Tour of Richard Neutra's Rice House in Richmond

Here's a slideshow of images I took during the tour of Neutra's Rice House in Richmond hosted by Modern Richmond. Located here, the 1964 house was designed by Richard Neutra for Ambassador Walter Rice, a top Reynolds Metals Corp. executive, and his wife, Inger, a native of Denmark who still lives in Richmond. The only International Style home in Richmond, the house is perched 110-feet above the James River on a man-made 12-acre island overlooking Williams Dam.

Patrick Farley, a Richmond-based architect who led the tour, said the Rices wanted to build a house that was very different from the typical “Williamsburg-style” homes in Richmond. The 6,000 square foot house is made of marble from Georgia and is stretched out along a granite ridge running parallel to the river. Farley said once the Rices convinced Neutra to actually come to Richmond to the site, Neutra, taking in the view of the river, said the site was the most beautiful in the world and decided to take a rare commission on the East Coast. The Rices donated the home to the Science Museum of Virginia Foundation in the 1996, which is currently examining how best to restore and care for the home. Read more about the history of the house in the nomination to the National Register of Historic Places.

As always, just a reminder that we have our own Nuetra-designed home here in D.C.

Neutra designed the 1968 house for Ann and Donald Brown in a mere minutes once he saw the wooded lot overlooking Rock Creek Park. The house is located here and you can see professional pictures here.

Short Sale: 1966 MCM in Sligo Park Hills - $599K

Now I know I have been doing this site a long time. I'm starting to see houses I wrote about two to three years ago coming back on the market such as this 1966 Silver Spring mid-century modern attributed to architect Alan Meyers. It sold for $790K in June 2006 and is now listed at $599K. Click here for images of the 2,000-sq. ft. house, which features wood cathedral ceilings in the open kitchen/living room area, plenty of glass and open staircases. In addition to the kitchen, the bathrooms have been updated. Shoji screens abound as well. The 4/2.5 home is located here in Sligo Park Hills.

1952 'Upside Down' Hollin Hills Goodman - $624K

This new listing is for a 3/3 "upside down" Charles Goodman in Hollin Hills. In this two-level plan, you enter on the living level and take the stairs down to an open living room and kitchen on the ground floor. Kitchen and bathrooms have been updated. Located here.

1973 California Contemporary in North Arlington - $565K

I have not seen many mid-century modern or contemporary listings in North Arlington during the past several years of doing the blog, but here's one close to the East Falls Church Metro. This early 1970s, 3/2.5 "California Contemporary" located here has an open living room with loft space.

Two Early Modernist Berla & Abel Townhomes

Here are listings for two townhomes by early D.C. modernists Julian Berla and Joseph Abel, who are known for the Bender Building and The Towers among others. Abel designed the Shoreham Hotel.

1943 3/2 towhome in Mount Pleasant - 559K - Open Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m.

1925 3/2.5 townhome in Columbia Heights/Petworth - $639K - This listing is for one of Berla & Abel's 27 Tiffey Townhomes.

Open House Sunday at My Charred Oak Estates Listing

A shot from the original kitchen.

I'll be holding my 5/3 1961 vintage mid-century modern listing in Charred Oak Estates open from 2 to 5 on Sunday. If you are searching for a MCM in Bethesda or know someone who is, stop by to take a look.

--Michael

Price Drop: 1952 Butterfly-Roof Goodman in Hollin Hills - $379K

This 3/2 Hollin Hills ranch with butterfly roof by Charles Goodman is back on the market after being withdrawn earlier this year at $509K. It's now at $379K. This is one is a short sale.

Julius Shulman Doc at E Street Cinema Beginning Nov. 6

I just saw the news last night and I've heard from some excited readers today . Visual Acoustics: The Modernism of Julius Shulman, the award-winning documentary by Eric Bricker, will be playing for one week at the E Street Cinema beginning Nov. 6. Can't wait. See you there.

Rock Creek Wood's Marks 50th Anniversary

Congratulations to the current and former residents of Rock Creek Woods, the Charles Goodman-designed community off Connecticut Avenue in Silver Spring for marking the community’s 50th anniversary with a Labor Day weekend celebration. The residents kicked off the festivities on Saturday with a reception at the neighborhood’s Good Shepherd Church to reminisce and socialize. This was followed by a 1960s themed pot luck dinner. After dinner, the residents enjoyed dessert and a slideshow focused on the history of the community.

