This Week’s Find: Old Turned New in LeDroit Park

• August 11, 2011
• 11 Comments

by Mark Wellborn

1859 3rd Street NW

In 1889, a physician named Thomas B. Campbell built a home at 1859 3rd Street NW (map) for just $5,000. Campbell was the “physician in charge” at the Kretol Medical Institute on F Street, a place that featured a wide variety of suspect medical devices such as a hot air and oxygen machine, oils and germicides as well as promises to be able to treat morphine, opium, and alcohol addictions.

Campbell and his wife passed away in 1902, and over the last century, the home has been owned and occupied by a variety of individuals including a dentist and a federal clerk. But in recent decades, the property fell into disrepair and was finally condemned in 2006.

The exterior before photo. Courtesy of Google Maps

For the last year, contractor Albarth Molina has been bringing the house back to life and UrbanTurf got a sneak peek of the transformation before it hits the market. In short, the new home is a 2,800 square-foot, five-bedroom, 4.5-bath home that sits on a 6,500 square-foot lot and has a separately metered one-bedroom English basement.

While the home certainly looks different from the original structure built in the late 1800s, Molina salvaged a number of original details, including pocket doors, mantles, and trim on the main level, and restored the original staircase and railing. On the second level, the bedroom doors still have the original transom windows and the third level is now a loft area with the home’s turret and sloping ceilings from the roof.

Listing agent Fred Bates told UrbanTurf that the home will be priced soon and go on sale next week. In the meantime, check out the before and after photos below.

Update: Here is the full listing.

Entry — Before

Entry — After

Living Room — Before

Living Room — After

Kitchen — Before

Kitchen — After

Bedroom — Before

Bedroom — After

Foyer with restored staircase

This article originally published at http://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/this_weeks_find_old_turned_new_in_ledroit_park/3962

11 Comments

1. Marian said at 1:21 pm on Thursday August 11, 2011:

   Beautiful. And thanks for the background.

1. bob said at 2:41 pm on Thursday August 11, 2011:

   Stunning

1. MsMela said at 3:24 pm on Thursday August 11, 2011:

   Lawd knows I wish it could be MINE !!!!!!!

1. StringsAttached said at 3:57 pm on Thursday August 11, 2011:

   Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow…and wow! I like the fact that the finishes aren’t too over the top and the fact that the vents are run in the ceiling rather than the floors. I wish they would have fixed the fireplace so it worked but it looks like it was closed up in the before photo as well. Great job though!

1. StringsAttached said at 4:17 pm on Thursday August 11, 2011:

   Mark, do you know how much this will be listed for? If you can’t say today, please be sure to update us in the future.

1. anon said at 6:18 pm on Thursday August 11, 2011:

   Beautiful - except the got dang prefinished wood floors!  Come on developers/flippers!  Put REAL wood that requires REAL sanding in your projects.  Please?

1. Mark Wellborn said at 8:15 am on Friday August 12, 2011:

   Strings Attached,

   Exact price has not been released but we will update the post next week.

   Mark

1. Mile said at 9:51 am on Monday August 15, 2011:

   The contractor did some amazing work to bring such a house back to life!

1. Yo said at 11:28 am on Wednesday August 17, 2011:

   Very nice but I wish they kept the radiators, radiated heat is the best heat.

1. Cher@NewburghRestoration said at 4:53 pm on Wednesday August 17, 2011:

   That is just amazing! Loved this transformation!

1. Jen DC said at 12:06 pm on Thursday August 18, 2011:

   I used to live around the corner from this place on T St NW and always wanted it… Imagined what I could do to that place. It looks lovely, however I do have to agree re: the wood floors. And the kitchen is boring, but it’s to sell, not to personalize. Pix of the basement available? Let us know the listing as soon as you do hear, and thanks!

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