Merrywood, Jackie Kennedy’s childhood home, goes on the market for $49.5M

You can all but picture Jackie Kennedy Onassis, as a young girl, frolicking through the halls and gardens of this regal mansion in the affluent Washington, D.C. suburb, or the many glamorous parties that were hosted here over its nearly century-long history.

Merrywood, the storied Georgian-style mansion in McLean, Virginia, that was, at different points, home to (a young) Jackie O., Gore Vidal, and Nancy and Wyatt Dickerson, is being sold by America Online co-founder Steve Case for $49.5 million, making it the most expensive property on the market in the area, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Built in 1919 and (radically) renovated since, the elegant brick-and-limestone four-story manse still maintains much of its original ornate plaster moldings. Nine bedrooms, 13 bathrooms, multiple common rooms including a formal dining and sitting room, and a wine cellar—to name just a few of its myriad features—unfurl across the 23,000-square-foot estate, offering a number of gorgeous settings for large social gatherings and intimate family occasions alike.

The light-filled home—occupying seven private acres on the banks of the Potomac River—is complemented by gorgeous grounds distinguished by rolling lawns, formal gardens and “garden rooms,” a swimming pool, tennis court, and a pavilion with indoor lap pool, gym, and changing rooms.

Rounding out the property is a carriage house providing parking, staff quarters, and offices. If purchased for the asking price of $49.5 million, Merrywood would set a record for most expensive home sold in the area. (The current record is $24.5 million, which Case paid when he bought the home in 2005.)

Via: Sotheby’s International Realty, The Wall Street Journal