor Place Historic 1988 and other federal laws that require that newly constructed multifam- House and Garden, 1644 31st St. NW. ily residential buildings be designed and tudorplace.org/programs. ■ Monday, Oct. 10: Perry Frank, constructed to provide access to people founding director of “D.C. Murals: with disabilities. Noon to 1 p.m. $25; Spectacle and Story,” and Cory Stowers, free for members of the District Architecture Center or the American See Calendar/Page RE17

31 RE 17

The Current â– Fall Real Estate Guide 2016

CALENDAR From Page RE16 project associate, will discuss the development of the city’s street murals through all eight wards from 1970 through today. Noon. Free. George Washington University Museum and Textile Museum, 701 21st St. NW. 202994-5200. ■Thursday, Oct. 13: The National Building Museum will host a talk on “Spotlight on Design: SHoP, LEVER Architecture, Arup.� Representatives of the three firms will discuss the benefits of tall timber construction, the latest innovation in building technologies. 6:30 to 8 p.m. $10 to $20; reservations required. National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. 202-272-2448. ■Friday, Oct. 14: Horticulturist, garden writer and lecturer Vincent Simeone will discuss “The Autumn Garden,� about how to use woody plants that possess interesting fall foliage, fruit and bark interest. Simeone will highlight plants ideal for the home landscape. Noon to 1 p.m. Free; reservations required. Conservatory Classroom, U.S. Botanic Garden, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. 202-225-8333. ■Saturday, Oct. 15: The Petworth Library will host a “Home Buying 101 Workshop.� The training session will explore the process of buying a home from start to finish, as well as how to stay on track as a responsible homeowner. 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Free. Petworth Library, 4200 Kansas Ave. NW. 202-243-1188. ■Saturday, Oct. 15: The Big Build — a hands-on family festival of tools, trucks and construction — will offer opportunities to create an architectural masterpiece, try unique woodworking tools, construct a Lego skyscraper, see timber soar in the Great Hall and experience virtual reality welding. As part of the event, plumbers, ironworkers, landscape architects, woodworkers and

experts in many other fields will be on hand to discuss their professions and hobbies. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Free. National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. 202-272-2448. ■Monday, Oct. 17: Author Patsy Mose Fletcher will discuss her book “Historically African-American Leisure Destinations Around Washington, D.C.,� about the history behind Washington’s forgotten era when African-Americans had to seek out venues where they could relax without the burden of racial oppression. Noon. Free. George Washington University Museum and Textile Museum, 701 21st St. NW. 202994-5200. ■Saturday, Oct. 22: The Coalition for Smarter Growth will host a walking tour on “Van Ness: A New Spark,� about the Northwest neighborhood’s push for improvements such as safer conditions for pedestrians. The tour will include new additions such as the University of the District of Columbia Student Center, the art deco-inspired Park Van Ness development and the new WAMU offices. 10 a.m. to noon. Reservations required. smartergrowth.net/events. ■Wednesday, Oct. 26: Isabelle Gournay, an associate professor of architectural history at the University of Maryland, will discuss “Cosmopolitan Architecture and Interior Design in Japan: the Art Deco Interlude,� about the start of Japanese architecture’s ascending trajectory as today’s design powerhouse — the Gournay result of the country’s love affair with art deco and the resulting exchanges between native and Western architects and interior designers. 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. $7 to $20. Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens, 4155 Linnean Ave. NW. 202-686-5807. ■Wednesday, Oct. 26: Storyteller

and author Susan Strauss will discuss “The Tree With Golden Apples: Agricultural Wisdom in Traditional Myths.� 6:30 to 8 p.m. Free; reservations required. Conservatory Classroom, U.S. Botanic Garden, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. 202-225-8333. ■Saturday, Oct. 29: The Coalition for Smarter Growth will host a walking tour on “East U Street: Tiny Neighborhood, Big Change,� about the area at the east end of U Street and north of Shaw that includes projects such as the Atlantic Plumbing building with striking modern-industrial architecture. 10 a.m. to noon. Reservations required. smartergrowth.net/events. ■Tuesday, Nov. 1: The Garden Conservancy will present an illustrated talk on “Larry Weaner’s Revolutionary Landscapes,� featuring one of North America’s leading landscape designers who is known for combining ecological restoration with the traditions of fine garden design. Weaner is author of “Garden Revolution: How Our Landscapes Can Be a Source Weaner of Environmental Change.� 7 p.m. $25; $20 for members of the Garden Conservancy or Friends of American University Arboretum and Gardens. Abramson Family Founders Room, School of International Service Building, American University, 4400 Massachusetts Ave. NW. 845-424-6500, ext. 212. ■Saturday, Nov. 5: Horticulturist Bill Johnson will lead a workshop on “Art Deco Floral Design,� an introduction to a unique style of floral design that was most popular in the 1920s and 1930s. Leveraging asymmetrical arrangements to emphasize shapes, angles and clean lines, the techniques highlight the beauty of exotic tropical flowers, foliage and stems in creative combinations. 10 a.m.

