POSH HIDEAWAY: BALLANTRAE FARMS
The Roberts estate once known as “Ballantrae Farm”
Head east on Route 123 past McLean’s Salona Village, turn onto one of the tree-lined streets, and for a second you might fancy yourself in Greenwich, Connecticut. The average sale price in this land of gracious estates, expansive lawns and manicured gardens is $3.8 million. Which perhaps makes it no surprise that Ballantrae Farms has been home to more than a few Washington power players, including Colin Powell, Caspar Weinberger and Fred Thompson.
“The homes in this area have a timeless quality,” says Steve Wydler, a principal at Wydler Brothers Real Estate. “There is very little turnover. There are only a handful of neighborhoods that have homes at this price point, so when a house here comes on the market, it gets a lot of attention.”
That was certainly the case when the 6.5-acre gated estate of the late philanthropist Joe Robert (a property known as “Ballantrae Farm”) sold in 2012 for $11.5 million. Its grounds included a tennis court, a pool, a main residence and two detached guesthouses, one of them a restored 19th-century farmhouse.
Price-wise, that’s small potatoes compared with a proposed custom chateau on Chain Bridge Road that’s currently listed for $24 million. Designed by Custom Design Concepts Architecture + Interiors, the 20,000-square-foot manse promises a minimum of six bedrooms, eight baths and a domed reception hall.
