Grand Carriage House in Georgetown

Seller:  Carl Rickersten
1248 30th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20007
5 Bedrooms 6 Full Baths 2 Half Baths
Asking Price: $8,495,000



After a very eventful two week hiatus we have a doosey of a house in Georgetown to talk about today.  So get a tall cool one and sit down, because we are going to be here a while. The Laird-Dunlop Coach House, as the listing calls it, was built in 1799 as the carriage house of a Georgetown property known as the Laird-Dunlop House (natch).  Today these are two separate properties with the larger Laird-Dunlop House being currently owned and principal residence of the aging Washington power couple Ben Bradlee and Sally Quinn.  Ben, for those of you too young (or too old) to remember, was the editor of the Washington Post during the Watergate scandal and was portrayed by Jason Robards in the film All the President's Men.  However, for much of the past 200 years these two buildings comprised one expansive property before being split in the mid-twentieth century and therefore share a rich history described below in the listing brochure:

In 1799 John Laird, a wealthy tobacco warehouse owner, commissioned the house to be built and remained there until 1833. Mr. Laird's unmarried daughter Margaret (Miss Peggy) and sister-in-law Elizabeth Dick (Miss Betty) inherited the home and stayed there until 1873. They were devoted to the Orphan Asylum and the Presbyterian Church during these years.

Mr. Laird's daughter Barbara inherited the house in 1873 and lived there with her husband James Dunlop until 1915. Mr. Dunlop was a law partner of Francis Scott Key, a Secretary of the Corporation of Georgetown and had been the Chief Justice of the Circuit Court of the District of Columbia until President Lincoln removed him from office for being a Southern sympathizer.

The house was next occupied by Mr. Laird's son, who was reported to have kept a cow on the property and slaughter his own hogs each year.

In 1915, the Laird-Dunlop property was sold by the family to President Lincoln's eldest son, Robert Todd Lincoln who served as Secretary of War and as Ambassador to England. He remained in the home until 1936.

The next owner of the home was Mrs. Helen Burgess (née Helen Pierpont Morgan), who was the granddaughter of JP Morgan and a direct descendant of Alexander Hamilton. She purchased the property with her first husband, former NYC Police Commissioner Arthur Woods. She then married William Randolph Burgess, who was a former Under-Secretary of the Treasury. Mrs. Burgess separated the coach house from the rest of the property, retaining much of the land for herself and adding the Ballroom for proper entertaining. She remained there until 1984.

The next owners were Mr. and Mrs. Arnold Sagalyn. Mr. Sagalyn was one of Eliot Ness's "Untouchables." They remained there nearly twenty years, until 2004.

The current owner (and hopeful seller) is Carl Rickersten, who is in private equity and can be credited with the excellent renovation and refurbishments needed to bring this house up to 21st century standards. 

And now, onto the listing:

1248 30th Street is an extraordinary balance between house and garden. Each of its parts would be enough to awe, but together they create the finest property we have seen in Georgetown for years. The detached brick house started as a carriage house during the Federal period and was part of Abraham Lincoln's son's estate. In the 1930s J.P. Morgan's granddaughter recognized its potential and mystique and created the property we see today by enlarging the structure and recasting the grounds to complement the house. The current owner has completely restored and renovated the house to fulfill its potential for a 21st-century lifestyle. Each of the rooms in this fivebedroom (and three-level) house has wonderful views of the private 1/3-acre lot with its extensive terraces, antique boxwoods, fountains, specimen plantings, a heated pool and spa. And each of these rooms is as special and unique as one could want. For example, the main living room or ballroom has 14-foot coffered ceilings, is over 700 square feet, and looks out at a huge expanse of lawn through enormous, custom Palladian glass doors. The cozy library in the center of the house also has garden views and is nestled around a fireplace. The paneled den offers the owner a perfect perch to work and survey the property in solitude.

From the moment you walk in the door, you realize this is very different from most Georgetown homes. There is no narrow center hallway with a big ole staircase in front of you as soon as you walk in the door - but a wide gallery entry hall.

Most large homes in Georgetown are very vertical; with only three or four rooms per floor, and stacked on four or five floors.  In many instances kitchens and dining rooms are not on the same floor.  However, this house, sitting on 1/3 of an acre has the luxury of having all the large publice rooms interconnected and on one level.



I admire the coffered, 14 foot ceilings and the wall of windows spanning almost the entirety the 34 foot length of the living room (yes, I said 34 feet!)  I hate to think what that rug must have cost....




A cozy, but nicely proportioned dining room.  Off the dining room is both a wine "cellar" and a china closet.