Wednesday, September 21, 2016

Brian Kapur/Current file photo

The Park Van Ness development will be featured on the Oct. 22 tour “Van Ness: A New Spark.�

and 1 p.m. $55 to $65. Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens, 4155 Linnean Ave. NW. 202-686-5807. ■Saturday, Nov. 5: The Art Deco Society of Washington will host an “Art Deco Walking Tour of Connecticut Avenue Apartments.� In a repeat of the group’s sold-out spring event, the tour of Cleveland Park and Woodley Park will spotlight buildings such as Tilden Gardens, The Broadmoor, Woodley Park Towers and the Kennedy-Warren. Details and registration information will be forthcoming at adsw.org. ■Wednesday, Nov. 30: The Smithsonian Associates will present an illustrated lecture by historian and urban

RE17

studies specialist Bill Keene on “Montgomery Meigs in Washington: The Civil War and Beyond.� Presented in honor of the bicentennial of the birth of the man who served as quartermaster general of the Union Army with sole responsibility for more than $1 billion in expenditures, the program will include a look at his impact on Washington as an engineer and architect both before and after the Civil War — including the design and construction of the aqueduct that continues to bring water to Washington. 6:45 to 8:45 p.m. $30 to $45. Ring Auditorium, Hirshhorn Museum & Sculpture Garden, 7th Street and Independence Avenue SW. 202-6333030. ■Friday, Dec. 2, and Saturday, Dec. 3: St. Albans School will feature five festively decorated houses in the Kalorama neighborhood as part of its 34th annual Christmas House Tour. The featured properties will include the Russian Cultural Center and the diplomatic residences of Ecuador, Ireland and the Netherlands. The days’ activities will include a shopping boutique and a luncheon at the school, located at Wisconsin Avenue and Garfield Street NW. Tickets will be available online closer to the event. stalbansschool.org/cht.

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32 RE 18

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Wednesday, September 21, 2016

The Current ■ Fall Real Estate Guide 2016

Harry Wardman buildings flourish across D.C. By LEE STURTEVANT Current Correspondent

I

n 1814, Washington watched the British burn the city’s premier residence — the White House. A century later, a British immigrant atoned for that insult by building 3,000 of D.C.’s finest residences — houses, apartments and hotels — that have remained prized homes for several generations. Clusters of row houses built by Harry Wardman still grace the streets of Georgetown, Woodley Park, Kalorama and Connecticut Avenue NW. Even the casual observer can recognize some of the hallmarks of his construction: large windows to let in light, well-crafted architectural details. and (in many neighborhoods) front porches. His apartment buildings — like The Dresden just south of the Taft Bridge, or the Wardman Tower above the Woodley Park Metro station — are also residential landmarks. These are the legacy of an entrepreneur who recognized the housing needs of a city whose population was exploding following the Civil War, and where large properties were being subdivided in the adjacent “county” beyond the city’s traditional boundary, Florida Avenue. “He saw opportunities and took them,” said Richard Longstreth, an American studies professor at George Washington University and a resident of Mount Pleasant. “The scale of his work is unusual for this area.” Wardman was known as ambitious, opportunistic and — being his own builder — skilled at attracting local financiers. His development strategies included buying and subdividing parcels of land of many sizes and shapes; owning his own lumberyard; using identical ornamental features; and building rows of simi-

lar houses. Born in 1871, Wardman left England at age 17 intending to sail to Australia. However, according to architectural historian James Goode, this stowaway was put off in New York, where he found work in a department store. He soon saw more potential further south. The man who would later claim to house 10 percent of the Washington’s population started as a carpenter in this city, purportedly in the Willard Hotel. When a new streetcar line was built up 14th Street NW, past the city limits of the early 1900s, Wardman took advantage of its extension and developed the neighborhood of Holmead Village in Columbia Heights. According to Wardman scholar and preservation historian Sally Berk, the original subdivision of 250 lots, at the time, was the largest development Washington had seen. The houses were set back from the street, with front porches, creating a sense of neighborhood. This distinct row house design, which Wardman employed often throughout the city, as well as the quality of construction and architectural details, are still selling points for homebuyers today.

