Deep Throat Renovation: Bob Woodward’s New and Improved Watergate Apartment

• January 18, 2012
• 4 Comments

by UrbanTurf Staff

Webster House

Forty years ago, the balcony of a studio at the Webster House in Dupont Circle served as a critical communication point in one of the country’s biggest political scandals. Now, all that balcony will probably be used for is enjoying a morning cup of coffee and the newspaper.

Difficult view of balcony

Last April, UrbanTurf reported that the studio that Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward lived in as he was investigating the Watergate scandal had hit the market for $215,000. Fans of All the President’s Men and Watergate fanatics will remember that when Deep Throat (Mark Felt) wanted to meet with Woodward about the scandal, he would circle page 20 in Woodward’s New York Times and then draw hands of a clock in the lower part of the page to signal what time they should meet in a Rosslyn parking garage. If Woodward wanted to meet with Felt, he would put a flag in a flower pot on the balcony of his 500 square-foot unit.

View from balcony

UrbanTurf recently learned that the unit, which was a shell in need of a good deal of work, was purchased for the discounted price of $200,000 by Katherine and Dustin Teunissen, a young couple who run Capital Housecraft, a home renovation company. For the past several months, the Teunissens have been completely renovating the unit.

“When we found the condo it was in a very dilapidated state,” Katherine Teunissen told UrbanTurf. “The walls were a nauseating shade of green, the floors were brown parquet, and the kitchen had already been gutted.”

The couple turned the studio into a one bedroom unit, and opened up the kitchen to the living room. To maximize the usable space, they added pocket doors, glass cabinets, tall closets and opened up the ceiling where possible. The bathroom and vanity area were updated, as was the kitchen, which now has concrete counters, new appliances, glass tile back splash and dark maple cabinets. The Teunissens plan to eventually rent the unit.

New kitchen in unit

One thing that may prove to be a little difficult, however, is re-enacting any of the secret communication from the Watergate years. UrbanTurf ventured over to the back of the Webster House to get a better look at the balcony. Because a large section in the rear of the building has been cordoned off, getting a good view of the balcony is fairly difficult. In the second photo above, it is one unit from the back of the building, six floors up.

Still, the Teunissens say they’ll be sure to ask future tenants to keep a flower pot on the balcony…just in case.

This article originally published at http://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/bob_woodwards_new_and_improved_watergate_apartment/4942

4 Comments

1. Katherine Teunissen said at 8:24 pm on Wednesday January 18, 2012:
   Thanks for the story Mark! If you would like to see more photos of the before and after of the renovation, please visit us at www.CapitalHousecraft.com or http://capitalhousecraft.com/portfolio/1718-p-street-condo-renovation. Thanks again!

1. Esigie Aguele said at 8:43 pm on Wednesday January 18, 2012:
   Lol! It's a great apartment! I love it... Whoever the Teunissens are they are very talented at renovations and design...

1. Stephen Lord said at 8:54 pm on Wednesday January 18, 2012:
   Wow, what a great kitchen. They did that themselves? Looks like a photo from a design magazine. They did a great job!!!

1. Amanda said at 11:39 am on Thursday January 19, 2012:
   Awesome!!! Definitely need to use them for a multi million dollar condo. WIll keep on the top of my list.