The Saudi chancery, located at 2941 Massachusetts Avenue, is on the market for $9.5M. Built in 1919, this elegant neo-classical residence has watched over Massachusetts Avenue since Edith Galt Wilson used to drive her electric automobile up the street on morning excursions with her husband, the president.
2941 Massachusetts Avenue – an Iconic Property
Now is your chance to live like an ambassador! 2941 Massachusetts is on the market this week for the first time in 50 years. Located down the street from the Vice President’s residence, a.k.a the United States Naval Observatory, near the Brazilian, Italian and South African embassies, the stately 11,000-square-foot home features eight bedrooms and multiple ballrooms and staterooms. (I bet you never knew you wanted a home with multiple ballrooms!) Douglas Elliman holds the $9.5 million listing. Records show the property is owned by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and previously served as the residence of the country’s ambassador. It was, however, most recently used as a chancery, according to press materials. Chanceries are typically connected to an embassy or consulate, meaning several high-ranking officials from the United States and the Middle East have likely spent time in the property.
Inside the Saudi Chancery
The interiors were last renovated in the ’90s, but don’t feel dated because of the classic decor, neutral palette, and charming original details. Through the portico entrance, stone flooring and dramatic archways lead in and out of large lounge areas and palatial bedrooms. The formal living room is at once elegant and inviting, with multiple sofas, a large built-in bookcase, and parquet flooring. Nearby, the formal dining room is decked out with decorative wallpaper and wood paneling, making it a perfect spot to entertain friends. A grand marble staircase with a wrought-iron railing takes you up to the second floor.
Back downstairs, three sets of French doors open to the spacious backyard. At the center of the leafy oasis is a huge swimming pool flanked by six sun loungers. Nearby, the pool house offers space to relax and refresh after a day of swimming and sunning.
Besides the pool and pool house, there is room for a three car garage on the property which measures over a 1/3rd of an acres. While the front of the house with its pebbled circular driveway faces Massachusetts Avenue, the rear of the property looks toward the woods and stately homes tucked into the woods of Normanstone Drive.
Growing up in Washington on Cathedral Avenue, 2941 Massachusetts Avenue is a property that has always caught my attention, and I have wondered what it was like inside. Now I know – and if you want to see more pictures of this memorable property, just click here. The listing agent asks for 24 hours’ notice, but if you want to see it, I would be happy to move my schedule around to accommodate you! Just call me at 240-401-5577 or email me at lise@lisehowe.com.
And in case you want to know what Edith Galt Wilson drove, it was an electric Columbia Elberon Victoria Mark XXXI, and she was the first woman to have a drivers’ license in Washington DC!
