Town Topics

Georgetowner • February 7, 2012

ANC Report: Full House on DCFEMS, DCRA, Pepco, Food Trucks and Evermay.

Got all that? In an especially full and varied meeting Jan, 30, Advisory Neighborhood Commission 2E tackled a packed line-up:

**Fire & EMS**

Chief Kenneth Ellerbe, of D.C. Fire & Emergency Medical Services, fresh with his department’s safety and health demonstrations at the Georgetown Safeway Jan. 28, addressed the meeting and stressed the role of firefighters who are also paramedics and emergency responders.?Ellerbe’s insistence on the use of the full name?and not just “DCFD” (the chief ordered uniforms and t-shirts must show the full acronym, DCFEMS)? has some firemen and members of the union bothered. But the chief continues to talk about the department’s “soft presence on the streets” and the 161,000 calls in 2011: 130,000 were medical, and only 500 were real house fires. Ellerbe also said the department had gotten 25 new ambulances and defended the newly proposed firefighters’ working hours of?12 hours on, 12 off.

**Building Collapse Still Unknown**

Nicholas Majett, director of the D.C. Department of Regulatory and Consumer Affairs, talked about how the agency “touches everyone,” and then dealt with the partial collapse of the building at 1424 Wisconsin Ave., N.W., as well as regulations on the newly popular food trucks around the city. The partial collapse happening Thanksgiving Day, and there is a stop-work order on the site. The owner must hire a structural engineer to determine the cause?a possible conflict of interest that commissioners found troubling and said so to DCRA’s Bill Davidson and his boss. Citing a construction collapse of a Wisconsin Avenue building ten years ago, which was owned by the same businessman and about one block to the south, commissioner Bill Starrels recalled, “The owner has a history as a bad actor.” Owner Robert Solomon of the 1422 Wisconsin Ave. building complained about a window being bricked up. The cause of the collapse remains undetermined, and DCRA needs to know if it is to issue a permit for rebuilding at the site, which was slated to became a Z-Burger eatery.

**Where Food Trucks May Park**

As for food trucks, the commissioners voted to ask that they not park on residential streets. Current law allows them to park in any legal spot.?

**Evermay to House S&R Foundation**

Evermay’s zoning variance request was approved in a most collegial manner. Evermay LLC requested that the S&R Foundation, headed by the property’s new owners, biotech business partners and spouses Ryuji Ueno and Sachiko Kuno, be allowed to operate from the estate at R and 28th Streets with strict restrictions on frequency of events and number of employees. The foundation’s mission encourages musical and scientific excellence while it promotes American and Japanese ties and studies responses to disasters, such as tsunamis or earthquakes. S&R Foundation attorney Alice Gregg Haase listed the restrictions, which include parking all cars on Evermay’s land, no outdoor amplified music, no more than 100 persons on regular events and more. The ANC voted to review the approval after five years, not seven as was requested by the foundation. “This is the way it should work,” said ANC chair Ron Lewis. The zoning commission will make its final decision at the end of this month.

**Hey, Be Alert: Lock It**

The monthly police report by Metropolitan Police Department officer Kathryn Fitzgerald stated the obvious: lock your doors and secure your items. One business cash register was robbed when employees left keys in the register; another left its business office doors unlocked and was robbed. (The perps were caught.) As for iPhone thefts, need we say more?

**Better Wiring in the Hood**

Pepco officials were also at the meeting to discuss outages and how the utility is switching neighborhoods to different electrical grids, such as Hillandale, and upgrading lines as well?all to improve service in Burleith.

**Hang On, O and P**

For the O and P Street Project: the 3400 block of P Street should be complete now.? Check [FixingOandPStreets.com](http://www.fixingoandpstreets.com) for updates, such as a utilities turn-off next week.

Quick question: Who said the following? “Rocky’s Report should be taken with a grain of salt.” It was ANC chair Ron Lewis speaking of Georgetown University’s more personable approach to campus crime reporting.? More quotes this and next week on the zoning commission’s decision?expected momentarily?on the university’s 2010-2020 campus plan.

Robert Sacheli • November 3, 2011

The lure of history and architecture has led Marston Luce into some less-than-attractive places — with some beautiful results.

