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Photo via Shutterstock/DiegoMariottini

Georgetown House Tour 2017: 8 must-see sites

By Michelle Goldchain
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By Michelle Goldchain
Photo via Shutterstock/DiegoMariottini

Washington, D.C.'s Northwest neighborhood, Georgetown, is known for its architectural beauty with notable examples like Dumbarton Oaks and even the Old Stone House for those with a more traditional taste. For such a historic neighborhood, it's only fitting that it is host to what is believed to be the oldest house tour in the U.S.

On April 29, the 86th Georgetown House Tour will make its annual debut with hosts Jill and Scott Altman, residents of Georgetown and members of the St. John's Episcopal Church. Since 1931, the purpose of the tour has been to raise funds for the church for ministry and outreach. Alongside that, the tour is also meant to celebrate the neighborhood, itself, by allowing residents to open up their homes to the public.

The festivities will run from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets include admission to tea and entertainment. Ticket prices range from $40 to $55.

This year, there are eight houses in the tour. To see which homes will be included, check out the map below with each home listed geographically, from the most northwest to the most southeast.

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3420 P Street NW

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Located on a cobblestone street in Georgetown, this Victorian townhome offers visitors a look at its ornate brick patterning, granite friezes, and wrought iron railings. While constructed in c. 1888, this house underwent a major renovation by Linda Battalia Design. The original oak flooring has been restored along with the windows and casings. There are also stained glass windows inside along with many original five-panel doors.
3420 P St NW, Washington, DC 20007
Photo via Google Street View

1257 35th Street NW

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In c. 1886, this Georgetown residence was sold for $750 from the architect behind the structure, Thomas E. Waggaman. Waggaman was known as a patron of the arts as well as a prominent Catholic layman who was included in the Washington Elite List of 1896. The townhome was constructed with stone and pressed brick, set off by a landscaped front garden, while the rear of the home offers a private patio with a fountain.
1257 35th St NW, Washington, DC 20007
Photo via Google Street View

1552 33rd Street NW

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Next on the list is this former chapel, built around 1855 to serve a largely African American congregation. In c. 1901, the chapel was sold along with its burial grounds, which later became Volta Park. In the 1930s, the chapel was converted into a 13-room home with a garden. In 2012, architect Dale Overmyer finally renovated the historic home with honey-colored restored floors. Despite this, the Great Room's original fireplace remains with bricks salvaged from the grounds with hand-forged vents in the chimney.
1552 33rd St NW, Washington, DC 20007
Photo via Google Street View

1544 33rd Street NW

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D.C.-based architect Christian Zapatka renovated and updated this townhome with pine flooring, an open kitchen, and a whitewashed brick garden terrace. The plate glass windows are all original.
1544 33rd St NW, Washington, DC 20007
Photo via Google Street View

3252 O Street NW

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Past owners of this home include noted geophysicist with the National Academy of Science Dr. Pembroke Hart and journalist and founder of the Seeds of Peace Foundation John Wallach. According to a fact sheet on the homes in this year's Georgetown House Tour, this structure was also host to a dinner in 1977 with Zbigniew Brzezinski, President Carter's National Security Council adviser, and Soviet Ambassador Anatoliy Dobrynin. The home was renovated in 2016 with a wine refrigerator and quartz countertops.
3252 O St NW, Washington, DC 20007
Photo via Google Street View

3023 P Street NW

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In c. 1814, this residence, known as "Seam House," was owned by Washington Bowie, a Scottish tobacco merchant, Colonel in the Maryland Militia, and godson to President George Washington. Over time, the home was expanded multiple times, once by D.C.-based architect Christian Zapatka. There is also reclaimed pine flooring, an open staircase, and rear gardens.
3023 P St NW, Washington, DC 20007
Photo via Google Street View

2815 Q Street NW

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This Italianate-style townhome was once owned by Ambassador Jack Lydman, the former ambassador to Malaysia. When Lydman purchased this c. 1860-built home, he used it to display his Chinese porcelain collection. Today's visitors of the now modernized home will find dramatic paintings and Midcentury Modern furnishings.
2815 Q St NW, Washington, DC 20007
Photo via Google Street View

