Old Town Alexandria, well-known for its Colonial history and rows of centuries-old homes, also has a few newer homes that have been designed to blend with the classic architecture of the neighborhood.
In 1995, Lawrence N. Brandt Inc. built an enclave of 16 all-brick Colonial-style town homes known as Church Square. Tucked behind the revered Christ Church in Old Town, these homes offer a prime location within walking distance of all the cultural amenities, parks, shops and restaurants of Old Town.
The home at 814 Cameron St. in Church Square, on the market for $925,000, offers the elegant, classic style of historic Old Town along with the amenities desired by contemporary home buyers.
While the home itself, in pristine condition with 2,484 finished square feet of living space, has its own appeal, the location is perhaps of even more importance to buyers. Christ Church, with its gardens and peaceful setting, rests at one of the street, while around the corner are countless cafes, coffee shops and restaurants of every type. Shops are sprinkled among the restaurants, with everything from convenient drugstores to art galleries and boutiques.
The Potomac River, the Torpedo Factory’s art galleries and Founder’s Park are all within a few blocks of Church Square.
The neighborhood earns a “Walkers’ Paradise” score of 100 on WalkScore.com, a website that evaluates the walkability of various locations. Church Square residents can walk to the King Street and Braddock Road Metro stations or drive to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Crystal City, Arlington and downtown D.C. with ease.
The home has two reserved off-street parking spaces behind it, and additional underground parking is available on site.
From the outside, this home’s brick exterior, with a second-story bay window and stone arches above the front door and first-floor window, blends perfectly with Old Town architecture. Inside, high ceilings and an open floor plan fill the rooms with light. The walls in the main rooms and the stairwells are painted buttermilk, adding sophisticated, yet natural-looking, color to the rooms.
The double front door opens into an elegant foyer with polished marble flooring, a chandelier, crown and chair-rail molding, wainscoting and a Palladian window above the doors. The foyer includes a coat closet as well as efficient understairs storage. Nearby is an elegant powder room with marble flooring and a pedestal sink.
At the front of this home is a charming breakfast room with hardwood flooring and a tall window with a Palladian window above it facing Cameron Street. The adjacent kitchen has a tray ceiling, hardwood flooring, white raised-panel and glass-front cabinets, a pantry, granite counters and stainless appliances. Recessed lighting is found throughout this home, including in the kitchen. A swinging door links the kitchen with the dining room.
The formal dining room includes hardwood flooring, crown and chair-rail molding and a chandelier.
A wide doorway links the dining room with the living room, allowing light to flow from one end of the house to the other. The living room includes hardwood flooring and a wood-burning fireplace with a detailed mantel and a marble hearth and surround. Built-in bookcases and cabinets flank the fireplace. The room also has crown molding and built-in speakers.
At one end of the room is an expansive bay window with transom windows. French doors open onto a charming brick patio. The fully fenced patio includes a gate that leads to the parking area.
Hardwood stairs with picture-frame molding along the stairwell lead to the second level, which is entirely devoted to the master suite. This level has new wall-to-wall carpet.
The master bedroom opens to an adjoining sitting room with a walk-in bay window, recessed lighting and a wood-burning fireplace with a mantel and a marble hearth and surround. The fireplace is flanked by built-in bookcases and cabinets. A hallway linking the bedroom with the bath has two walk-in closets with built-in shelving.
The luxurious master bath has ceramic tile flooring, double sinks and a deep whirlpool tub set underneath a bay window. The bathroom also has an oversized, frameless glass-enclosed shower, recessed lighting and a linen closet.
Hardwood stairs with two landings and an oversized skylight lead to the third level, which has new wall-to-wall carpeting. The front bedroom has two double-door closets and a gently sloping ceiling with two windows overlooking the street. This bedroom has a private full bath.
The rear bedroom has two double-door closets and a double-size window overlooking the back patio. This bedroom has a private full bath.
The upper level also has a linen closet in the hall and a laundry room with extra storage space. An access hatch to the roof is located in the laundry room to allow for easier roof access for HVAC servicing.
Three-zone heating and air conditioning has been installed in the past three to five years, and the home also has an alarm system, a new copper roof on the rear bay window and a new roof.
DETAILS:
Address: 814 Cameron St., Alexandria VA 22314
Community: Church Square
Age: Built in 1995
Price: $925,000
Size: 2,484 finished square feet on lot of 1,089 square feet
Taxes: $8,925 in 2010
Homeowners association fee: $84 per month
Exterior features: All-brick town home with stone arches above front door and windows, bay windows, fenced rear back patio, two off-street parking spaces
Interior features: Three finished levels with three bedrooms; 3 1/2 baths; polished marble flooring in the foyer; hardwood flooring on main level; oak stairs; breakfast room with bay window; granite counters and stainless steel appliances in kitchen; formal dining room; living room with fireplace and French doors to patio; second-level master suite with sitting room with bay window and fireplace, bedroom, two walk-in closets and luxury bath; third level with two bedrooms, each with a private full bath, and a laundry room
Amenities: Two wood-burning fireplaces, high ceilings on all three levels, skylight, crown and chair-rail molding, built-in bookcases, luxury master bath with whirlpool tub, three-zone heating and air conditioning, access hatch to roof for HVAC servicing, additional on-site underground parking available, new roof, new HVAC system, new carpet, alarm system.
Close by: Walk to shops and restaurants of Old Town Alexandria and to historic sites such as Christ Church; walk to King Street and Braddock Road Metro stations, Potomac River and parks; close to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and commuter routes into the District.
Schools: Jefferson-Houston Elementary, George Washington Middle, T.C. Williams High
Open house: By appointment
Contact: Realtors Carol, Tracy and Leslie Wilder with McEnearney Associates at 703/798-7226 or visit www.3wilders.com
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