People who are looking for a historic home will love Kensington, which takes pains to maintain a Victorian garden atmosphere in its quaint historic district.
Kensington began as Knowles Station after the B&O Railroad completed its Metropolitan Branch line in 1873. In the early 1890s, developer Brainard Warner bought property near the rail line to develop a planned Victorian community, which first was called Kensington Park and then Kensington in 1894. Today, that area is known as the Kensington Historic District and is listed in the National Registry of Historic Places.
Doug Donatelli, who owns a 120-year-old Victorian in Kensington, was drawn to the neighborhood by its large yards and nearby retail shops.
“The historic district is mix of an old-fashioned neighborhood and a retail area where we can walk. We can spend an entire weekend without getting into a car and still have places to shop and find places to eat,” Donatelli said.
Buyers have a “unique opportunity to be part of history” when they purchase one of Kensington’s stately, storied properties — but they also need to take into account the restrictions that go with it, said Lou Ann Armstrong, an associate broker at ERA Teachers Real Estate and former owner of a historic home. The Kensington Historic District, for example, must approve any changes to a home’s exterior. Because these houses were built around the end of the 19th century and into early years of the 20th century, there are also maintenance requirements related to wood structures and foundations that require “attention to detail,” Armstrong said.
“These old houses need a lot of work,” confirmed Maureen Conley, who has owned in the historic district since 1998.
Homeowners may need to hire a contractor who is specifically qualified to work on historic homes, but Armstrong added that anyone interested in this type of real estate likely appreciates the neighborhood and is “committed to maintaining the guidelines of the home.”
Though a very popular location, the enclave has not been immune to the downturn in the real estate market — making it an opportune time for those wishing to locate there.
“The market isn’t what it was in 2005, Armstrong said. “Prices have dropped in Kensington, as with the rest of the suburbs.”
The historic district’s commercial area is teeming with antique shops and specialty stores, such as the Fine Swine on Fawcett Street, a men’s haberdashery owned and operated by John Hickman.
Hickman noted that Kensington has more than charm to offer — it has location, location, location.
“Most people don’t realize how convenient Kensington is compared to Chevy Chase or Bethesda,” he said. “We’re right on the Beltway and on Connecticut Avenue, and not too far from Wisconsin Avenue, but still out of that main traffic flow.”
