Architectural Record: Aging Moderns Still Prove Controversial

An interesting story in Architectural Record on the hurdles mid-century modern preservation efforts are facing. The magazine also reports that the the Recent Past Preservation Network, which is seeking to save from destruction Richard Neutra’s 1961 Cyclorama Building at the Gettysburg National Military Park, will meet with the D.C. district court judge handling the case in late July.

1955 Contemporary Raised Ranch in Silver Spring - $499K; Open July 1

Reader Chris sent this listing for this ranch-style home in Burnt Mills Estates in Silver Spring. The 3/2.5, 1,652 sq. ft. house features cathedral ceilings, a full wall of glass looking onto the backyard (pictured above) and a nice wraparound flagstone fireplace as part of the open floor plan. As Chris said, the kitchen would have to go. Check out the listing's virtual tour for more images or head to the open house on Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m.

1952 Renovated Modest Mid-Century in Pine Spring - $539K

Here is a 2/2 renovated mid-century in Pine Spring in Falls Church. The house, which sits on nearly a third of an acre, features cathedral ceilings, a wall of windows looking onto the landscaped yard and a cool fireplace. Check out the listing for many more images.

1959 Mid-Century in Lake Barcroft - $849K

The listing for this 1959 flat-roof mid-century in Lake Barcroft in Falls Church has only one exterior picture, but it says the home has 4,800 square feet and features a wall of floor to ceiling windows in the living room. It even has a brick pizza oven.

1969 Flat-Roof MCM in Fairfax - $715K

This flat-roof mid-century has 4 bedrooms, 2 baths and nearly 2,600 sq. ft. of living space on a half acre lot. A loyal reader reports that the listing, which includes a virtual tour, does not do the house justice. She says it fails to include pictures of the clerestory windows in the formal living room and does not mention that the "entire house has gorgeous bamboo floors." She says the house is in "excellent condition (with perhaps the exception of the roof, which is no surprise given it's flat...)." I like the full wall brick fireplace as well.

Washington Post on Philip Johnson's Glass House

The Post's Philip Kennicott writes in today's paper about Phillip Johnson's Glass House, which opens to the public this weekend as I reported in an earlier post. "The Glass House seems a moralistic exercise -- exposing, refining, revealing -- a prescription for rigorous and reductive living," Kennicott writes. Read more.

Open House Report: 1964 MCM in Charred Oak Estates - $815K

I saw this house in Bethesda's Charred Oak Estates two weeks ago. The house has some major pluses and major minuses. The pluses: cool mid-century design, including car port and front brick work; the back of the house is mostly glass looking onto a patio and wooded backyard; the house is large (5 bedrooms/3 baths). The minuses: While the house is located on a nice lot, the front yard sits on 7 Locks Road--I heard traffic in the kitchen and master bedroom, which are located in the front of the house. The updates to the bathrooms and the yellow mantle contraption built over the fireplace need to go (see the pictures in the listing). If you explore the neighborhood on the west side of 7 Locks you'll find a host of contemporary homes. I can't find any information on who designed and built the homes. Does anyone have any knowledge to share?

1964 Large Rambler in Dunlop Hills - $1.099 Million

This 5/3 (with 3 half baths) rambler on 1 acre is located in Dunlop Hills in Chevy Chase, Md. The listing says the house also has an in-law suite or office area. The large house is on a nice lot, but it does sit right off busy East-West Highway. The listing has no interior pictures.

Renovation Rules

Interesting piece from the Washington Post real estate section about renovating homes in communities that have strict design guidelines. The story discusses two mid-century modern neighborhoods in the area: Hollin Hills and Carderock Springs.

Here's a Post story from 2004 about renovations on area mid-century homes in Crestwood and Charles Goodman's River Park in Southwest D.C.

Forest Hills: 'Design Hub Tucked into the Park'

Today's Washington Post "Where We Live" column featured the Forest Hills neighborhood in D.C. Situated between Rock Creek Park and Connecticut Avenue, the neighborhood is home to a variety of mid-century modern homes, including the only Richard Neutra-designed home in D.C. (pictured above.) The home sits at the end of a dead-end, pot-hole marked road surrounded by the trees of Soapstone Valley Park, just west of Rock Creek. D.C.-based architect Hugh Newell Jacobsen's work also is represented in the neighborhood, dubbed by the Post as a "design hub" and "architectural medley."

