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| | | SW co-op straddles eras | | July 22, 2009 | | | | Staff Writer | | As in other parts of the District, home buyers in Southwest have options when looking at real estate: co-op or condo, town house or high-rise? But the field here is far narrower in one sense: Most homes date from the 1950s and ’60s — the period of “urban renewal” that left the city’s smallest quadrant dotted with large mid-century developments and nearly devoid of its original architecture.
One of the few exceptions is the Edward Simon Lewis house, built near the banks of the Potomac River in 1795 for George Washington’s nephew. The Lewis home, along with nearby circa-1794 Wheat Row, was incorporated into the Harbour Square co-op in 1966.
The decision to keep the historic homes in place was an exception to the wholesale clearing that occurred in the rest of the neighborhood, noted Realtor Joan Carmichael. “Someone must have really argued that this should stay,” she said.
And stay it did, to become one of the more unusual historic properties in the city: an 18th-century home refurbished in the 1960s and flanked on both sides by mid-century structures. Renovations maintained a vintage feel but did not preserve the home’s historic fabric other than the brick facade, Carmichael said. Substantial moldings, soaring ceilings and windows and seven fireplaces help promote the idea that the home is in its original condition, but there are a few giveaways that the interior’s pedigree is, in fact, modern.
Closets, for one. There is no need for period armoires or elaborate seasonal wardrobe swaps; each of the four bedrooms sports ample closet space. Intercom units — high-tech when the interior was renovated — are another anachronism, but one that is easy to remove, Carmichael noted.
The ground floor — one of four levels — is divided into large living and dining rooms, swathed now in federal blue and cream. Large windows look, on one end, out to N Street, a quiet cul-de sac that ends near the Potomac River and sits one block from the Metro. The opposite exposure looks onto a patio and offers a glimpse of the Lewis house’s mod neighbors.
The historic property is more connected to those neighbors than casual passersby would imagine, as Carmichael demonstrates on the home’s lower level.
Past that floor’s two rooms (which could be a home office and library, or a host of other uses), a private elevator and bathroom, a door leads to a hallway with access to an underground garage (parking is extra here) and the co-op’s main office. The passage also offers a bit of a history lesson: Carmichael pointed out the wall’s transition from 1960s cinderblock to the rough and rugged foundations of 18th-century Wheat Row.
The home’s lowest level is, in one sense, a stand-in for much of the house. Some elements here, as elsewhere, are dated: wallpaper and paneling, for example. Cosmetic updates will certainly be enough for some, but others will want to go further in their modernizations.
Carmichael noted that her husband, a designer, is one of the latter. If he had his way, she said, he would make the bottom level a large kitchen and family room. Such a move would certainly yield more modern, casual living space than there is now, but some buyers will be happy with the ground floor’s current galley kitchen, updated a few years ago.
The four bedrooms are divided evenly between the top two floors. All are sizable, although the top floor’s sloping eaves make those two seem a bit cozier — a sense helped along by the fireplaces in each room.
Amenities are still few and far between in Southwest, but residents know that their tree-lined neighborhood is still a bargain. Restaurants and retail promised by a building boom have been slowed by recent financial woes. But storefronts will, they hope, materialize eventually, as will the development of potential-filled waterfront property.
Home buyers who complain that the neighborhood’s co-op fees are too high may get further ammunition from this property’s monthly bill of $3,500. But Carmichael points out that the listing price of $899,000 takes those fees into consideration, and that the monthly bill includes taxes, maintenance, all utilities and an underlying mortgage. And Harbour Square’s amenities, which include an indoor pool and exercise room, are top-notch, she added.
The town house at 456 N St. SW has four bedrooms and four baths in just over 4,000 square feet. It is offered for $899,000, and monthly fees are $3,500. For more information contact Joan Carmichael of RE/MAX Allegiance at 202-274-1888 or realcarm@aol.com. An open house will be held Sunday from 2 to 4 p.m. | | | | | Log in to comment on this article |
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