John F. Kennedy (among others) lived in this Georgetown house
Version 0 of 1. The Federal-style house was one of many Georgetown homes where John F. Kennedy lived. From 1949 to 1951, Kennedy and his sister Eunice rented the house from Gen. Douglas MacArthur’s first wife, Louise Cromwell. This was before Kennedy married Jacqueline Bouvier and Eunice married Sargent Shriver. Kennedy was a congressman from Massachusetts, and Eunice worked in government, first at the State Department and then the Justice Department. The circa 1862 house is one of six in Georgetown built by Joseph Libbey, one of the directors of the Citizens National Bank and a senior member of his father’s firm, J.E. Libbey lumber merchants. JFK’s D.C.: A guide to the haunts and hangouts of one of Washington’s most beloved locals Cromwell, who was married to MacArthur from 1922 to 1929, bought the house in 1943 when she was actor Lionel Atwill’s wife. In 1957, the American socialite sold the house to Dudley D. Hale, a retired Air Force major general who later worked for Martin Marietta. Jonathan Ledecky, who is a former owner of the NHL’s Washington Capitals and a current owner of the New York Islanders, bought the house in 1987. Ledecky, who also is the uncle of Olympic swimmer Katie Ledecky, extensively renovated the house in 2006 with the help of Richard Foster Architects and builder Tom Glass. Because Jonathan Ledecky relocated to New York before he could move back into the house, Tom and Cathy Tinsley — who bought the house in 2008 — were the first people to live in it after the renovation. “We were the ones who came in and went, ‘It needs curtains, and it needs paint. This is how we want the lighting set up,’ ” Cathy Tinsley said. The fact that the house had been recently remodeled appealed to the Tinsleys, as did its location. “One of the things that’s fun about being in Georgetown, and this house works really well, is the tradition of bringing groups of people together, whether it’s 12 people around your dining table or 30 to 40 people for a reception,” Tinsley said. “There are a lot of homes in Georgetown that are reminders of how Washington can be.” Where the presidents lived in Washington The house is one room deep and stretches along 34th Street. It has the advantage of being on a corner. With windows on three sides, the entire house has an abundance of natural light. The windows also are fitted with shatterproof glass that muffles noise from the street. The layout adds to the privacy. The main living spaces are on the second and third floors, above street level and away from prying eyes. French doors in the dining room open to a terrace overlooking 34th Street. The house was the ideal size for the couple. One day, Tom Tinsley turned to his wife and said there wasn’t a space in the house she didn’t use. “That’s true,” she replied, “but wasn’t that the point? Instead of having a living room that you’re never in. This house, we really used all the spaces more efficiently than in any house we had.” Cathy Tinsley said she has a special fondness for being in the nation’s capital and living in a house with a history. “Washington is a place to feel connected to the generations that came before you,” she said. “I have a special feel for that because my grandfather served in the government for a long time and my mother and father courted in Washington. . . . I have a lot of respect for that part of being in Washington, D.C., in this house. It certainly connects us to Georgetown and Washington in a special way.” The three-bedroom, four-bathroom, 4,760-square-foot house, with a garage, is listed at just under $4.7 million. Listing: 1400 34th St. NW, Washington, D.C. Listing agents: Christie Weiss and Christopher Ritzert, TTR Sotheby’s International Realty Previous House of the Week More Real Estate: The most expensive homes sold in the Washington area in 2019 Hottest kitchen and bathroom design trends for 2020 A closer look at kitchen design trends for 2020 A closer look at bathroom design trends for 2020 |