The family room has another fireplace and built-in bookcases.  It also benefits from it's proximity to a wet bar just through that doorway.




This large eat-in kitchen provides ample space for both catered events and family entertaining.



A beautifully furnished library off the family room overlooks the gardens and opens out to the terraces completes the public rooms on the first floor.  There is also a laundry room and a one car garage off the kitchen.



The master bedroom has a nice tray ceiling, plenty of windows and access to a balcony.  There is also  unseen en suite bath.




There are three additional, uninspired bedrooms on the second level.











Best I can tell the media room is counted as the 5th bedroom, but is in the basement and the windows are small, but there is an adjoining full bathroom.  There is also a second single car garage off the of the lower level media room.



If this property is worth anywhere near it's $8.5M asking price, it is because of the 1/3 acre grounds in the heart of Georgetown.



There is 40 foot long swimming pool.



Ample terrace space.



Outside kitchen and dining areas




Views to the Virginia skyline




If I were looking to leave my suburban enclave to move into the land of tourist, undergrads, and exploding manhole covers, I would seriously consider this house.  It is unique, in my view, due to the expansive grounds and wide footprint of the house.  It is not a typical townhouse on 4 or 5 levels, but a more manageable 2 levels + a basement.  It also has plenty of garage and off-street parking which is crucial in Georgetown.  However, I would also have to seriously consider whether I could live next to dear Sally Quinn.  She is a woman of many talents, but despite her advanced age has yet to learn there limits.  As seen here and here.

All pictures and listing information is courtesy of Washington Fine Properties. The listing can be found here.

Riverfront Estate Under Contract

Seller:  Various trusts related to the heirs of Burton C. Gray
Buyer:  TBD
710 Bulls Neck Road
McLean, VA 22101
6 Bedrooms  6.5 Baths
Asking Price:  $6,500,000

Welcome back ladies and gentlemen.  We are back in business with news of a big contract on a fantastic riverfront estate that has gone to contract after years (yes, years) on and off the market.  I remember seeing this unique and beautiful listing hit the market in in 2009 with an asking price of $9M.  After several years and several price chops it went to contract last week. At this point, there is no word on the prospective buyer or the contract price, but time will tell....

Now, before we dive into the specifics of the property itself, let's talk about the seller(s).  Burton C. Gray may not be a household name, but he was a big-time player in political and IT circles of Washington in the 1970's and 1980's.  He was a noted economist, businessman and conservative political theorist. He founded Scientific Time Sharing Corporation with Dan Dyer and Lawrence M. Breed, a computer software firm in the Washington, DC area. He was a board member of the Reason Foundation and the Philadelphia Society. He was a founder of the Federalist Society and active in the Libertarian Party. The Reason Foundation has established the Burton C Gray Memorial Internship in his honor.

Mr. Gray was from a prominent family, his father and grandfather, and several of his uncles were all, at various points in time, heads of the RJ Reynolds Tobacco Company.  His father served in numerous positions in the Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson and Nixon administrations (not many men can claim that long of a run).  Mr. Gray's brother is C. Boyden Gray, who was White House Counsel to President George H. W. Bush and has held numerous diplomatic postings.

Alas, Mr. Gray went to meet his maker in 1989, at a far too early age of 48, less than a year after marrying Deecy Stevens, a prominent figure in her own right.  In addition to his widow, he was survived by two sons and a daughter from a previous marriage, as well as his three brothers.

Now, on to the property in question. Here is the listing description courtesy of Washington Fine Properties:

THE CLIFFS*Spectacular waterfront offering on the Potomac River in McLean! This magnificent property features a total of 5 acres comprised of two lots, stunning Frank Lloyd Wright inspired residence designed by Charles Goodman. Features include complete privacy, light filled public rooms surrounding a beautiful atrium. Additional building sites a possibility. Water access!

The Cliffs, as it is called in the listing, is a beautifully situated house on a large, densely wooded lot perched prominently above a particularly splendid spot on the Potomac, between Great Falls and Little Falls.  Located at the end of a private lane off of the Georgetown Pike, just beyond the Beltway and before you get to the Madeira School.

The house, according to county records is over 6,700 sq. ft. spread over 3 levels and consists of 6 bedrooms and 6 and 1/2 bathrooms and was built in 1959.  While, I would not agree with the listing agent that the home is "Frank Lloyd Wright inspired", Charles Goodman  was a locally prominent architect who was very involved in many of the mid-century modern developments throughout the Washington area.  That being said, the style of the home is not everyone's cup of tea. 

