A Storied Washington, DC Home Hits the Market

WASHINGTON, February 28, 2018 (Newswire.com) - History buffs will love the Washington, DC house known for the influential Washington insiders who have called it home that has come to market for $1,325,000.

Neighbors fondly recall the parties consummate Washington insider Jack Valenti threw at 2838 Arizona Avenue. Valenti, a close personal friend of Lyndon Johnson, was present aboard Air Force One when Johnson was sworn-in as President following the assassination of President Kennedy. Instead of returning to Texas, Valenti joined the Johnson Administration and lived in this center hall colonial in the affluent neighborhood of Kent. Valenti later went on to become one of the most powerful lobbyists in Washington history at the Motion Picture Association of America.

President Johnson came to the home for dinner a couple of times, and we always knew the President was going to visit Jack when the Secret Service closed off Arizona Avenue.

G. Antezana, Neighbor

Gladys Antezana who lives two homes away told listing agent Shane Hedges that “President Johnson came to the home for dinner a couple of times, and we always knew the President was going to visit Jack when the Secret Service closed off Arizona Avenue.”

In one particularly fascinating FBI archive, Valenti asked the agency on September 17, 1965, to “make a discreet check of his phone lines” at 2838 Arizona Avenue following odd noises during calls. The agency found nothing, but the current owners indicate that telephone company employees who came to service the lines wondered aloud who lived here and needed that many phone lines.

Valenti wasn’t the only insider to live in the home.

Noteworthy Cold War-era diplomat Janos Radanvi also lived at 2838 Arizona Avenue. Radanvi, the Hungarian charge d’affaires in 1967, was known as a sophisticated ambassador who played a key role in building relations between the East and West during a tense period in American history. He ultimately decided not to return to Hungary and remained in the United States under the protection of the CIA. He died January 11, 2016, in Starkville, Mississippi.

Walter Trohan of the Chicago Tribune wrote in May 1967, “Valenti used to sleep well in this house, he once reported, because ‘I know that Lyndon Johnson is president.’ Radvani could not sleep in the same house because Gyulla Kallai, a Communist, is premier of his country.”

This traditional center hall colonial features four upper-level bedrooms, three and a half baths, a lower level au pair suite with separate entrance, two fireplaces and an eat-in kitchen.

It is situated on a sizable lot in short walking distance to the sought-after Key School, Starbucks, the post office, a veterinarian, and nearly a dozen great neighborhood restaurants.

The rear deck offers great outdoor space overlooking a rose garden that blossoms beautifully in the spring, and the long driveway offers ample parking space for guests.

Outdoor enthusiasts will love the easy access to both the Capital Crescent Trail and the C&O Canal, not to mention beautiful walks in Battery Kemble Park and hours of fun at the Palisades Recreation Center.

A virtual tour of the property can be found at http://spws.homevisit.com/hvid/218492, and in person tours of the home can be arranged through the listing agent, Shane Hedges, who is also a trustee of the property.

ABOUT MASS & PENN OF LONG & FOSTER REAL ESTATE

You will make one of your most important financial and emotional decisions when you buy or sell a house. At Mass & Penn, we know that you make many of your great memories in your home. Whatever your memories, much of what truly matters in your life happens within these walls. You need Mass & Penn on your side. The listing agent, Shane Hedges, can be reached at (202) 468-9995.

Source: Mass & Penn of Long & Foster Real Estate

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