This house is located at 4615 Laverock Place, NW:

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The listing says:

“**Rare & special, unobstructed Potomac River view** Exacting, tasteful renovation & expansion. Exterior:custom stone & cement plank w/ 50yr warranty; 2-lvl addition; stone patios; built-in grill, wd fpl. Interior: rich, neutral finishes. Gorgeous European kit w/SubZero/Wolf/Bosch, limestone flrs.Master ste spa–steam shower,Jacuzzi,deck.3 fpl w/rare marble. 2-car garage. HOA w/lawn care.By Appt.”

You can see a virtual tour here.

This 4 bed/3.5 bath is going for $2,395,000.

click map to enlarge. Source: Library of Congress

Map of the Week is written by David A., a systems librarian and map geek living in Mt. Pleasant. David previously wrote about a James E. Clements’ map of Washington City from 1891.

This eye-catching 1890 poster advertised a brand new neighborhood just north of the Georgetown Reservoir in the Palisades, a section of the district that extends from west of Georgetown to the Maryland border. The Palisades grew along the the Washington and Great Falls Electric Railway, a streetcar line that ran from Georgetown to Cabin John.

The accompanying images are probably more interesting than the map in the center. MacArthur Boulevard runs over the Cabin John Bridge, which still stands today.

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This house is located at 4848 Hutchins Place, NW:

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The listing says:

“THE BEST OF BOTH CITY AND NATURE ON SECLUDED STREET IN PALISADES. ENGLISH MANOR INSPIRED COLONIAL BUILT IN 2004 AND BOAST APPROX 6400 OF FINISHED SPACE WITH STUNNING VIEWS OF GEORGETOWN RESEVOIR AND FED PARK. GOURMET LOBKOVICH KITCHEN FOLD AWAY W/NANA WALL WHICH BRINGS OUTSIDE IN. OPEN FLOORPLAN, HIGH CEILINGS, HARDWOODS,GORGEOUS ENGLISH AND FRENCH GARDENS, STUNNING YARD”

You can see a virtual tour here.

This 7 bed/5.5 bath is going for $2,635,000.

This rental is located at 4952 Eskridge Terrace, NW:

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The listing says:

“Beautiful 1BR basement apt, very pvt, includes all utils (including cable/internet and TV), custom lights, Italian tilework, spa tub, w/d, great fridge, gas stove, lots of storage space, private entrance, private outside space, easy street parking, walking distance public transportation. AVAIL 3/16. Near AU, Sibley.”

This 1 bed/1 bath is going for $1,350/Mo.

This house is located at 2950 University Terrace NW:

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The listing says:

“Rare 6.2 acre parcel w/ spectacular 10,000SF 1995 residence mins from downtown. Superb and thoughtful construction w/ 11′+ ceilings and wonderful indoor/outdoor relationship; fabulous flow for entertaining. Circular drive + gated parking, 2BR guest house. .. and OH THE GROUNDS! Beautiful pool, terraces, extraordinary gardens and secret paths. Possibility of subdivision.”

You can see more photos here and a virtual tour here.

This 5 bed/6 bath is going for $19,500,000.

June 2012

Back in June I shared some photos of the super cool ‘Glass Forest’ in the Palisades. Sadly, I was sent an email this morning saying it had been vandalized:

“Sometime over the past week, marauding kids demolished most of the sculptures that hung in the woods next to Palisades Park. Dubbed the “Glass Forest”, its creator lives nearby and has been laid out with illness for a week.”

You can see what it used to look like here.

Thanks to Susie from Palisades-DC for sharing:

There is a “new house” sign from Pollin Construction on the old Shugrue property. It is likely that the house will soon be razed to make way for another mansion. Located on Foxhall Road just south of the Field School, it is one of the oldest farmhouses in Palisades.

The Shugrue and Malone families operated a dairy farm for about 150 years in the 19th and 20th centuries, using for pasture the land currently occupied by the Mt. Vernon/GW campus. (They donated the land to Our Lady of Victory Church on MacArthur Blvd.) As I understand it, they grazed their herds from as far east as Georgetown along Que Street to as far west of the Wells Fargo location at Arizona and Macarthur Blvd.

This house was the Shugrue family home, and until August 2012 was occupied by Sylvia K. Shugrue an award winning science teacher…and in whose name a grant was established for teachers who create an interdisciplinary lesson plan through the National Science Teachers Association.

Sylvia was known to say upon departing, “See you in the Funnies.”

A readers sends in this great lawn decoration from the Palisades.