In the early 1980s, he would “prowl D.C. in areas where buildings were being torn down” and he vividly recalls the rats that often scurried around as he was on the lookout for the decorative brickwork and architectural ornaments that his excursions would unearth. (“I was recycling before it was fashionable,” he chuckles. “I’m an environmentalist.”) His finds were sold from the trunk of a red MG at the Georgetown Flea Market.

Today, the stock of his eponymous upper Wisconsin Avenue shop, which opened in 2001, comes from far more congenial spots. “I do my buying in France, where I have a house in the Dordogne, and some in England and in Sweden.”

His eye, though, still is trained on the beautiful, no matter the source. He describes his aesthetic as “humble elegance.”

“I deal with very elegant things, but they have a humble soul. I like the tension between the two.” He points to an early-19th-century English bulls-eye mirror as a perfect example of that outlook. The elaborately carved frame is not gilded, the way a grander piece might be. Instead, it gets its character from a warm white finish that gives it a welcoming lightness.

Look around Luce’s airy, light-filled shop (which he shares with Dink, a Jack Russell terrier, and Penny, a schnauzer) and you’ll find tabletop arrangements that mix refined objects, folk art and furniture ranging from a Swedish comb-painted armoire to an iron table fashioned from industrial salvage from Belgium. You’ll also see charming juxtapositions, such as a 19th-century French tin weathervane in the shape of a rooster and a cement version of the same animal that sports an equally extravagant curving tail.

That sense of combination is part of a trend that Luce sees among his customers: “People are buying fewer things, but better quality, and they are mixing styles more.”

On a recent visit, a shop associate was unfolding a circa-1800 painted French screen that depicts a hunting expedition in a tropical landscape. Who knows what those long-ago gentlemen may be stalking? It might be fun to imagine that they, like Marston Luce, are on the trail of something beautiful.

Marston Luce
1651 Wisconsin Ave.
202-333-6800
www.marstonluce.com

GEORGETOWN’S ANTIQUES:

Christian Zapatka: Reinventing the Georgetown Townhouse
Frank Randolph: Interior Designer Extraordinaire
John Rosselli: Georgetown’s Antique Aficionado
Marston Luce: In Search of Elegance
Scandinavian Antiques & Living: International Accents
Susquehanna Antique Company: Redefining Tradition
Sixteen Fifty Nine: A Mid-Century Renaissance

Ari Post •

Let New York City have New Years. Chicago can keep St. Patrick’s Day. No one does the Fourth of July like Washington, D.C.

There is no venue more fitting wherein to celebrate this country’s Independence Day than the nation’s capital. July 4 celebrations in Washington are among the most attended events of the year. The National Mall, swept with national monuments and the US Capitol, is a beautiful backdrop for the city’s all-day event schedule, ending, of course, with a dazzling fireworks display over the Washington Monument.

Everyone this side of the equator knows of Washington’s infamous fireworks celebration, but there is also a wealth of activities going on throughout the day. Public access to the Mall begins at 10 a.m., so get your sunscreen and get ready.

11:45 a.m. marks the start of the Independence Day Parade, featuring marching bands, military and specialty units, floats and VIPs. Running along Constitution Avenue, the parade usually draws a sizable crowd, so get there a little early to secure a good view.

The Airmen of Note will perform at the Smithsonian American Art Museum in the Kogod Courtyard from 1 to 3 p.m. The band will play Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman and other classics from the American Big Band era. The event celebrates the opening of a related exhibit, “Telling Stories: Norman Rockwell from the Collections of George Lucas and Steven Spielberg.”

Once again, the annual Smithsonian Folklife Festival will be celebrating the cultures of all the lands that helped shape this country. Though the festival runs in two weekend segments, it culminates around the 4th. Music, food, crafts and performances will take place at this year’s event, focused on Asian Pacific Americans and the “Smithsonian, Inside Out.” Visitors are invited to look at how things work at the institution in four areas of concentration: “Unlocking the Mysteris of the Universe,” “Understanding and Sustaining a Biodiverse Planet,” “Valuing World Cultures,” and “Understanding the American Experience.” The festival also focuses on Mexico and will hold a special tribute to Haiti. The event begins at 11 a.m. and goes until 5 p.m.

