Inside D.C.’s most expensive home on the market, asking $20M

In Kent, homebuyers can discover Washington, D.C.’s most expensive residence currently on the market.

The listing is on a spacious 35,000-square-foot lot. It features a sweeping staircase in the foyer, recessed lighting throughout, as well as multiple fireplaces. There are also built-ins, a library, and his and her bathrooms and dressing rooms. The kitchen comes with an island with a built-in sink and stainless steel appliances. Final need-to-know details include that there is a wine cellar and a media room.

According to UrbanTurf, there were plans in 2012 to subdivide the lot of this listing in order to construct several homes. For whatever reason, these plans fell through, and now the eight-bedroom, 11-and-a-half-bathroom mansion already on the site is on the market for a whopping $20 million.

This home was formerly owned by Peggy Cooper Cafritz, a saloniste, arts patron, and former president of the Board of Education. The New York Times reported that when a fire ravaged the single-family home in August 2009, it wiped out "one of this city’s more lively social hubs." Before the fire, the property housed Cafritz’s collection of contemporary African and African-American art. After the fire, Cafritz filed a lawsuit against the local water authority for negligence in failing to maintain the fire hydrants in Kent.

If interested in seeing what other listings top the list for D.C.’s priciest homes, check out this map on Curbed DC.