I personally like the clean lines of the home, which blends nicely into the surroundings.  This must have astounded folks when it was constructed in 1959. 

The interior of the home appears to be well maintained, but has not been redecorated since the Nixon Administration and offers a rare glimpse of how I envision the well-off folks of the late 60's living.  I can just imagine Kissinger and Nelson Rockefeller discussing Indo-China diplomacy over martinis in the Great Room.

Imagine the fondue parties held in this Dining Room

The Library (below) is right out of Mad Men, although I don't see any books?  Since I was not born yet in the 1960's, I do not know what that contraption is in the lower right side of the picture.  Can anyone help me here?  Bueller? Bueller?  I suspect it has some part in explaining the purple ceiling and walls.

But wait, there is more MADness yet to come....check out this kitchen with the last remaining Amana RadarRange in existence.

Here is the master bedroom (below).  I imagine this is how Ethel Kennedy decorated her boudoir at Hickory Hill back in the day.  Shiny!

Not to be outdone, here is the adjoining dressing room.  One would have to be very confident in their self-image to face this room every morning.  I prefer to dress in a dark mirror-less room.

There are several other bedrooms that are consistent with the "style" of the above, that are not worth showing.  One remaining feature that is worthy of note is the "apartment" which seems to have great views of the property and river without all the purple and mirrors.  This where I would hang out if I had $6.5M to spend on Mad Men meets McLean.

While this home needs a lot of upgrades and improvements to bring it into the 21st century, I am hopeful the new owners (if this sale goes through) will not raze this beautiful house and replace it with something new and unremarkable.  The last thing the Virginia suburbs of Washington needs is yet another colonial McMansion, French "Chateau" or "Itailianate Palazzo".  Time will tell...

Clarens Estate in Alexandria

Seller:  V. Thomas Lankford, Jr.
318 N. Quaker Lane
Alexandria, VA 22304
9 Bedrooms  8.5 Baths
Asking Price:  $8,950,000

Happy New Year to everyone out there!  We took a break from blogging to focus on our day job, but we are back today with a listing for an Estate in Alexandria.  For those of you not familiar with the area, Alexandria is just across the river, in Virginia, from Washington, DC.  Alexandria was a busy little place long before the first cornerstone was laid in what was to become our nation's capital.  In 1791, Alexandria was included in the area chosen by George Washington to become the District of Columbia. A portion of the City of Alexandria---namely known as "Old Town"--- and all of today's Arlington County share the distinction of having been originally in Virginia, ceded to the U.S. Government to form the District of Columbia, and later retroceded to Virginia by the federal government in 1846, when the District was reduced in size to exclude the portion south of the Potomac River. The City of Alexandria was re-chartered in 1852. 

The property we are discussing today, known as the Clarens Estate, sits just up the hill from Old Town Alexandria.  A quick look at Wikipedia tells us that Clarens is best known as the estate of James Murray Mason, a member of the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate for Virginia, and a grandson of George Mason, a signer of the Declaration of Independence.

Clarens was constructed between 1814 and 1816. Reverend George Smith operated his prominent "Fairfax School" at Clarens. Notable Fairfax School attendees included George Washington Custis Lee and George M. Dallas. During the American Civil War, Clarens was used as a hospital for Union Army soldiers. After the war, James Murray Mason selected Clarens as the estate at which he planned to retire. Confederate Army General Robert E. Lee also visited Mason at Clarens after the war.  Mason died at Clarens on 28 April 1871.
After Mason's death, Clarens subsequently became a girls school. It was later owned by William G. Thomas. Upon his sale of the property in the late 1980s, Clarens was subdivided.


Today the property consists of 3.5 acres with the main house consisting of 7 bedrooms and nine working fireplaces with an elevator providing access to the four floors.  As you would expect, there is a grand entrance hall in the main house which spans the length of the home and is framed by front and rear doorways with fan and side lighting augmented by two crystal chandeliers, keystone archways and crown and dentil moldings. To the left of the grand entry way is the formal living room with a chandelier and antique Adams Period mantelpiece dating from 1804. Off the living room is a solarium with French doors opening onto the palazzo and the grounds. 

The library to the right of the entrance hall features a working natural fireplace, built-in bookshelving and discreet built-in cabinetry. A custom wet bar with a sink, in addition to a powder room with marble flooring and inlaid brass, are accessible through both the formal library and the dining room.

The grand dining room is the most formal room in the home. With 18 inch faux marble dentil crown molding, a crystal chandelier, sweeping views of the property through the three large floor-to-ceiling windows, a gas fireplace, and hand-painted wall paper, it is a perfect room for entertaining.