An original marketing sign was on display at one of the homes on the tour.

On Sunday, residents (and this lucky blogger) enjoyed a Home and Garden Tour of 10 different residences in the 76-home community, which was placed on the National Register of Historic Place in 2004. Several of the homes hosted live music performances, while one hosted a wine tasting party. In addition to the activities to mark the occasion, members of the community created a book containing such items as original brochures and essays about the neighborhood by residents. Here's to another 50 years to a great mid-century modern neighborhood, not to mention a great group of people.

Does this house look familiar? It is the one
in the Modern Capital logo.

One of the signatures of Goodman's Rock Creek Woods designs:
large exterior chimneys as seen above and below.

New Bethesda/Chevy Chase Listings Open on Sunday

Original Nelson lamp and brick screen at the 1961 MCM
in Charred Oak Estates I am holding open Sunday.

I'll be holding my new listing, a 1961 vintage MCM in Charred Oak Estates in Bethesda, open from 1 to 4 p.m. If you are out looking at mid-century modern houses, stop by to see this award-winning, all-original 5/3 by Ernest Cook. Located here.

Here are a few other new listings in the Bethesda/Chevy Chase area that are also open: A 1966 contemporary in Glen Echo Heights ($697k), a 1966 Clubview model in Carderock Springs ($830K) and an award-winning 1968 contemporary in Chevy Chase by Hartman-Cox ($999K).

Hope to see you tomorrow.

My Listing: 1961 Vintage MCM in Charred Oak Estates - $800K

This 1961 award-winning home was built by Ernest Cook.

For those searching for a vintage mid-century modern home in Bethesda, look at this one award-winning design located in Charred Oak Estates off Seven Locks Road. I am listing this house along with my Long & Foster colleague Sean Satkus.

An award winning design by builder Ernest Cook of Cook Enterprises, the 5 bedroom/3 bath, 2,500 square foot home is being sold by the original owners. The house won the “contemporary” category in the first ever design contest of the Suburban Maryland Builders Association in 1963. The two-level home has a side-gable roof, slate-floor entry and open living room/dinning room with wall of windows overlooking a nearly 1/2 acre wooded lot. There are vintage mid-century details throughout house from kitchen to baths to lighting, including an original George Nelson saucer lamp in the kitchen. You can view more images here.

Here's the open dining/living room with wall of glass.

Vintage kitchen with original Nelson lamp
requested by owner.

Master bath with original tiling and vanity.

Glass wall of living room looks out onto
the wooded .46 acre lot.

There are two fireplaces, including a brick-wall fireplace in the large living room/dining room. The house has two entrance ways, including one off the large double carport. The hardwood floors have been refinished and the interior/exterior of have been painted, including those retro orange doors that you see.

Richmond Road Trip: Neutra's Rice House

Richard Neutra's Rice House

The folks at Modern Richmond are inviting the modernists of D.C. down I-95 on Saturday, Sept. 26 for tours of the 1965 Rice House, designed by Richard Neutra for Ambassador Walter Rice, a top Reynolds Metals Corp. executive, and his wife, Inger. The only International Style home in Richmond, the Rice House is perched on a man-made island overlooking Williams Dam on the James River. The Rices donated the home to the Science Museum of Virginia Foundation in the 1996.

Tours will be held between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. beginning on the hour. The tour costs $20. All proceeds from the event will benefit the museum. A catered cocktail party with live music will be held between 6 t0 8 p.m. and costs $50. A combined tour and party ticket is $60. See flyer here for more details and contact info. Read more about the history of the house in the nomination to the National Register of Historic Places.

If you head to Richmond, here is a good piece on some of the city's other modernist sites. Also, if you are making a day of it, drive through Charles Goodman's Highland Hills and see Goodman's Alcoa Care-Free Home as I did here.

I plan on heading down for one of the earlier tours. If others plan to go, let me know. Maybe we can gather up a D.C. contingent for the trip south.