The W Hotel presents Boom With A View at 7 p.m. Music will be provided by The Honey Brothers, D.S. Posner, DJ Sky Nellor, a premium open bar, hors d’oeuvres and a great view of the fireworks. The event will take place on the P.O.V. Roof Terrace and Lounge on top of the W.

The National Archives will host its traditional family programming, celebrating the signing of the Declaration of Independence. This year, NBC News National Correspondent Bob Dotson will be the MC. Including a dramatic reading of the Declaration by historical reenactors and free family activities and entertainment for all ages.

At the White House Visitor Center, National Park Service rangers and volunteers will give people the opportunity to sample the sights, sounds, activities and personages that helped finalize the Declaration of Independence. Then, at 6 p.m., the US Army Concert Band and the US Army Band Downrange will play on the southwest corner of the grounds of the Washington Monument.

Leading right up to the fireworks, a live concert by the National Symphony Orchestra and several pop artists, “A Capitol Fourth,” will perform patriotic music on the West Lawn of the Capitol Building. The concert is free and open to the public. No tickets necessary. The annual event will also be broadcast on PBS and National Public Radio on WAMU 88.5 FM.

And then, of course, the fireworks. Throughout the day, beginning in the early morning, families toting coolers and lawn chairs stake out prime real estate on the Mall’s lawn for the best views of the fireworks. And it is quite a sight. A smorgasbord of colors and light at the apex of dusk, the Capitol Building being the only other thing in sight, every dazzled eye gets lost in moments of transient patriotism. On top of the memorials lining the Mall and the US Capitol, there are other sites to enjoy the fireworks. East Potomac Park is a wonderfully fun semi-secret, and if you’re willing to ante up for tickets, the Southwest Waterfront 4th of July Festival, the Rooftop of the W Hotel, or a cruise along the Potomac River are all premier venues.

Robert Sacheli •

Enter Georgetown’s newest antiques shop, Scandinavian Antiques & Living, and you’re struck by the colorfully eclectic selection of merchandise and the warm welcome of its owner, Elisabeth Wulff Wine.

Wine, who opened her store a month ago, is a native of Denmark who spent a number of years in Milan as an art and antiques dealer and decorator before moving to Washington a year and a half ago.

Her distinctive eye is reflected in tablescapes whose elements cross the boundaries of countries and centuries. For example, one desktop display combines an 1810 bronze ormolu clock and a pair of Swedish empire candlesticks with a 1950s toilet set and a 1960s Murano glass platter in swirling pastels.

The shop’s walls, too, are home to an array of art that ranges from mid-century modern abstracts to 19th-century portraits and flower paintings.

That sense of aesthetic freedom is at the heart of Wine’s shop: “Today we mix antiques with other objects,” she says. “A home today does not have to be the same — there are so many possibilities.”

Swedish furniture forms the centerpiece of the store’s collection, and Wine is understandably fond of its distinctive style. “I love the Swedish look. It’s so simple and so elegant. And it looks nice to mix it.”

One of her favorite pieces is a Gustavian clock cabinet, a drop-front secretary topped with a clock framed in soft curves. (The Gustavian style takes its name from a late 18th-century Swedish monarch.) More graceful curves characterize a standing clock, whose case has been weathered to a beautiful pale turquoise since it was made in 1750, and Wine has chosen it for her shop’s logo.

There’s an elegant sense of femininity to much of the shop’s stock, such as a fanciful Italian crystal-beaded chandelier in the shape of a pagoda (perfect for a fabric-tented boudoir, perhaps) and sensuously shaped Murano glass torchieres. Along with objects such as vivid Murano glass vases from the middle of the last century, these play off the pastel tones and neoclassical lines of the Scandinavian furniture to create a lively, unexpected harmony.

It’s exactly that sense of personal expression that Wine emphasizes as she sums up her outlook on décor: “People’s own taste is very important, even when working with a decorator. That’s what makes a home very personal.”

