Inside Owl’s Nest, a Historic Mansion in Washington D.C. Listed for $10.5 Million
A landmarked Gilded Age manor is a rare find on the market in the nation’s capital. But one address matching the profile just listed with ties to the founder of the National Press Club, one of the world’s leading professional organizations for journalists. Now listed for $10.5 million, the four-story mansion includes a host of modern amenities that complement its historic appeal. Daniel M. Heider of TTR Sotheby’s International Realty holds the listing.
Named the Owl’s Nest, the mansion was built in 1897 as a country house for journalist William L. Crounse within the Forest Hills community. He tapped Appleton P. Clark, Jr. to design the hilltop retreat, which DC Historic Sites credits as “one of the city’s best examples of the Shingle style.” The nearly two-acre property was reportedly bought by the Jewish Day School in 2001 with plans to tear it down. It was designated a historic landmark that same year, amid those efforts, and Washington developer Chris Donatelli was next in line to buy the pad for $2.69 million in 2007.
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The property had fallen into disrepair by that time. So, Donatelli hired local architect George Myers and Gibson Builders for a major renovation that expanded and modernized it before moving in a year later. It now spreads out across 10,780 square feet in two wings, one restored and one brand new, with eight bedrooms and eight bathrooms.
While its many special details, including a stone archway at the entrance, a central turret, and stained-glass panels, speak to the home’s past, Donatelli’s time at the residence gives it even more political cachet. The architect and his wife, Karen, often hosted high-profile events at the home in Forest Hills where “wealthy Washingtonians would weekend,” Heider tells Mansion Global. Their most notable guest was former President Barack Obama, who reportedly attended a dinner party in 2014. “It’s the perfect home for a diplomat, an ambassador, or global CEO,” he continues.
Massive stone walls are exhibited along the home’s castle-like façade, plus asymmetrical massing that gives it a pleasantly uneven shape and weight, visually. Inside the grand foyer, a wood-paneled staircase sits across the way with a stained-glass window depicting an owl. The home’s name and this detail honor the land’s history of attracting owls as one of the highest points in the D.C. area. Standout spaces added onto the mansion include a chef’s kitchen with custom cabinetry and Wolf appliances, a converted library with a barrel-vaulted ceiling, and two covered porches.
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The primary suite is situated on the second floor with a covered terrace and spa-like en suite featuring checkered marble flooring. The abode’s top level, meanwhile, provides access to the airy turret bedroom with mullioned windows. Back downstairs, a sun-soaked rear patio with a lap pool and alfresco dining space rounds out the Owl’s Nest in northwest D.C.
Click here for more photos of the sprawling Washington, D.C. mansion.
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