Previous owners described this 1826 Georgetown residence as a “crumbling cottage.” But a renovation in the early 2010s transformed it into a modern dwelling while preserving some architectural details, including the original staircase.
Levin Dukes, a boatman, built the house and was its first occupant. Little is known about him, but his boat was named Gov. Curtin, possibly after the governor of Pennsylvania during the Civil War. After Dukes died, the house sold in 1884 for $1,685, equivalent to about $52,000 today.
“Every time I go up those steps to the second floor,” said Jerry Rothman, who is selling the blue-clapboarded house, “I kind of picture this riverboat captain and his gear coming home.”
The Federal-style house, known locally as “the Blue House” for its vibrant exterior, is on the market for $3.2 million. Rothman and his wife, Barbara, bought the house in 2012 for about $2 million.
“As soon as we crossed the threshold into the hallway, we said, ‘We’re buying it,’” Rothman said. “It was new. It was modern. It was clean.”
The house has some age-related quirks. In the library, for instance, moldings are different widths, and windows are different sizes. But the house has many modern touches, such as the finished lower-level space created by the Zapatka renovation and a rooftop cell tower added by the Rothmans.
The front door opens to the foyer, which leads to the dining and living rooms, each with a marble-framed fireplace. The dining room, part of which extends beyond the second floor, also has a skylight. The library, painted blue in keeping with the color scheme throughout, has built-in bookcases. The first-floor powder room is, of course, also blue.
A hallway on the first floor leads to a balcony that overlooks a patio and perennial garden adjoining the house’s walkout lower level.
The primary bedroom suite, on the second floor, has three closets and an en suite bathroom. Another bedroom on this floor has direct access to a hall bathroom.
The kitchen, on the lower level, has a granite-topped island and another dining area. A bedroom suite on this level has a built-in desk, as well as an en suite bathroom, and could be used as an office.
The family room, added to the house after its original construction, has wood paneling. Two walls have floor-to-ceiling windows. French doors lead to the patio and parking for one car.
The eye-catching exterior stands out among other Federal-style houses in the neighborhood, Rothman said. The color was chosen during the remodeling.
“We just kept it,” Rothman said. “And nobody really wants us to change it. As a matter of fact, several anonymous notes were left in our doorway. ‘What is the exact color of your house? I want to paint my house that color.’”
$3,200,000
- Bedrooms/bathrooms: 3/4
- Approximate square footage: 2,500
- Lot size: 2,500 square feet
- Features: This Federal-style Georgetown house is nearly 200 years old but was remodeled in the early 2010s. It is wired for computer networking throughout, and there is a rooftop cell tower. The house is fully detached but is classified as semidetached because a stairway on one side nearly touches a neighboring house. It has a rear patio and parking for one car.
- Listing agent: Jean Hanan, Washington Fine Properties