It’s not often that a home in the heart of the historic district of Old Town that was built before the United States was a country comes on the market. It’s even less often that a home in this category is held as an open house. Well, last weekend was our lucky open housing weekend as we were able to go through a home thought to have been built around 1760.
Yes, you read that correctly -- 1760. The home was built while our colonies were still under British rule, while taxes were being levied on those without representation (sort of like citizens of DC still experience today), before the Continental Army had formed, and while the founding fathers of the United States were brainstorming the ideas of government and constitution that would build the country where we now live.
The home, in the 200 block of Duke Street, sits across from the home of George Washington’s personal physician, so it probably has a few interesting stories to tell.
The outside of the home has been nicely maintained and retains much of the 18th century details that truly makes it unique. As you can see from the photo, the bright red door adds a warm welcome to the home's facade.
Walking into the entry hallway, you step into the original portion of the house and feel like you've stepped back in time. The period character and details of the home, from the wide plank flooring to the simple but substantial molding and staircase handrail, make the home feel warm and welcoming.
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If your neighborhood has some houses with good Halloween decorations, raise your hand...
Do you see Wendy and I jumping around the room with our hands raised saying "pick me, pick me, pick me!!!" Yep, you probably do, because we love some of the measures the people in Old Town take to gussy up their houses for the best holiday of the year. Today we'll take you on a little walking tour of some of the houses and shops in the area that got a jump start on Halloween and had their decorations out early for all to enjoy.
We'll start out with one of our annual favorites. This home, located in the 600 block of South Lee Street, is a beautiful brick home on a quiet brick with a large yard and owners that love Halloween. They often have some of our favorite decorations each year, and this year is no different.
The home's windows and door are covered with black crows/ravens.
The wreath on the front door appears to be a mix of slithering black snakes.
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Thursday, October 20, 2011
This past summer's severe weather and the hope for some major snow storms this winter (I love snow and miss that part of living in Ohio) are just another in a long list of events we lived through in our house. reinforced how great it is to have so many things at our immediate disposal within a short walk from our house.
From snow storms that have seemingly buried our car, to hurricanes, to the the desire to just spend less time driving in some of the worst traffic in the country, we often leave our car parked for days and even weeks at a time. It is fairly typical to go as many as three or four weeks without filling up the gas tank, and we only get about 15-17 miles per gallon.
Growing up in suburban Cleveland, Ohio, we're no strangers to the car required lifestyle. Where we're from you really can't go out or do anything more than a walk or jog without first getting into your car. It's just an accepted way of life and really you don't think twice about when you grow up in a setting like this.
When we moved to DC we decided to try to live with only one car, primarily for budgetary reasons, but still needed a car given the proximity of our apartment to conveniences. In a previous post we covered how we've been able to live and renovate where we do with just one impractical car between the two of us. I can't imagine doing that where we spent our formative years.
It wasn't until we moved into our house in Old Town that we realized just how possible it is to actually live car independent. Easy walking distance to grocery stores, the Metro, markets, shopping, drug stores, entertainment, attractions, and so much more. When friends or family come to visit, they often park when they arrive and leave their car parked until they leave.
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Wednesday, October 19, 2011
If it hasn't been clear by our string of posts in the fine month of October, we are certified Halloween nuts. From decorating to costumes, spooky party fare to haunting libations, we honestly can't get enough of this lovely holiday. But be warned, this isn't a holiday you can fumble into willy-nilly, it's a celebration that must be adequately planned for.
When planning for the celebration of All Hallows' Eve, one of the most important elements is obviously the selection of your costume. Nothing says "I go all out" like an over the top costume that shows significant effort, planning, creativity, or commitment. In a previous post we outlined our costume selections since moving to DC. Some years we've gone the couples route, others on our own, but if you can see anything from our costumes, we always try to do something that we enjoy individually because the whole point of Halloween is the fun.
This year Wendy was taking a bit too long to decide on her costume, so I decided to do a costume on my own. I actually started putting together my costume about six or seven months ago. Anything worth doing is worth doing right, and the proper amount of lead time is necessary when you want a good looking costume. So what did I decide to go as this year? I went with another sport theme (I do like the sports themes) and put together a very accurate 1960's Cleveland Browns costume.
This all goes back to a movie that was released in 2008 and that I saw in 2010 called "The Express." A true story about running back Ernie Davis, the first African American Heismann Trophy winner in 1962. Ernie Davis was signed to play for the Cleveland Browns and several scenes in the movie depicted the Browns in a 1962 game.
I've always loved period style costumes, so when I saw an auction listing for one of the jerseys and pants from the movie. I figured this would make a good costume so I waited and waited until it got to a low enough price that I thought was fair and I snapped them up. With that, I was on my way to a costume I knew I would love!
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Tuesday, October 18, 2011
When Wendy and I look through the open house listings for any given weekend, we typically look for one of two things. We’re primarily interested in houses that are either significantly old or seem particularly impressive. This past weekend we were quite happy when we looked at Redfin.com (our go-to real estate website and related iPhone app) and found a house that easily fulfilled both of these criteria. Better yet, it was open this past Sunday.
Interestingly enough, it actually isn’t the first time we’ve seen the inside of this house. Several years ago it was one of the homes featured on the annual spring Virginia Garden Week tour of homes. It was spectacular and impressive then, but we were limited to seeing only the first floor and backyard. One of the drawbacks of local home tours is that oftentimes you only get to see a small portion of any given house. When any of these homes are put on the market and held open it is always a treat because we finally have an opportunity to see the rest of the home.
The stately home we visited is located in a prime Old Town location in the 100 block of Duke Street. The nearly 4,000 sqft home with four bedrooms and three and a half baths on a large lot was expanded from a slightly smaller but still pretty amazing house built in 1800. The house sits on a large lot that had enough room for the owners to build a three story entryway addition to the right of the original structure. Technically, it occupies two lots, 107 and 109. This allowed the owners to eliminate the main staircase for the home and expand the second and third floor significantly. With the main staircase removed, the owners constructed a new three level entry foyer with “spiral” staircase.
I actually have some mixed emotions about this house. On one hand, the restorationist in me is a bit sad the main staircase and entry hall was removed and house’s original floor plan significantly reconfigured. Given the size and age of the home, I have no doubt that it probably had a pretty spectacular entryway with a beautiful “Christmas staircase” as Wendy calls it. But on the other hand, the part of me that enjoys a functional and well laid out house feels the owners did a pretty great job making the original portion of the house blend with what feels like a mid-1990s addition that made every attempt to keep with the nature of the home, without being horribly obtrusive.
The end result of the effort is a home that still possesses many of the original character elements that make it unique and individual coupled with an addition that takes advantage of the home’s location near the river to provide stunning views in a very desirable location.
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