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Prominent developer Harry Wardman’s 3,000 buildings in D.C. include row houses in Georgetown (top left) and Woodley Park (left), and the Wardman Tower (above). David Yardas, who lives in a 103-year-old Wardman house in Chevy Chase D.C., remembers walking into the home when he was house-hunting with his family. “We felt like it had good bones. It was solid. Simply elegant. And the porch is lovely.” He found other details equally attractive: the original crown molding, the filigree on the older columns, a wall of windows on one side, and the advantage that the home “heats well.” Around the corner on Connecticut Avenue NW, where the facade of one Wardman house has been covered by new construction and elevated to three stories, Debbie Lane feels the same way. “I didn’t know this was a Wardman house,” she said of her building. As a homeowner and the director of Kinderhaus there, she has turned down an offer to sell. “These are beautiful houses. And we’ve been here 25 years.” Farther down Connecticut Avenue, it takes a second look to realize that the buildings adjacent to the Cleveland Park Metro station were originally Wardman houses. Above the ground level remain some of his hallmark details: the wide windows, quality brickwork and balanced proportions. Housing several restaurants, a cellphone repair shop, a spa and one vacancy, these storefronts, with their architectural details, could be considered truly rare. (Or in one case, Medium Rare — the restaurant on the ground floor of the corner building.) Medium Rare’s owner Mark Bucher was not aware of the building’s history, but noticed some original wallpaper and bath-

rooms during his renovations. On the second floor of Indique, restaurant owner Surfy Rahman admires the large windows that bring openness and light into the dining area. However, he noted, the space was just a shell when he and partner Chef K.N. Vinod acquired it, since the property had already been cleared of its residential character by a developer. During Wardman’s development days, his success was strongly tied to the architects he hired, to whom he gave significant latitude. Mihran Mesrobian — an Armenian architect trained in the Imperial Academy of Fine Arts in Istanbul — designed the Carlton Hotel on 16th Street NW, the Hay Adams House and many homes in Woodley Park. Nicholas Grimm designed row houses on Dumbarton and O streets in Georgetown and several on Biltmore Street in Kalorama. Albert Beers is credited with introducing front porches into row house plans, according to wardmanswashington.com, a DC Preservation League website that also contains a database of Wardman buildings in Washington. In Northwest, Beers designed homes in Kalorama on Bancroft Place and Belmont Road, a cluster in the 2800 block of Connecticut Avenue, on Dent Place in Georgetown, and several freestanding homes on Woodley Road. Beers is especially recognized for the rounded shape of The Dresden, an apartment house that follows the curve of Connecticut Avenue at the south end of the Taft Bridge. At the other end of the bridge, he built Wardman’s own residence at Connecticut Avenue and Woodley

Road. However, even there, it seems that Wardman could not resist his instinct as a developer: When his wife was in Paris, he razed this residence ­— vacating it in 48 hours as servants removed the furnishings, according to James Goode in “Capital Losses,” an extensive chronicle of Washington’s architectural history. Where his house stood, Wardman built the Wardman Tower, which still stands above the Woodley Park Metro station and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Once home to many politicians and celebrities, such as the Eisenhowers, the Lyndon Johnsons and Marlene Dietrich, its exterior has been refurbished; signs advertise “32 Rare Historic Homes”; and a website, wardmantower.com, describes its completely renovated and contemporary interior. At one time, the Wardman Park Hotel stood next to the Tower on Woodley Road. It opened in 1918, designed to resemble The Homestead in Virginia where Wardman played golf. The property was later demolished in 1977 and is now the site of the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel. Wardman went bankrupt during the crash of 1929, losing, among other properties, his prized Wardman Park Hotel. But being the ambitious optimist he was, he continued to build homes until his death in 1938. He also gave the land for — and in 1931, built — the British Embassy at 3100 Massachusetts Ave. NW, thereby coming full circle by bringing the land of his birth to his adopted country.

