That’s a whole lot of Washingtons.
A piece of George Washington’s original Mount Vernon estate has sold for a whopping $50 million, marking the highest residential sale to hit the D.C. region ever.
And it seems we can now understand what the first U.S. president meant when he proclaimed in 1797, his final year as leader of the free world: “I had rather be on my farm than be emperor of the world.”
Situated on over 16 acres of land, the home was last purchased by the former CEO of Lockheed Martin, Robert Stevens, and his wife, Michelle Stevens, in 2014 for $18.6 million, records show.
Known as the River View Estate, the main house spans 16,000 square feet and is made up of seven bedrooms and 13 bathrooms and features 400 feet of water frontage overlooking the Potomac River. The estate also comes with a three-bedroom, three-bath 2,600 square foot guest house.
The home was part of the original 1,800 acres America’s founding father purchased in 1760, according to the American Horticultural Society, which still owns a portion of the original property, now a historic landmark that serves as a museum.
Additionally, the sale closed on Oct. 29 for $48 million, and included $2 million worth of furniture and personal property, according to Mansion Global.
The home remained in Washington’s family until 1859 and has only changed hands a total of four times since then.
Initially hitting the market in Sept. 2020 for $60 million, the home has seen modern renovations in the last century.
Special amenities include a home gym with radius windows overlooking the Potomac, an adjacent spa area with a sauna and steam room and an indoor resistance pool, according to the listing.
There is also a movie theatre, a reception room that leads to views of the gardens, and a game room with a full bar and a pool table.
An American Federal-style residence designed by architect Jim Rill, there are terraces with water views which are accessed by nearly every room in the house, the listing states.
There is also a carriage house with a four-car garage, a studio apartment, a long winding dock and several rose gardens.
Only ten minutes from the D.C. metropolitan area, the home is considered a “Smart House” with entertainment systems “all controlled by a central bank of computers,” the listing notes.
Heather Corey of TTR Sotheby’s International Realty held the listing.