This house is located at 5343 Macarthur Boulevard, NW:

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The listing says:

“True serenity in the city. Private enclave with tree top views and community pond. Unique tranquility in this open-floor plan contemporary where indoor/outdoor ambiance abounds. Walls of glass and doors opening to decks and terraces, cathedral ceilings, skylights. 4 bdrms, 2.5 baths, 4car pkg.. Walk to Starbucks, restaurants, C&O Canal, etc. HVAC new in ’10, roof new in ’12. By appt. only.”

You can see a virtual tour here.

This 4 bed/2.5 bath is going for $1,150,000.

This rental is located at 4426 Lingan Road, NW:

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The listing says:

“Gorgeous residence in NW Washington DC. Walking distance to Georgetown, Palisades amenities, Canal Road and more. Enjoy the beautiful granite counter tops, stainless steel appliances and wood floors. Huge master suite with walk in closet, balcony, spa bath w/ sep tub+shower. Beautiful spacious deck, parking and a convenient basement.”

This 3 bed/3.5 bath is going for $4,450/Mo.

This house is located at 2724 Chain Bridge Road, NW:

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The listing says:

“EXTRAORDINARY UPDATED CALIFORNIA CONTEMPORARY with 35′ indoor pool on 1/2 landscaped acre. Soaring walls of glass, floating staircase, beautiful floors, atriums,skylights, GREEN ROOF. Exciting features also include waterfall, vaulted ceilings, sauna, sundeck. Facing Battery Kemble Park and easy walk to MacArthur Blvd. shops and dining. Over 5400 square feet of luxurious living space”

You can see more photos here and an older but awesome virtual tour here.

This 5 bed/4.5 bath is going for $2,950,000.

One of my favorites from my Palisades adventure. Super fresh roof:

This house is located at 5017 Loughboro Road, NW:

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The listing says:

“First time on the market in 45 years! This fully updated, substantial stone residence offers an acre of private grounds and 8,000 sq. ft. of interior space. Grand public rooms, a gourmet kitchen with butler’s pantry, family room with fireplace, high ceilings, walnut-paneled library, a large Master suite, and 6+ bedrooms are some of the features in the home.”

You can see more photos here.

This 6 bed/6.5 bath is going for $6,250,000.

Another super cool one from the Palisades.

I never thought I’d see something cooler than the Glass Forest in the Palisades. Then I met Doug Dupin and the Palisades Museum of Prehistory (PMOP). So freaking cool. At first I was simply admiring the unusual little building and I just thought it was cool looking work shed. Turns out I was way off. Here’s the mission of PMOP:

The Palisades Museum of Prehistory (PMOP), incorporated in Washington DC, is a non-profit regional organization dedicated to promoting the awareness and preservation of prehistoric artifacts in the Palisades of Washington DC.

It is little known by most residents of our area that humans have occupied what is now the Washington, DC metropolitan area for at least 12,000 years. In particular, the Palisades of Washington DC is especially rich in the history of early humans. In light of the area’s rapid rate of development, much evidence of early man’s presence is being lost.

The PMOP will accomplish its mission by providing information, education, and archaeological guidance.

In addition to curation and preservation of prehistoric artifacts, the PMOP will assemble a library of archaeological records, maps, and surveys pertinent to the region’s prehistory. These records are now housed in disparate locations e.g. universities, National Park Service, State Historic Preservation Offices, Smithsonian archives. The localized information will be made available in the museum located in the Palisades of Washington DC.

More interest in our prehistory will hopefully allow the PMOP to organize a volunteer network that can react rapidly to events exposing our prehistory – like road works, building excavations, and erosion.

The bulk of prehistoric data remains locked up in government agencies and academic institutions. Many in the archaeological profession believe that releasing this information will encourage people to collect artifacts on federal lands. However well-intentioned, this mindset continues to exact a toll on the prehistoric record. Ignorance of history will guarantee the obliteration of the archeological record as more development continues with little regard to the people who onced lived here.

By providing the public access to the archaeological record, PMOP will boost awareness of our area’s human history. In the end, both professionals and public will benefit from the increase of knowledge.

Because our region’s prehistory spans at least 12,000 years, waves of indigenous cultures have come and gone dispersing evidence over broad geographic areas. The ravages of time have thinned much of that evidence. By recovering more evidence over a broader area, and making that information public, the PMOP hopes to raise awareness and understanding of those who lived here for thousands of years.

In terms of human evolution, the formative years of our species existed in lithic cultures. By greatly expanding the knowledge base of those cultures, the Palisades Museum of Prehistory hopes to shed light on our human nature.

And the executive director, Doug Dupin, could not be more interesting and welcoming. If you’re interested in having a look just schedule an appointment by phone 202-262-2360 or email director(at)pmop.org. Doug says he gets 1-2 visitors a week.

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