Elaine Crockett lived in her Georgetown rowhouse for nearly 15 years before she learned who else had lived there.
After she retired in 2000 from the Office of the General Counsel, the former attorney “needed a project,” she said. In a journey that took her to several area libraries and newspaper archives, she amassed files, narratives and public records into a story that, when she printed it, was an inch and a half thick.
Here’s the condensed version: 3070 Q St. NW was once the site of a mansion built for Frances Dodge, a Georgetown shipping merchant and, at the time of his death, the richest man in Washington. His family’s nearby warehouses next to the Potomac River stand today, but the house was torn down in 1893.
In its place, a developer built seven rowhouses, including the one where Crockett now lives. Its first owner was George Washington Ball, the great grandnephew of President George Washington and great-grandson of George Mason of Gunston Hall. His wife, Mary Beverley Randolph, was first cousin to Robert E. Lee and related to Thomas Jefferson. Members of the Ball family owned the house until 1955.
The house “always felt good in a way that I couldn’t really quite explain,” Crockett said. “This may sound a little superstitious, but I always had the feeling that it had something to do with the people who lived here, and I felt that way before I looked into the history. I think I was right.”
In 1973, Crockett’s husband, Don, bought the property. She moved in when they were wed in 1986. Her husband died in 2023. Now, more than five decades since it was last sold, the ornate, traditional Georgetown rowhouse is back on the market. The asking price is $2.95 million.
The off-white house, laced in ivy, rises from a cobblestone street in Georgetown’s East Village, a half-moon transom window and decorative white molding over the wooden front door. Inside, the house has neatly sectioned rooms, elaborate chandeliers and warm wood floors. The intricate wall moldings and large windows give the space a distinctive European look.
“I had no idea my house looked so French until I saw the brochure,” Crockett said, though she noted that, with different furniture and interior design choices, the space could lend itself to a wholly different aesthetic.
The main level opens to a foyer, which leads to a well-appointed living room, corner fireplace and window alcove. Another fireplace is surrounded by built-in shelves. The dining room, with a mirrored wall to enhance the space, is next to a galley kitchen with an arched glass doorway. Both rooms have exterior access, to a porch or ivy-shrouded patio.
On the second level are two bedrooms that share a hall bathroom. The primary suite occupies the entire third floor, with a fireplace, en suite bathroom and a walk-in closet almost as large as the bedroom. A balcony overlooks the tree-lined street.
The lower level was recently renovated (though it kept the original exposed brick) and could be used as an in-law suite or rental unit. It has a living room, kitchen, fireplace, bedroom, washer/dryer and bathroom, and accesses the brick patio.
Crockett is moving because over 3,000 square feet is “just too much house” for her alone, though she’s probably staying in the neighborhood. “I just feel honored, honestly, to have lived here,” she said. “Of course, I knew nothing about it when I married my husband. I just think it’s fascinating.”
$2,950,000
- Bedrooms/bathrooms: 5/3
- Approximate square-footage: 3,150
- Lot size: 1,300 square feet
- Listing agent: Jean Hanan, Washington Fine Properties
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