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...