Update: I was remiss in not mentioning D.C.'s one and only Neutra-designed house, which I have written about before on the blog. Neutra designed the 1968 house for Ann and Donald Brown in a mere minutes once he saw the wooded lot overlooking Rock Creek Park. The house is located here and you can see professional pictures here.

Kuhn House: Original Goodman Plans, Images from Hollin Hills

An image of the Kuhn House from the 1950s.

When Craig Kuhn was preparing to put his parents Hollin Hills Goodman on the market, he came across a treasure trove of vintage images of the house, original plans by Goodman and the plans his father Howard, an architect, used to build a very Goodmanesqe addition to the house beginning in 1959. The house, which had fallen into disrepair, recently sold to a "flipper," according to Craig, who said the home is expected to come back on the market soon. Craig said his parents' home was filled with Danish modern furniture bought while they lived overseas during the 1950s and '60s. You can now purchase some of the Kuhn furniture at Modernicus.

Howard Kuhn worked as an architect before World War II and was drafted into the Army Corps of Engineers during the war. After returning home, he started an engineering company that built custom Hollin Hills-like homes in the '60s and '70s, Craig said. The plans below (blue paper) were for a standard 3/1 Hollin Hills Goodman. Howard Kuhn modified Goodman's plans to make a two bedroom and changed the kitchen layout, which included the installation of a GE wall-mounted refrigerator that just recently stopped working. I'll post the listing when it goes back on the market so you can see what was done with the house, which is located here.

Thanks to Craig for sharing this piece of Hollin Hills history with us.

The Kuhn House today.

Original plans for standard 3/1 Goodman.

Howard Kuhn's plan for his Goodmanesqe addition.

Addition under construction.

1965 'Glenmore' in Carderock Springs - $879K; Open 9/6

This 1965 Glenmore model located in Carderock Springs in Bethesda is open Sunday from 1 to 3 p.m. The 4/3 Glenmore features an open staircase and cantilevered balcony off the open living room with wall of glass. See images here. Carderock, built by Edmund Bennett, was placed on the National Register for Historic Places early this year.

Glass House Donor Tour

Philip Johnson's Glass House
Photo by Eirik Johnson

One of big disappointments this summer was not getting to see Philip Johnson's Glass House. I had a ticket. Plans were set. And then I got so sick. On the very day I was supposed to be in New Canaan--talk about coincidence--I heard from the folks at the Glass House who wanted to spread the world about their special Modern Friends donor tours.

Glass House Library Study

Photo by Paul Warchol

The program provides the opportunity to support preservation efforts throughout the 47-acre site while experiencing a behind-the-scenes tour in the company of other modern enthusiasts.

Modern Friends tours begin at 2:30pm daily and can be booked online with a donation of $100 per person. These two-hour tours are donor group tours that allow photography and include special access to site locations and structures such as Philip Johnson's Library Study which is not included on the public tour.

Every $100 donation is partially tax-deductible and includes: a set of Visitor Cards; a one-year membership to the National Trust for Historic Preservation; a subscription to Preservation Magazine; a 20% Glass House Shop discount and donor recognition on the Glass House website as well as in the Glass House Visitor Center.

Come to think of it, maybe going up in the fall is even better than summer: New England foliage.

Arcola in Wheaton

An image of a nice mid-century home is featured in this Post article about the Arcola neighborhood, which borders Wheaton Regional Park.

Final Weekend of Blu Dot Sale at RCKNDY

Blu Dot sale at RCKNDY ends Tuesday.

Modern Capital on the Map

Modern Capital made the cut for Dwell's handy map and listing of Realtors and real estate websites across the United States that specialize in mid-century modern listings. As we approach the three-year anniversary of the blog, I am glad I can continue to uncover and connect people with the mid-century modern architecture here in the area through my work on the site and now as a licensed real estate agent exclusively focusing on mid-century modern properties.

The work has been extremely gratifying; the response has been totally unexpected. When I started the blog as my own resource to help my wife and I find our next house, I did not realize it would put me in touch with so many interesting people who share a similar passion. Thanks for helping put Modern Capital on the map. Keep reading, keep e-mailing and keep spreading the word about the too often overlooked modern treasures right here in our backyard.

Michael