Scandinavian Antiques & Living
3231 P St.
202-450-5894

GEORGETOWN’S ANTIQUES:

Christian Zapatka: Reinventing the Georgetown Townhouse
Frank Randolph: Interior Designer Extraordinaire
John Rosselli: Georgetown’s Antique Aficionado
Marston Luce: In Search of Elegance
Scandinavian Antiques & Living: International Accents
Susquehanna Antique Company: Redefining Tradition
Sixteen Fifty Nine: A Mid-Century Renaissance

Robert Sacheli •

Don Draper and his fellow “Mad Men” have been very good for Mike Johnson.
The hit series has kicked off a renaissance of interest in mid-century modern furnishings and the swanky decorative accessories of the 60s — exactly the focus of Johnson’s Wisconsin Avenue shop, Sixteen Fifty Nine.

Antiques run in Johnson’s family — his grandmother owned a shop in Michigan — and he recalls “going to auctions since I was a little kid.” It wasn’t until he left a long career in corporate sales, though, that his passion for collecting turned into a full-time business. Sixteen Fifty Nine has just hit the seven-year mark.

He started the shop because “I had been collecting mid-century modern, but felt the lines I was looking for were not as accessible as they could be” in existing outlets.
Johnson specializes in iconic designers like Dorothy Draper, T. H. Robsjohn-Gibbings, Paul Frankl, and Donald Deskey, creators whose work is not being commercially reproduced today.

Draper (Dorothy, not Don) is currently represented at Sixteen Fifty Nine by a striking jade-green lacquered dresser with white accents and nine-ringed drawer pulls. (A similar pair in a black-and-gold color scheme made an appearance in Candice Bergen’s fictional Vogue office in the “Sex and the City” movie.)

You also can’t miss a pair of Bernhardt loveseats, produced in the 1950s by the company’s Flair division, upholstered in an eye-popping lime-blue and green (which had, in true ’50s style, been preserved under plastic slipcovers). The pieces would not look out of place in a contemporary showroom.

“I like to do things that are very clean-lined, that come across as a current piece of
furniture,” Johnson says of his collector’s eye. “I always try to throw odds and ends into the mix” as well — such as his array of mid-century pottery, paintings and photos.

As more buyers and dealers climb on the sleek mid-century modern bandwagon,
Johnson finds that locating top-quality merchandise is becoming more difficult. “I get excited when I find a big-name piece of furniture.”

Johnson points to a massive buffet in Sixteen Fifty Nine’s window as a current favorite among his pieces, describing in detail its provenance from Michigan’s Mastercraft Furniture Company. With four doors elaborately paneled in Carpathian burled elm and a travertine marble inset top, it is indeed a beauty.

And it’s exactly the type of piece you could imagine Don Draper lounging beside.

Sixteen Fifty Nine
1659 Wisconsin Ave.
202-333-1480
www.sixteenfiftynine.com

GEORGETOWN’S ANTIQUES:

Christian Zapatka: Reinventing the Georgetown Townhouse
Frank Randolph: Interior Designer Extraordinaire
John Rosselli: Georgetown’s Antique Aficionado
Marston Luce: In Search of Elegance
Scandinavian Antiques & Living: International Accents
Susquehanna Antique Company: Redefining Tradition
Sixteen Fifty Nine: A Mid-Century Renaissance
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Ari Post •

Around 80 years ago, amid the tumult of the Depression, St. John’s Episcopal Church started a program to help the homeless and the hungry. This neighborhood block party of a charity event was the first Georgetown House Tour, which has since blossomed into a grand seasonal affair, as reliable and stunning as the cherry blossoms, and an opportunity for those more fortunate to give back to their community.

“There is such a tremendous need right here in our city,” says Martha Vicas, the chairperson for this year’s tour. Vicas, a D.C. native and graduate of Georgetown University, became involved in the House Tour attending St. John’s church with her family. “I was impressed by all of the outreach programs the tour funds,” she says. “I have been so impressed with the enormous difference that community-based organizations can have in the life of an individual or family.”

As an interior designer, Vicas hopes that she and her team of volunteers, including her husband Robert, can offer a fresh perspective to the oldest house tour in the nation. “I am amazed at the generosity of the homeowners who open their houses to the public each year. They participate in the tour for the very same reason that I am: to give back to the community that they live in.”

A living record of the republic’s architecture, the Georgetown neighborhood is a weave of Federal, Classic, Revival, Victorian and Modern styles, reflecting the ever-evolving but reliably voguish tastes of Washington’s most prominent neighborhood. The House Tour, taking place Saturday, April 24, allows attendees to explore the neighborhood inside and out, as private homeowners graciously open their doors for the public. Enjoy a walk through the historic streets of Georgetown and listen to the stories of the neighborhood’s historic homes.