Two Mid-Centuries in Chevy Chase, DC

Here are two mid-century homes near Rock Creek Park for sale:

1952 3/2 (with two half baths) - $774,900: This looks like a box-like structure with an open staircase.

1955 4/2 - $779,000: You need to imagine this house (pictured above) without all that clutter inside.

Northern Virginia Antiques and Modernism Show and Sale

The Art Deco Society of Washington is hosting its 20th Northern Virginia Antiques and Modernism Show and Sale June 23-24 at the Thomas Jefferson Center at in Arlington. The show will combine more than 35 dealers of art deco and mid-century modern items with more than 100 general antique dealers. Tickets are $7 at the door; $6 in advance. Get your advance tickets here.

Corcoran's Local Modern Home Bus Tour - June 13

Not sure if you can still sign up, but tomorrow at 11 a.m. the Corcoran Gallery of Art kicks off a local bus tour of three modern homes by Walter Gropius, Richard Neutra and Charles Moore. The cost is $175 ($155 for members) and includes lunch at Dahlia and light reception at the Bethesda Design Within Reach.

Robert Gurney Modern Home in Bethesda - $3.25 Million

This home located in Edgemoor by architect Robert Gurney is not mid-century, but it is definitely is modern. I think the downside to this house is if you are spending that type of money, you would want a much nicer view from all the those windows, say trees and mountains, rather than all of the homes surrounding the small suburban lot.

1955 Renovated Rambler in Bethesda - $739K

This listing is for a 4/3 two-level rambler in the Wildwood Manor neighborhood of Bethesda. The home, which has an updated kitchen and bathrooms, looks to be a pretty typical mid-1950s rambler for the area. The nicest part of the house is pictured above: the open dining/living room area with the cool mid-century fireplace and wall of windows looking out to the backyard.

2006 Ultra-Modern in Hollin Hills - $1.275 Million

This house in Hollin Hills by D.C. Architect Suzane Reatig is an updated take on Charles Goodman's mid-century modern designs in the Alexandria modernist community. The cedar and glass house, which sits on .65 acres, has 4 bedrooms and three baths over one-level. The house looks like it fits in perfectly with Goodman's original architecture. See more images here.

1955 Raymondale Contemporary - $499K

This listing is for a modest mid-century in Raymondale in Falls Church for under $500K. The 4/2 three-level house sits on more than a third of an acre and featues a deck and patio, which are surrounded by mature trees.

Attention All Shoppers: DWR Herman Miller Sale

If you've been looking for just the right Eames, Nelson or Noguchi piece for your MCM home, hurry up and check out Design Within Reach's Herman Miller sale before it ends June 16.

1962 Contemporary in Crest Park - $624K

This 4/3 contemporary is located in Crest Park in Silver Spring. The neighborhood, which contains 25 Charles Goodman homes and other contemporary-style homes, is located off of New Hampshire Avenue across from the former White Oak Naval Weapons Center. Unfortunately, the listing has only one exterior picture.

1955 Mid-Century in Lake Barcroft - $739K

This listing is for a 5/3 mid-century in Lake Barcroft in Falls Church. The listing has only one exterior image, but says it is open today, June 3. Call the number listed for more details.

1967 Contemporary in Cleveland Park - $1.75 Million

Here's a listing for a contemporary, townhouse-style detached home in Cleveland Park that features four floors connected by an open staircase and elevator, 5 bedrooms, 6 baths, 10-foot ceilings and lots of windows.

1960 Goodman in Rock Creek Woods - $699K

The listing for this 4/2.5 Charles Goodman in Rock Creek Woods in Silver Spring says the 1960 home has undergone a "spectacular renovation," but does not provide any photos of the interior to prove the claim. If anyone has seen this house let us know. Rock Creek Woods is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.