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Bethesda's Mushroom House Finds a Buyer

  • May 4th 2015

by UrbanTurf Staff

Bethesda's Mushroom House Finds a Buyer: Figure 1

A new homebuyer in Bethesda will soon be living a bit like the Flintstones.

The Mushroom House, as it has come to be known, sold last week after about six months on the market. The news was first reported by BethesdaNow. Originally listed for $1.2 million last October, the home sold for the heavily discounted price of $920,000.

The house — alternately referred to as the “Flintstones House,” the “Smurf House” and the “Hobbit House,” per Bethesda Magazine — sits on Allan Road less than a block from the DC/Maryland line (map).

Bethesda's Mushroom House Finds a Buyer: Figure 2

Edward and Frances Garfinkel purchased the home in the 1960s and set about taking what was a “staid, conventional house” and turning it into something more whimsical with a bold addition, according to a 1974 article in The Washington Post. The home was designed by Roy Mason, “the marshmallow architect,” per The Post, and crafted out of polyurethane.

Bethesda's Mushroom House Finds a Buyer: Figure 3

Building the foam addition wasn’t easy; it cost more than double what the Garfinkels budgeted, and along the way there were mishaps, including the accidental spraying of a neighbor’s car with foam.

Below a few more photos:

Bethesda's Mushroom House Finds a Buyer: Figure 4

Bethesda's Mushroom House Finds a Buyer: Figure 5

Bethesda's Mushroom House Finds a Buyer: Figure 6

Photos courtesy of HomeVisit

See other articles related to: bethesda, bethesda mushroom house

This article originally published at https://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/bethesdas_mushroom_house_finds_a_buyer/9840.

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