The Patron’s Party kicks off the tour this year on the evening of Thursday, April 22. One of the highlights of the social season, the Georgetown House Tour Patron’s Party draws Georgetowners, friends of St. John’s and other guests to a landmark Georgetown home for a festive evening in honor of the residents who have opened their homes for the tour.

Deborah and Curtin Winsor will host this year’s benefit. Born and raised in Washington, Mr. Winsor has been an active member of the area’s financial and philanthropic communities for more than 20 years. He is the founder and current chairman of the Bank of Georgetown. The Winsors have had their historic home on 34th Street described by Washington Life magazine as “one of the oldest and grandest private residences in the capital, and one with a storied past filled with intrigue and culture,” which now reflects the Winsors’ unique style and refined sensibility.

The history of the Winsor house dates back to 1810, having housed a number of eminent Georgetowners over the past 200 years, including Ambassador David Bruce. An eminent ambassador to France, West Germany, and the United Kingdom, Bruce served as the first emissary to the People’s Republic of China from 1973 to 1974, and acted as America’s permanent representative to NATO from 1974 to 1976.

In the 1970s, the ballroom was added under the supervision of Bruce, which looks out into a walled garden. The property also includes a guest house, lap pool, stone terrace and sunken lawns.

The Patron’s Party and the House Tour reflect the generosity of the Georgetown community toward those in need — a quality particularly accentuated in such harsh economic times. Both events benefit the ministries supported by St. John’s, including Bright Beginnings, Martha’s Table and Bishop John Walker School.

Besides touring the houses, guests are invited to enjoy tea at St. John’s Episcopal Church (3240 O St.) following the tour. The fundraiser is open to the public but has limited space, so those hoping for a ticket are encouraged to buy sooner rather than later.

Here’s what to expect this year:

Many who visit Georgetown marvel at the grand houses that line its streets. Former dwellings of wealthy shipping magnates of the 18th and 19th centuries, homes in the area bask in their size, style, and prominence. What is less known is that many of the grand houses of Georgetown included carriage houses for the horses and carriages that were the source of land transport in the city.

Many of these carriage houses have been converted to charming little dwellings, tucked away in alleys and behind their former master’s quarters. Many have been converted, and are rented or sold separately. However, these modest Georgetown homes are few and far between, and one has to rely on serious luck for the opportunity to obtain one.

When Charles DeSantis, associate vice president of Georgetown University, found his yellow carriage house in a nook on P Street, it had no bathroom, kitchen or closets. The last in a series of carriage houses on the block, DeSantis believes that his was the master carriage house and may have served as the central dining space and workshop for the stable hands. From this initial shell, this quaint hovel has been converted into a charming, modern, two-story home, perfect for a bachelor professional whose office is but a stone’s throw away.

Among the wrought iron grillwork and signature gun-barrel fences of P Street, one Federal style townhouse has been around long enough that the original land records are not available. However, a book published in 1944, “Georgetown Houses of the Federal Period,” reveals that it has been standing since before 1825. This house and two others on this block of P Street (formerly West Street) were the only structures that existed at that time that had been built prior to 1825. Over the years the house has been altered several times, including the addition of a third floor to the front of the structure.

Georgetown architect Dale Overmyer was commissioned to extensively renovate and modernize the structure while maintaining the historic fabric of the original house. At that time, a new two-story rear addition extended the living area of the house without disturbing its classic facade. The wooden front door was salvaged from a former Riggs Bank location and is flanked by two antique French carriage lanterns, originally made to hook onto a horse-drawn carriage.

The original cobblestone driveway is still in evidence in front of the home. The wooden bulkhead at the front of the house was the original entryway for the coal chute. Many of the windows on the front facade of the house are original, as are the wide plank pine floors in the two rooms facing P Street.

This home represents to its owners the best of both worlds: the charm of Federalist architecture complemented by modern, integrated amenities. It has a convenient location in Georgetown, within walking distance of restaurants, parks, the library, and schools. The interior is beautifully decorated and the floor plan flows easily from the front of the structure to the back with a surprise view into the deep garden. Any family might easily envision living in this lovely dwelling where one feels embraced, charmed and, comfortably at home.