Wednesday,september 21, 2016 RE19

the Current

FOR SALE

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RE20 Wednesday,september 21, 2016

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the Current

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SPRING VALLEY, WASHINGTON, DC Elegant six bedroom, five and a half bath home. Gourmet kitchen, conservatory, master with his/ hers baths, lower level with theater, pool, 2-car garage. $3,895,000 Cynthia Howar 202- 297-6000

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ROSSLYN, ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA Fabulous 3BR, 2.5BA at the Turnberry Tower. Private elevator entry, gourmet KIT, marble baths, balcony. 24-hr desk, gar/valet pkg, gym, & pool. $2,100,000 William F. X. Moody Robert Hryniewicki 202-243-1620

CAPITOL HILL, WASHINGTON, DC NEW LISTING! Stunning 5BR/4.5BA Federal TH with original details intact. Eat-in kitchen open to family room, one car parking, seven fireplaces, near Stanton Park! Open Sun 2-4. $1,889,000 Kay McGrath King 202-276-1235

BERKLEY, WASHINGTON, DC Custom renovated farmhouse. 4200+ SF of living space w/ gourmet KIT + LL w/ guest + in-law suite. 6+BR/6BA w/ custom millwork. Fenced-in yard w/ patio. Off-street parking. $1,750,000 Kim Gibson 202-256-3628

SPRING VALLEY, WASHINGTON, DC Sunny 5BR/4.5BA home, eat in Kit open to Fam Rm, office/library, att 2 car garage & walk out finished LL rear garden w/patio & pool. $1,575,000 Chuck Holzwarth 202-285-2616 Stephanie Bredahl 202-821-5145

CHEVY CHASE, MARYLAND Elegant & expanded 4BR/3.5BA center hall colonial. Terrific open kitchen, breakfast area, & family room with coffered ceiling. Updated baths. Patio & fenced-in yard, attached garage. $1,349,000 Alyssa Crilley 301-325-0079

KENT, WASHINGTON, DC UNDER CONTRACT! Stunning home with sleek new 2 story addition! Open floor plan & flat private backyard. 3/4BR, 3.5BA. Updated & in immaculate condition. 1-car garage. $1,349,000 Susie Maguire 202 -841-2006

SPRING VALLEY, WASHINGTON, DC Stately Colonial Cape Cod w/ charming curb appeal. 4BR/2.5BA, fireplace, updated baths & KIT, fenced-in private rear garden w/patio. $1,295,000 William F. X. Moody Robert Hryniewicki 202-243-1620

LOGAN CIRCLE, WASHINGTON, DC Stunning 2-level Penthouse condo w/ custom upgrades. 2BR+Den, 2.5BA, 2-story LR, Sub-Zero & Viking KIT w/ high-end granite. Prkg! $1,195,000 William F. X. Moody Christopher R. Leary 202-243-1620

GEORGETOWN, WASHINGTON, DC Charming home in Georgetown’s West Village was built in 1844 by Irish carpenter, Joshua Bateman & features 3BR/1.5BA w/ hw floors & ample amounts of light . 1-car garage parking. $1,050,000 Nancy Taylor Bubes 202-256-2164

NAVY YARD, WASHINGTON, DC Fabulous 2BR+Den, 2BA condo at The Velocity. Gar prkg. 24-hr desk. Rooftop pool, terrace & monument views. Walk to Metro & Nats Park! $850,000 William F. X. Moody Robert Hryniewicki 202-243-1620

48 Wednesday,september 21, 2016

the Current

Selling The Area’s Finest Properties

Elegant Estate

Chevy Chase Classic

Bethesda, MD. Stately, elegant property less than 10 min to dwntwn Bethesda. Magnificent home w/pool, tennis court & sep. carriage house. 6 BRs, 5.5 BAs, 4 finished levels. 3 frpls, 2 family rms. Screen porch. Att. 3 car garage. $3,295,000.

Town of Chevy Chase, MD. Sunny 1928 Colonial on 1/2 acre of grounds & gardens. Grand proportions, 10ft+ ceilings, 4 fin. levels. 5-6 BRs, updated BAs. Open staircase. Updated kit, brkfst rm. Screen porch. 2 car gar w/office above. $2,295,000.

Laura McCaffrey 301-641-4456

Laura McCaffrey 301-641-4456

Impressive Design

Sophisticated Style

Town of Chevy Chase, MD. Expanded & renovated w/top of the line Georgetown. Classic Georgetown row house renovated with style to include 4 Brs, 3.5 Bas. fabulous kitchen with kitchen & family rm addition. 4 BRs, 2.5 BAs all on a 10,000 sf lot. Leave island + lower level in-law suite with kitchenette; studio. the car at home, just blks to Metro & dwntwn Bethesda. $1,679,000. Charming brick patio. $1,595,000.

