Georgian beauty in Kalorama, a rare townhouse by the District’s first African-American architect, and a short sale on River Road
By Mary K. Mewborn
A townhouse at 2123 N Street NW, one of the few remaining structures designed by noted African American architect Calvin T. S. Bren, recently changed hands for $1,450,000.
The District
Jim Bell, with Washington Fine Properties, helped sell the Georgian mansion at 1901 24th Street NW, which had an asking price of $4.9 million. Built in 1926, the three-story, six-bedroom, 6,395-square-foot Kalorama home belonged to Hani and Cheryl Masri for the past 25 years. During their quarter century there, the Masris entertained the Rolling Stones and Quincy Jones and hosted lavish parties for Democratic Party elite, including the Clintons and former DNC chairman Terry McAuliffe. Mr. Masri is a Palestinian-American commentator and columnist for the Ramallah-based newspaper Al-Ayyam and an influential supporter of the Palestinian cause. Mrs. Masri is a co-founder of the non-profit group Knock Out Abuse Against Women.
One of the few remaining houses designed by the District’s first black architect has been sold. The yellow Victorian at 2123 N Street NW was designed in 1892 by Calvin T.S. Brent, who was also the architect of Mt. Jezreel Baptist Church on Capitol Hill and the Third Baptist Church at 1546 5th Street NW. The N Street residence has an arched doorway counter-balanced by a large bay window accented with white rusticated lintels. Bobbie Brewster with Washington Fine Properties sold the property for $1,350,000. Highlights include five fireplaces, an in-law suite, home office, skylight and two parking spaces. The historic dwelling now belongs to World Bank officer Francis Ghesquiere, a lead disaster risk manager who previously was a management consultant for Fortune 500 companies and governments in Europe, Asia, and the Americas. He was represented by Nella Pinto of Long and Foster. The sellers were Sarah Baxter, Washington correspondent for The Sunday Times of London, and her husband Jez Coulson, a noted photojournalist whose recent coverage of the ‘War on Terror” at Guantanamo Bay appeared in both Newsweek and Time as well as in the UK’s Sunday Times and the Guardian.