A brick dwelling was built in 1820 by Charles King at 32 First St, which is now modern day N Street. It was considered in its time a fine example of the popular Colonial-style architecture.
In 1876, Charles Samuel Hein purchased the property. Hein was known for being an ardent Unionist supporter when most of Georgetown was aligned with the Confederacy. Hein flew the Union Flag to the indignation of those Southern supporters, and during the retreat of the Union army following the Battle of Bull Run, he opened a first aid and food station for needy soldiers.
The house was sold for $3,800 to Hugh T. Taggert in 1885. Taggert was one of the foremost members of the local bar and a national authority on criminal law. As an assistant U.S. district attorney, Taggert prepared the government case for the trial of Charles Guiteau, assassin of President Garfield. A well-known historian, Taggert wrote the book “Old Georgetown.” He lived in the house with his wife and 10 children.
The current owners purchased the home in 2007 and redesigned the side yard to include a pool, spa, stonework by Serra Stone and mature landscaping by Fritz and Gignoux.
The main level has a grand diamond pattern marble gallery entry with an elegant curved staircase with hand-wrought iron banister, double-parlor living room, embassy-sized dining room, morning room and commercial-grade chef’s kitchen. French doors lead to the terrace. The upper levels include a master suite with private balcony, and three additional bedroom suites with en-suite bathrooms and a home office. The lower level includes a media room by All Around Technology and a guest apartment.

Restoration and complete renovation has been made to of one of the five Cox Row houses on N Street, dating back to 1817. Built on speculation by Colonel John Cox, mayor of Georgetown, the building was subdivided into seven apartments during World War II. The magnificent house was in a dilapidated state when the ownership changed in 2001.
Restoration efforts included repairing the brick façade, refurbishing existing windows and sash weights, slate and copper roofing and stucco finishes. The dormers were re-framed to eliminate aging and prior fire damage, and the chimneys and seven fireplaces were reconstructed. Interior restorations include original mantles and heart pine floors on the upper levels, while some flooring was milled from original joists that had to be replaced due to damage and structural deficiencies.
The front and rear gardens were rebuilt and include a decorative steel pergola, brownstone, marble and bluestone paving, and restored wrought iron fencing. Plantings include the native dogwood and holly trees, and an allee of columnar hornbeams.

A building permit was issued in 1936 for two houses on 34th Street. They were built in the Federal style as investment property. Both have the earmarks of that earlier period: Flemish bond brickwork, dormer window and a pitched roof. Both are two and a half stories high.

The present owners completely renovated the building in 1986, adding a new living room with Palladian-style windows and doors, and pine flooring salvaged from old barns.
John Richardson, responsible for the renovation, has worked on many houses in Georgetown since 1977.

Another home on N Street was built in the early 1830s by John Davidson, a dry goods merchant whose brother, Samuel, owned the market Evermay just up the street. Resting on the corner of what was then Gay and Montgomery Streets, the building was first constructed as a single dwelling with an adjoining home. The building was divided into two homes in 1877 and the two-story addition at the rear of the structure was added in 1891 for the tidy sum of $500. Next door stands the Phillips School, which was built in 1886 and was recently converted into private condominiums.

Over the years, several notable people resided in the home, including George Fisher (associate justice of Washington, D.C.’s supreme court), Charles Eustis Bohlen (ambassador to Russia from 1953-57 and later ambassador to France from 1962-1968) and Maine congressman Robert Hale. Its current owners purchased the home in 1983 and began the process of restoring the house to its former grandeur, after it had suffered an extended period of disrepair. The hardwood floors on the first level as well as the interior doors are original.

Landscape architect Michael Bartlett designed the rear garden, which features a small pool, and the addition of 10 mature American holly trees. The sunny bay window in the living room overlooks the tranquil garden and provides a view of the neighbor’s mural by renowned French artist Marc Chagall. Featuring characters from Greek mythology, the mural is the only Chagall mosaic in a private home in the world.

Special thanks to Washington Fine Properties, the corporate sponsor of the Georgetown House Tour.

Purchase tickets for the Georgetown House Tour and Patron’s Party online at www.georgetownhousetour.com.
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