This nineteenth century home tucked away on the quiet streets of Cleveland Park was once owned by John Adlum, known as the “father of American viticulture” – or so the story goes. According to legend, Adlum, who joined the Revolutionary War two days after the signing of the Declaration of Independence at age 17, began one of the new nation’s first vineyards on this property.
Historic farmhouse in NW DC on the market for $5 million
The truth is murkier. While Adlum did own 200 acres of land in what is now Cleveland Park, Van Ness and Forrest Hills, he never lived in this farm house – in fact, it wasn’t built until 1845, nine years after his death. The location of Adlum’s home is unknown, though it may have been the site of the nearby community garden.
This is not to say that Adlum did not procure wine from the property. In his memoir, he wrote about being one of the first viticulturists to produce wine with grapes native to the area rather than fermenting European varieties. His goal, he wrote, was to “exhibit to the Nation a new source of wealth, which had been too long neglected.”
Even President Thomas Jefferson, himself a winemaker, was a fan of Adlum’s product. He wrote a letter to Adlum in 1809 regarding a sampling of Adlum’s Maryland-produced wine, which a congressman had gifted him.
“This was a very fine wine, and so exactly resembling the red Burgundy of Chamberlin, (one of the best crops) that on a fair comparison with that, of which I had very good on the same table, imported by myself from the place where made; the company could not distinguish the one from the other.”
Adlum’s D.C. property remained in his family well into the 1900s, though “the Vineyards,” as he titled it, was divided among his descendants. Adlum’s son-in-law, Assistant Attorney General Henry Hatch Dent, constructed the 1845 home now known as Springland, and it has seen some notable occupants in its 177-year existence, according to its historic designation.
This includes Dent’s daughter, Adlumnia Dent, who married minister and philosopher James McBride Sterrett. A professor at Columbian College, which became George Washington University, he wrote several books on Hegelian idealistic philosophy during his residence. He also founded All Souls Church, which still stands high above the intersection of Mount Pleasant, Adams Morgan and Columbia Heights neighborhoods. Their children, who grew up in the home, included William Dent Sterrett, who was a major developer in Cleveland Park (and built most of the homes on the surrounding streets) and Henry Hatch Dent Sterrett, who was the last family member to own the home in adulthood and followed his father to become a minister.
The six-bedroom, five-bathroom house sits on over an acre of land. The main level features a grand foyer with peachy walls and is flanked by a library on one end and a receiving room on the other. The dining room and living room open to a veranda that overlooks the expansive property and private garden. A metal storage rack hangs above the country kitchen, and the family room is lit by oversized windows in the day and (perhaps) by a fireplace in the evening.
On the second level, the primary bedroom, including a walk-in closet, sits next to an en-suite bathroom with dual vanities and a double-headed steam shower. Three other bedrooms on the floor share a bathroom and central laundry room.
The lower level has a recreation room, a guest bedroom, heated tile floors, a second bedroom (currently used as a home gym) and additional storage space. Multiple rear exterior doors lead to a fenced backyard.
There are two covered patios in the backyard, one of which leads into the backyard and the other to the main floor. A separate structure next to the house is used as a one-car garage. In the front of the house, a circular gravel stretches 3,600 square feet.
Concealed behind Sidwell Friends School, Springland is within walking distance to neighborhood shops and restaurants in Cathedral Commons and Cleveland Park, the Cleveland Park Metro stop and newly renovated Hearst Park, which includes a public swimming pool.
A small community, Springland Farm neighbors take pride in the area’s history and present community. While today’s residents may not personally recall the vineyard that once sprawled upon their properties, they remember Adlum’s contributions to the birth of the American wine industry – and how it began where they now live.
“What is life to a man that is without wine?” Adlum wrote in his 1823 book on winemaking. “It was made to make men glad. Moderately drank, and in season, bringeth gladness of the heart, and cheerfulness of the mind.”
$4,990,000
- Bedrooms/bathrooms: 6/5
- Approximate square-footage: 4,800
- Lot size: 1.05 acres
- Features: This farmhouse was built in 1845, though its many renovations and additions has led to a collection of architectural styles within the house. The house is on over an acre of land. There is ample outdoor space, including a second story back porch and a garden. The bottom level includes heated floors, a second laundry room and extra bedrooms. There is a one-car detached garage.
- Listing agent: Michael Rankin, TTR Soethby’s International Realty
Source: WP
