(Realtor.com)
Oct 19, 2021
On the market for $1,875,000, it was built in 1927 on the grounds of a castle—although the castle is now gone.
“As the story goes, the woman who lived there and had it built was named Daisy Calhoun. During the Depression, she was forced to leave the castle because she was bankrupt, and moved into the gatehouse,” says the listing agent, Alyssa Crilley with Washington Fine Properties.
For a time, the castle served as a nightclub. Calhoun died in 1949, and the castle was torn down in 1957. Meanwhile, the imposing gatehouse soldiers on.
“Every time I’ve gone there, I notice something different,” says Crilley, noting the passion her clients have for the property and its many idiosyncratic features. “They want nothing more than for someone to love it as much as they have.”
Over the decades, the gatehouse has changed hands several times, with its custodians leaving their own stamp on the property.
One was a decorator, and contributed a wealth of intricate paintings on the bookshelves in the library, on the walls in the entry, and on the kitchen cabinets.
“The property itself has stood the test of time. The original bones and feel of the castle still remain,” Crilley says.
The current owners purchased the place in 2014 and made a few alterations of their own.
“They added a half-bath on the main level and they opened up the kitchen, so the flow was a little bit better,” the agent says.
Thankfully, they didn’t touch the embellishments on the cabinets.
At present, the 4,600-square-foot residence has four bedrooms, three full bathrooms, and two half-bathrooms. A staircase leads up to a living room, dining room, kitchen, and a balcony overlooking a circular fountain. A turret houses another staircase, leading to a rooftop deck.
“The main level is the most castlelike, because of the stone floor and the doors,” says Crilley.
Early on, when the property first hit the market, she says, the showings had the feel of a Disney attraction, rather than an open house. One visitor brought her young daughter dressed up as a princess. Recently, the gatehouse has attracted sustained interest.
“It definitely gets to the romantic side in a lot of people,” Crilley says. “For the people that love it, they’re just passionate about it.”
