WASHINGTON — It was a 19th Century dream home, a speak-easy, a bachelor pad and a then an empty house filled with termites and critters. But now, Baltzley Castle is a 21st restoration dream and it’s for sale.
According to Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, the historic mansion was listed Friday for $4.4 million.
Situated on Mohican Drive overlooking the Potomac River in Glen Echo, the castle was built in 1890 by twin brothers Edward and Edwin Baltzley. The builders sought to make the surrounding area a “Rhineland on the Potomac,” a mecca for culture and education in wealthy suburban Washington, complete with a development of high-end domiciles that they would build and sell along the riverside.
They partially got their wish. While they did not build out the development, the brothers did help to bring a trolley service to Glen Echo from D.C., which eventually led to the famous Glen Echo park, used today for art and cultural experiences.
But their flagship 16-room residence, Baltzley Castle, ran a much bumpier course. After the brothers moved away, the property was used as a speak-easy during prohibition and later a bachelor pad during World War II, according to a Bethesda Magazine profile.
By the time the current owners bought and lovingly restored it in 2010, it had fallen into gross disrepair, with caved-in ceilings, broken red tile roof and stone terrace, termites and rot.
Today it is a showcase, fulfilling in part, the Baltzley brother’s dream.