The eat-in kitchen with paneled ceilings has custom made, hand-painted La Corne double oven was shipped from France. The kitchen also boasts two Miele dishwashers, a Kitchen Aid Ice Maker, Subzero refrigerator, blue flec granite countertops and a farm house sink.  A working gas fireplace with brick mantle and a desk area with built-in cabinetry complete the kitchen, which overlooks both the family room and the rear grounds.

There is a 20x23 family room providing plenty of space for relaxation. The three sets of French doors lead to the back colonnade and back yard while the front of the family room provides views of the palazzo. Inside, crown molding, recessed lighting and a gas fireplace add nice touches to the room.

The main level study was once used as a kitchen and features the original oversized fireplace, built-in bookcases and shelves and has discrete access to the elevator and a breezeway to a ground floor guest room.

The second floor master bedroom suite is comprised of a well proportioned bedroom, dressing room and beautiful bathroom with paneled tub and separate steam shower of which my wife would be envious.

The grounds have several historic outbuildings now used as a guest house, potting studio and well house.  The guest cottage boasts offers living quarters with a fireplace and brick floors, a full bath, fireplace and French doors leading to the pool area. The recently constructed pool house that has been wired for sound boasts two bathrooms, a kitchen, large living room, laundry room, three closets including one walk-in closet, a ceiling fan, two brick fireplaces and a bedroom. A koi pond, trellised grill area, walled orchard, pool, built-in Jacuzzi & fire-pit complete the estate.

We are of two minds about this offering.  If we never had to leave this wonderful oasis we would love it; however it sits on a fairly busy street and is near several developments that offer a less than desirable aesthetic just beyond the immediate environs.  Nevertheless, if you are in the market for a large, historic property within minutes of downtown DC, this is a very worthy option for your consideration.





 

The Late Senator Kennedy's DC Home Remains on the Market

Seller:  Victoria Kennedy
2416 Tracy Place
Washington, DC 20008
6 Bedrooms  8 Baths
Asking Price:  $6,995,000

Today we are going to take a look at the Kalorama mansion that the late Senator Edward Moore "Ted" Kennedy shared with his wife Victoria.  Property records indicate they purchased the property in April of 1998 for $2,775,000 and moved from the Senator's long-time home on Chain Bridge Road in McLean.  The Senator passed away in August of 2009 and the widow Kennedy put the Tracy Place manse on the market for $7,995,000 in June 2010.  After three months on the market Mrs. Kennedy reduced the price by $1,000,000 to the current asking price of $6,995,000.

The listing for the property is:
Entertaining & family are perfect partners in the gracious home of the late Senator & Mrs. Edward M. Kennedy. Elegance & grandeur define the living rm which glows with light through the French doors that lead to the terrace & year-round garden. The stunning dining rm is the setting for a dinner for 2 or a banquet for 50+ flowing into the adjacent sunrm. The essence of the before/after dinner gatherings is the faux-painted library. A secret hideaway entered through the library leads to the garage & indoor resistance pool. The spacious, bright eat-in kitchen is a gourmet's delight, & the family rm provides space for playing dining. The 6 bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms & walk-in closets are distinct havens for family & guests. The master suite has his & her closets & bathrms, study, &balconies that overlook the garden. This special place also features 5 fireplaces, exercise rm, elevator, office, wine cellar, laundry rm, garage, & unbelievable storage. Courtesy of Tutt, Taylor, Rankin/Sotheby's International Realty

The house is on a beautiful block in the hill above Embassy Row and many of the neighbors are diplomatic residences.  The large home is on a relatively small lot (.2 acres) which is typical for this neighborhood.  The classic exterior of the home bears a passing resemblance to another house located on the 1600 block of Pennsylvania Avenue, NW that Ted also aspired to live in, but that is a story for another blog.  The house consists of very nicely proportioned rooms and is decorated in an understated fashion. The home is entered through a large, tiered, marble floored, entrance hall that leads into a large parlor.  The dining room is well proportioned with beautiful molding that carries through all of the principal rooms.  The kitchen leaves quite a lot to be desired but I doubt the Senator and the Mrs. spent very much of their time in this room.  The home boasts six bedrooms including a very nice master suite with his and hers bathrooms.  All in all a very lovely place if you don't mind the postage stamp sized lot and single car garage.  I cannot leave you without commenting on the horrible "indoor resistance pool" room.  This portion of the house should put on the back of a truck and sent back to whatever Pocono Mountain ski resort they got it from.