1412 28th Street NW

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Constructed in c. 1830, this single-family home was first used as a family farmhouse. In the late 1970s, Georgetown architect David Jones added a two-story glass atrium. Inside, there is an open kitchen, balustrades from the Philadelphia Museum, and chandeliers made in Amsterdam.
1412 28th St NW, Washington, DC 20007
Photo via Google Street View
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3420 P Street NW

3420 P St NW, Washington, DC 20007
Located on a cobblestone street in Georgetown, this Victorian townhome offers visitors a look at its ornate brick patterning, granite friezes, and wrought iron railings. While constructed in c. 1888, this house underwent a major renovation by Linda Battalia Design. The original oak flooring has been restored along with the windows and casings. There are also stained glass windows inside along with many original five-panel doors.
3420 P St NW, Washington, DC 20007
Photo via Google Street View

1257 35th Street NW

1257 35th St NW, Washington, DC 20007
In c. 1886, this Georgetown residence was sold for $750 from the architect behind the structure, Thomas E. Waggaman. Waggaman was known as a patron of the arts as well as a prominent Catholic layman who was included in the Washington Elite List of 1896. The townhome was constructed with stone and pressed brick, set off by a landscaped front garden, while the rear of the home offers a private patio with a fountain.
1257 35th St NW, Washington, DC 20007
Photo via Google Street View

1552 33rd Street NW

1552 33rd St NW, Washington, DC 20007
Next on the list is this former chapel, built around 1855 to serve a largely African American congregation. In c. 1901, the chapel was sold along with its burial grounds, which later became Volta Park. In the 1930s, the chapel was converted into a 13-room home with a garden. In 2012, architect Dale Overmyer finally renovated the historic home with honey-colored restored floors. Despite this, the Great Room's original fireplace remains with bricks salvaged from the grounds with hand-forged vents in the chimney.
1552 33rd St NW, Washington, DC 20007
Photo via Google Street View

1544 33rd Street NW

1544 33rd St NW, Washington, DC 20007
D.C.-based architect Christian Zapatka renovated and updated this townhome with pine flooring, an open kitchen, and a whitewashed brick garden terrace. The plate glass windows are all original.
1544 33rd St NW, Washington, DC 20007
Photo via Google Street View

3252 O Street NW

3252 O St NW, Washington, DC 20007
Past owners of this home include noted geophysicist with the National Academy of Science Dr. Pembroke Hart and journalist and founder of the Seeds of Peace Foundation John Wallach. According to a fact sheet on the homes in this year's Georgetown House Tour, this structure was also host to a dinner in 1977 with Zbigniew Brzezinski, President Carter's National Security Council adviser, and Soviet Ambassador Anatoliy Dobrynin. The home was renovated in 2016 with a wine refrigerator and quartz countertops.
3252 O St NW, Washington, DC 20007
Photo via Google Street View

3023 P Street NW

3023 P St NW, Washington, DC 20007
In c. 1814, this residence, known as "Seam House," was owned by Washington Bowie, a Scottish tobacco merchant, Colonel in the Maryland Militia, and godson to President George Washington. Over time, the home was expanded multiple times, once by D.C.-based architect Christian Zapatka. There is also reclaimed pine flooring, an open staircase, and rear gardens.
3023 P St NW, Washington, DC 20007
Photo via Google Street View

2815 Q Street NW

2815 Q St NW, Washington, DC 20007
This Italianate-style townhome was once owned by Ambassador Jack Lydman, the former ambassador to Malaysia. When Lydman purchased this c. 1860-built home, he used it to display his Chinese porcelain collection. Today's visitors of the now modernized home will find dramatic paintings and Midcentury Modern furnishings.
2815 Q St NW, Washington, DC 20007
Photo via Google Street View

1412 28th Street NW

1412 28th St NW, Washington, DC 20007
Constructed in c. 1830, this single-family home was first used as a family farmhouse. In the late 1970s, Georgetown architect David Jones added a two-story glass atrium. Inside, there is an open kitchen, balustrades from the Philadelphia Museum, and chandeliers made in Amsterdam.
1412 28th St NW, Washington, DC 20007
Photo via Google Street View