Eric Murtagh 301-652-8971

The Place To Be

Chevy Chase, MD. Convenient & desirable neighborhood near to Metro & Norwood Park. Classic side hall Colonial w/3 BRs, 2 BAs,LR w/frpl, sep. DR. LL rec rm +2 bonus rms. Waiting for you tomake it your own. $825,000.

Susan Berger 202-255-5006 Ellen Sandler 202-255-5007

Urban Favorite Bethesda, MD. One of the largest 1 BR + den, 2 BA units at The Adagio. Unique one of a kind flr plan. Top of the line finishes. Custom kitchen. Private roof terrace. Steps to Metro. $624,000.

Noel Fisher 301-919-1379

Tracy Tkac 301-437-8722

Design Delight

Distinctive Details

Grace & Glamour

Beverly Nadel 202-236-7313

Eric Murtagh 301-652-8971

Fall In Love

Elegant City Living

Kenwood. Stately 1981 custom home.Elegant foyer. 1st flr Lib. w/frpl Bethesda: Lovely new luxury home with three dramatic & wet bar, BR & BA, Bay windowed eating area in kitchen. Above:2 rm levels of space, gourmet kitchen, stunning master bedroom MBR suite w/2 BAS, sit rm w/frpl.+ 2 addit. BRs & BA. LL w/2 level rec rm w/frpl, built ins, Pub area & sliding drs to patio. $1,875,000 . suite; 5 BRs, 4.5 BAs, two-car garage. Near Metro, shops and restaurants of Friendship Heights. $1,795,000. Melissa Brown 202-469-2662

Chevy Chase, MD. Lots of charm in this center hall Dutch Colonial Kalorama. Sophisticated condo w/3 BRs, one used as office, 2 redone BAs. LR w/floor to ceiling windows & gasfrpl, DR easily seats 12. Large located in Town of Chevy Chase. 4-5 BRs, 2.5 BAs.Open kitchen/family kit w/pantry & bar. Bright FR/sitting room w/ built-ins.$1,225,000. rm. Study, LR w/frp. MBR w/sitting rm. Walk to Bethesda. $1,275,000. Martha Williams 202-271-8138

Laura McCaffrey 301-641-4456

Rachel Burns 202-384-5140

Space & Light

Cape Cod Charm

Chevy Chase, MD. Stylish & charming expanded & renovated Colonial West End. Really stunning! 2 BR, 2.5 BA tasteful modern Bethesda. Light filled 4 BR, 2 BA home in popular Wyngate in desirable Rock Creek Forest. Family rm off large TS kitchen. Designer neighborhood. Renovated kitchen & baths. Gleaming hrdwd floors. LL living on 2 levels. Renovated kit, wall of windows & rec rm w/built ins. Large level lot. Move in ready. $719,000. touches. Generous MBR addition. 3 BRs, 2.5 BAs. Nice level backyard. balcony. Garage pkg.Full service luxury bldg. $775,000. $799,000. Marcie Sandalow 301-758-4894

Patricia Lore 301-908-1242

Bonnie Roberts-Burke 202-487-7653

Catarina Bannier 202-487-7177

Chic Spaces

Duplex Deluxe

City Classic

Navy Yard. Spacious & bright 1 BR + den, 2 BAs & balcony. 1,065 sf. Dupont Circle. Two wonderful apartments: a sophisticated 2-level 2 bedroom unit with 2 balconies and fabulous roof deck overlooking Open kitchen w/granite & SS. Floor to ceiling windows. 24 hr desk, the city for $1,295,000 and a wonderful 1 bedroom, 1 bath apt with rooftop pool, gym. Garage pkg included. $585,000. 11 ‘ ceilings, top of the line detailing and spacious terrace for $549,000.

Eric Cooksey 202-246-0640

Bren Lizzio 202-669-4999

Chevy Chase, DC. Bright & sunny 2 bedroom, 2 bath condo w/three exposures on rear of bldg. Refinished parquet flrs. 24 hr desk, fabulous roof deck, fitness center. $399,000.

Nancy Wilson 202-966-5286

Uptown 202-364-1700 Dupont 202-464-8400

Learn More At:

www.EversCo.com

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