Georgetown House Tour on April 25 Will Feature Quality Hill Mansion on Prospect Street and 7 Other Homes

The Georgetown House Tour, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., on Saturday, April 25, will open the doors to eight houses in town. One of the highlights of the 84-year-old tour is the 1797 mansion built by John Thomson Mason, nephew of George Mason, and called Quality Hill. Reportedly, Thomas Jefferson stopped there for lunch. It sits at the corner of 35th and Prospect Streets. One of its recent owners was Sen. Clairborne Pell (D-R.I.).

Other houses on the tour include one of on N Street: the oldest portions of this residence were originally built in the 1890s. The property was subsequently acquired by Stanley Woodward, a friend of FDR, and was expanded to include a new three-story structure at the front of the property. The current living room was designed as a recreation of the music room of Number 20, St. James Square in London, a room designed by Robert Adam in 1772 and its plaster ceiling took 18 months to complete by hand.
Another house — on 31st Street — was termed “the only remaining example of a late Victorian cottage” by the National Building Survey. It was built between 1878 and 1880 by Albert B. Jackson. According to tour officials, it is a “fine example of a cottage-style detached residence with elaborate wood decoration. The current owner undertook an extensive restoration to restore more of the original Victorian character and charm.”

Also on the tour is a 34th Street house that sits with its historic Italianate/Victorian façade intact: “This home was completely renovated in 2014 by its current owners, partners in a Georgetown architecture firm, to include a a skylit contemporary stairway with glass railings, modern kitchen and a 45-foot-long living and dining space,” according to tour guides.

Tickets for the tour are $50 (advance) and $55 on the day of the tour. The tour’s Patrons’ Party will be held April 22 at the home of Deborah Winsor on Dumbarton Street NW. Visit www.georgetownhousetour.com for more information.