Second Term Around

President Warren Harding's former Kalorama residence restored with preservation and "high octane glamour" in mind Photographed Zaid Hamid

7826 Swinks Mill Court sold for the list price of $3,850,000

The District
Nancy Lammerding Ruwe, former White House social secretary to President and Mrs. Gerald R. Ford has sold her house at 2429 Kalorama Road, N.W. for $3.495 million in favor of living at the full-service luxury Colonnade condominiums at 2801 New Mexico Avenue, N.W. Located near Foxhall Square, The Colonnade boasts twenty-four-hour concierge service, valet parking, a swimming pool, a gymnasium, a party room, a convenience store, a dry cleaners and a beauty salon. Widowed since 1990, Mrs. Ruwe was married to the Honorable Lester Nicholas Ruwe, a wealthy Grosse Pointe, Mich., sportsman who served as ambassador to the Republic of Iceland from 1985-1989. He died of cancer at age 56. In preparation for her move, Mrs. Ruwe recently sold a gilt table service commissioned by the Ruwe family from the Morozov workshop in St. Petersburg, one of Russia's finest silver and goldsmiths. The extraordinary service for twelve includes dinner plates, serving platters and bowls, champagne glasses, red and white wine goblets, demitasse cups and saucers, flatware and an impressive centerpiece bearing the Ruwe family crest. The items sold at Doyle's for more than $900,000. The grand Colonial-style residence at 2344 California Street, N.W. has sold for $4.5 million. The seven-bedroom home was built in 1922 and is situated on a 9,750 square- foot lot with a patio and walled garden. The distinguished looking home with its perfectly proportioned public rooms had belonged to Tutt, Taylor and Rankin's Michael Rankin and Mark A. Green. Michael listed the property for $4.7 million and now resides in Robert McNamara's old home at 2412 Tracy Place, N.W. for which he paid $3.5 million.

2344 California Street, N.W. sold for $4.5 million

President Clinton's deputy director of OMB, G. Edward De Seve has parted with 10 Kalorama Circle for $2.8 million. Deseve bought the beautifully renovated 1925 neoclassical Greek Revival-style brick home in 2003 for $2.1 million. At once stately and serene, its sunfilled rooms afford views of the National Cathedral through arched windows. The large living room has three sets of French doors leading to the private patio and side garden, and the breakfast room with its bay window overlooks the ground's rear flowerbeds. Jim Bell with Washington Fine Properties listed the home which was purchased in trust.

Robert M. Rosenthal, CEO of Rosenthal Automotive and his wife Marion, patrons of the National Gallery and the NSO, have sold their Watergate South residence at 700 New Hampshire Avenue, Unit #404/405. Long and Foster's Nancy Itteilag listed their 3,749 squarefoot residence, for $2,700,000. The purchasers are Dennis Kass, chairman and CEO with Jennison Associates, LLC and Prudential Investment Management, Inc. and his wife Barclay who moved to the area from Rye, N.Y. Their new home features a marble foyer leading to a circular gallery, an oval dining room and a wrap-around balcony with views of the Kennedy Center, the Potomac River, Key Bridge, Roosevelt Island and the Georgetown waterfront. The master bedroom suite comes complete with luxuriously appointed "his" and "hers" dressing rooms and baths. A second bedroom has louvered walls with floor-toceiling plantation shutters and en suite bath. Their purchase also includes a third bedroom and four underground parking spaces that should come in handy when the couple's two sons come to visit. Carl J. "Rick" Rickertsen has reportedly received $3.12 million from the sale of his brick Federal-style Georgetown manse. Highlights include a private deck off the master bedroom, five additional bedrooms including an au pair/in-law suite, and library. Rickertsen is a former COO of Thayer Capital Partners and author of "Buyout, The Insider's Guide to Buying Your Own Company." He is presently a partner at the Georgetown based private equity firm Pine Creek Partners.

The Georgetown home of New York Times reporter Diana Jean Schemo and bio-security specialist Roger Breeze is on the market for $1,855,000. Known as the "Frey-Mockbee House," the splendid P Street residence was built in 1876 and features exquisite architectural detail including Jeffersonian windows and a charming balcony with an intricately sculptured wrought iron rail. The three-bedroom East Village property also boasts an enchanting garden terrace and a solarium. Jeanne Livingston and Susan Stead Davis, both with Long and Foster, are the listing agents.

This view from Watergate South came with a $2.7 million price

Maryland
Pinehurst Investments Corp. has sold 8028 Herb Farm Drive in Bethesda to Edward Wallach an OB/GYN and professor at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and his wife Courtenay. The Wallachs paid $1.62 million for their new Montgomery County home.

In Potomac, Dr. Tsal N. Wei, an anesthesiologist at Montgomery General hospital and his wife Ching, have sold their six-bedroom home at 9809 Hall Road to Dr. Giorgio Trinchieri and his wife Simonetta for $1.85 million. The Trinchieris moved to the U.S. from Dardilly, France, where Giorgio, a leading immunologist, was the director of the Schering-Plough Research Institute. Dr. Trinchieri is now with NIH at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

Virginia
In McLean, 7826 Swinks Mill Court sold for the list price of $3,850,000. This custom home was constructed in 2002 by Keswick Homes and designed by Lessard Architects and the owner, commercial developer Robert Curtis of Farr, Curtis, Walton fame. The four-story home is situated on a quiet cul-de-sac and offers over 11,800 square-feet of living space. There are seven bedrooms, ten bathrooms, three separate outdoor decks/terraces and a five-car garage. Special accoutrements include custom lighting schemes and marvelous millwork, mouldings, and inlaid hardwood flooring. The buyers are Mr. and Mrs. Steven Gaffney. Last October Mr. Graffney was appointed corporate vice president and president of ITT Industries Defense, located in McLean. In this position he is responsible for managing ITT's $3 billion global defense operations. Nancy Itteilag, with Long and Foster's Foxhall Office was the listing agent. The selling agent was Louise Spellman with Long and Foster's Great Falls office.

John Fahey, president and CEO of the National Geographic Society and his wife Heidi have reportedly sold their five-bedroom, eight-bathroom Colonial in McLean's Langley Forest neighborhood for $2.8 million. The house, which was originally listed for $3.2 million, has a swimming pool, hot tub and library. The Faheys now own 1513 30th Street, N.W., which they bought from Washington Fine Properties realtor Ted Gossett for $3,950,000. The home has been beautifully renovated with new baths and a remodeled kitchen and its back garden is adorned with a French limestone fountain.

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