Jackie Kennedy Onassis is one of the most famous president’s wives the US has ever known. While she slotted in perfectly to the social and political scene of Washington DC her childhood was nowhere near as idyllic. The divorce of her parents hit Jackie extremely hard and after moving around for many years she seemed to find solace in the Merrywood estate property which became her family home. So, what does Merrywood have to offer and how did estate agents arrive at a $49.5 million valuation!
The history of Merrywood
The property was built back in 1919 and originally covered 46 acres above the banks of the Potomac river. Over the years it has been split up and sold on and is now a more manageable 7 acres although this did not stop the property hosting some of the biggest names in US entertainment and political history. What attracted so many people to Merrywood estate?
Inside a piece of history
The brick and limestone mansion has an impressive nine bedrooms and 13 bathrooms with the property built in a classic Georgian style. It has obviously been renovated over the years although it still covers an astonishing 23,000 ft.² of floor space. While there have been numerous cosmetic changes to the property much of the original architecture has been maintained to a certain extent. We have the impressive entrance hall, the grand main public rooms and a number of more private family rooms.
The second floor of the property houses the family quarters with a large master suite which includes his and hers dressing rooms, exercise room and a place to study. There are also four further ensuite bedrooms on the second floor, with four additional bedrooms and three bathrooms on the top floor – we can only imagine how luxurious it must have been for Jackie Kennedy living at the Merrywood estate.
Additional extras
The lower floor of the house is home to a climate controlled wine room and there is an elevator to all levels. If we then venture outside there are an array of terraces for dining and entertaining, a fully functional outdoor kitchen and vegetation-enclosed garden rooms. The estate also boasts a terrace which overlooks the river, tennis court, indoor swimming pool, outdoor swimming pool together with a gym for fitness fanatics. It is not difficult to see why Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis (aka Jackie Kennedy) felt so at home in her teen years or to understand why the property, valued at $49.5 million, is the highest priced residency in Washington DC.
Buying into the history
Properties such as the Merrywood estate do not change hands on a regular basis and therefore it can be difficult to judge the correct price. The current asking price of $49.5 million is by far and away the highest in the Washington DC area but when you look at the property, the facilities as well as the history it is perhaps understandable why it is so sought after. It will be interesting to see the level of demand for this type of property which is extremely expensive but also something of a one-off.