A Victorian mansion that once was a boarding house with eight apartments has been restored beyond its original grandeur. Named the “Queen of Columbia Heights” by its owner Brandon Green, the 5,000-square feet semidetached row house is for sale.
Green, also the listing agent for the property, preserved much of the turn-of-the-century home’s original woodwork and architectural features then upgraded the house with 21st century amenities and technology.
| At a glance |
| Victorian mansion at 1300 Fairmont St. NW |
| List price: $1,445,000 |
| Rooms: 5 bedrooms, 7 baths |
| Square feet: 5,000 |
| Broker: Brandon Green Companies. 202-318-1623 |
| Virtual tour: brandongreen.com |
“It would make a great bed and breakfast,” Green said. “We’ve actually had people contact us who are interested in turning it into a bed and breakfast.”
The lineage of the home began when the first owner, Lester A Barr, applied for the building permit in 1900. In 1927, the building was home to 15 tenants but it went into foreclosure during the Depression.
Owners who purchased the building in 1991 overhauled the building to convert the separate quarters back to one grand home. When Green purchased it in 2002, he was committed to completing the restoration, and adding his own touch.
The neighborhood is lined with recently renovated homes and is within walking distance from the burgeoning U Street corridor. Surrounded by lovely landscaped gardens and stately wrought-iron gating, the house is perched on a corner lot at the intersection of 13th and Fairmont streets.
From its restored mortar to the finial atop the crowning turret, the exterior is reminiscent of the grand Brooklyn Heights Victorian brownstones.
Green relied on Christian Salinas, of StagingDesign to infuse a modern vibe into the home’s interior.
“I would call my style ‘when contemporary meets traditional,'” Salinas said. “So for me it is easy to mix styles and still make them look cohesive and current.”
On the main level, an inviting living room that once served as a parlor includes deeply set bay windows with views of the beautiful Greater First Baptist Church. The walls of the house are so thick they make people forget it sits in the heart of a busy neighborhood.
Ten-foot ceilings, 110-year-old pine floors and original oak columns are highlights of the stately dining room. The dining room opens to the kitchen, the most modern part of the house.
Designed with input from a professional chef, the kitchen features Sedona Cherry cabinets with an autumn blush finish and glass inserts. A Dynamic stainless steel cooking system includes six burners, one grill, two ovens, two warming lights and professional venting hood.
A luxurious music room with bold black and white draperies frames large windows and is perfect for entertaining.
“My inspiration was the black piano and I always wanted to have a black and white room in a house. So I looked for a couch that matched the piano. Then I wanted to give the room a rich feel so I found the draperies, and the chandelier and then it all started to come together,” Salinas said.
The master suite features a spalike bath, vaulted turret over the bed and a multimedia system that conveys. Possibly the best feature of this fifth-floor suite, however, is the view from the Juliet balcony, which includes the Tenleytown radio towers and the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.
Each bedroom is distinctive, yet the layout and design feels comfy and cohesive.
“I played with colors that were more Victorian — rich, bold colors,” Salinas said. “Then I found some period wall art and chandeliers, and I mixed it up with linear contemporary style furniture and accessories. In the end you have a mix of both worlds in a cohesive way.”
