Tedson and Arden Meyers say they’ve had “26 years of fun” in their Palisades home in Northwest Washington. “We created a home where nobody can leave a tie on for more than a few minutes,” Mr. Meyers says. “How many homes have you been in where you can stop and play pool the minute you step inside the living room? Our goal was to make this the least formal place in D.C.”
After raising three children in their Victorian farmhouse at 5410 Macomb St. NW, the Meyerses have placed their home on the market for $1,995,000. Mr. Meyers, an attorney, was a two-term president of the Cosmos Club. The couple is ready to move into a smaller home.
Built in 1911, this home has been a landmark in the Palisades from the beginning, recognized for the charms of the deep front porch, the upper-level porch and the location across the street from a park. Playground equipment beckons in sunny weather from the park; neighbors place haystacks around the trees in colder months for safer sledding.
Summer Sunday-school sessions of the Palisades Community Church were held on the front porch during the home’s early years.
Today, residents can walk to the Capitol Crescent Trail and the Potomac River, and to the shops and restaurants along MacArthur Boulevard. Downtown Washington and Georgetown are easily accessible by car.
During the Depression, this home was divided into apartments. The owners previous to the Meyers family raised 11 children in the home, which has more than 7,000 finished square feet on a homesite of 12,000 square feet.
The Meyerses have meticulously maintained their family home, creating a haven with charms for every season.
Guests can climb the brick path and steps to the wraparound front porch, which has a sky-blue painted floor and a matching beadboard ceiling. Views of the Potomac and the Virginia shoreline are visible from the upper-level wraparound porch, and the Meyerses added a two-level private deck off the master suite.
At the ground level, the home has surrounding garden beds. The fully fenced rear garden includes spectacular crepe myrtle trees, a flagstone patio, an oval central lawn and a brick patio between the house and the detached three-car garage. A side garden includes a place for playing horseshoes.
Inside, the rooms on the two main levels include original hardwood flooring, high ceilings, crown moldings and the original hardware and glass knobs. Screen doors have been used within the house to allow breezes to flow from one end to the other in the spring.
The generous living room at the front of the house has windows on three sides, a wood-burning fireplace with a raised hearth and a mantel, and entrances to the library and den.
Mr. Meyers has built attractive shelving for both the library and the den, each a cheerful and cozy room. Each of these rooms could easily be reconverted to a formal dining room.
Adjacent to the den is a full bath with an old-fashioned claw-foot tub, allowing the den to function also as a guest bedroom, if needed.
Across the back of the home is a sizable country kitchen with windows at each end, a center island with an overhead rack for pots and utensils, an open cupboard in one corner, and plenty of space for dining with family and friends.
The kitchen includes a convection oven and built-in microwave, a Jenn-Air cooktop, a side-by-side refrigerator and a dishwasher. The warm tile flooring adds to the cozy atmosphere in the kitchen, where many meals have been shared during the home’s 92-year history.
A screen door links the kitchen to Mr. Meyers’ home office, a sun-filled room overlooking the rear garden. Although this space makes an ideal office, it includes a closet and can function as a sixth bedroom, a playroom or a children’s study.
A mudroom with a tile floor and space for an extra refrigerator links the kitchen to the brick patio and a walkway leading to the detached garage.
Inside the home, on the first of two upper levels, a large, open hallway functions as flexible space for almost any use. Currently, the space extends the master suite with a dressing area including built-in shelving and drawers, along with exercise space.
The master bedroom has multiple closets plus a glass door to the private deck, which wraps across the back of the house. Each of two additional bedrooms has hardwood flooring and tall windows.
The Meyerses created a large full bath from a former sleeping porch. Windows on three sides create a sunroom effect for this bath, which has a double-sink vanity.
This level also includes access to the upper-level deck, which wraps around two sides of the home.
At the top level of the home are two additional bedrooms, each with large walk-in closets and built-in cabinets. One of the rooms has a sloping ceiling, which creates a charming nook.
This level also has a full bath.
The lower level of the home reflects the Meyers family’s interests, yet it offers future owners space to accommodate any hobby.
A professional-level woodworking shop has multiple tables for equipment, plus a separate ventilation system from that of the rest of the house. A professional darkroom exists in another part of this level, along with a potter’s shed accessible from the garden as well as the house.
The finished space also includes a large laundry room with plenty of cabinets.
The lower level includes winding corridors with closets and custom-built shelving all along the walls, plus a half-bath.
The Meyerses were careful to use every available inch of space in their home for storage.
An unusual feature of this home is a dry storage area under the front porch, which included an earlier garage space. This storage area wraps around the house and could be used for bikes and Rollerblades, sleds and skateboards, or even for two small cars.
An additional storage shed on the grounds can accommodate lawn equipment and bikes.
For the Meyers family, this Palisades treasure has been a retreat where fond memories have been created. The perfectly preserved home awaits a new family to build a new history and fill the rooms with pleasure.
Address: 5410 Macomb St. NW, Washington, DC 20016
Community: The Palisades
Age: Built in 1911
Price: $1,995,000
Size: 7,568 finished square feet on a lot of 12,088 square feet
Taxes: $8,283 in 2002
Exterior features: Victorian farmhouse style of white-painted wood; brick walkway; professional landscaping; fully fenced rear yard with brick patio, lawn area, flagstone patio; slate roof; three-car detached garage with additional storage; separate storage shed
Interior features: Five bedrooms, three full baths, one half-bath, living room with fireplace, hardwood flooring on two levels, library, den, country kitchen, home office or playroom off the kitchen, mudroom, open flexible space on second level for exercise or study area, finished attic level with two bedrooms and full bath, finished lower level with laundry room plus storage including garage space
Amenities: Two wraparound porches, private two-level deck off master suite, security system, gas radiator heat, professional-level woodworking shop, professional darkroom, potter’s shed
Close by: Across street from park with playground equipment; walking distance to shops, restaurants, schools, the Capitol Crescent Trail; minutes to Georgetown and downtown
Schools: Key Elementary, Hardy Middle, Wilson High
Open house: Sunday, Jan. 11, 2 to 4 p.m.
Contact: Realtors Debbie and Skip Singleton of DC Living Real Estate, 202/337-0501
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