Living in Jackie Kennedy’s Teenage Years

The famous First Lady’s childhood home is for sale.  

Although she held the title of First Lady for just three short years, Jackie Bouvier Kennedy is one of the most famous president’s wives in U.S. history. After spending her early years in the New York area where her father, John “Black Jack” Bouvier, was a stockbroker, Jackie’s mother, Janet, divorced Mr. Bouvier in 1940 and two years later married Standard Oil heir Hugh D. Auchincloss. The marriage precipitated a move to his home in McLean, Virginia when Jackie was 13.

“I always love it so at Merrywood—so peaceful…with the river and those great steep hills.”

Her parents’ divorce had been hard on Jackie and it seemed to make her withdraw into herself. After moving to McLean, she found comfort in the home’s location with its panoramic views over the Potomac River and close proximity–eight miles–to downtown D.C., and the lavishly landscaped seven acres she enjoyed exploring. “I always love it so at Merrywood—so peaceful … with the river and those great steep hills,” the future first lady wrote in 1944, per Town & Country, when she was about 15.

Jackie O., Gore Vidal, and Nancy and Wyatt Dickerson were all owners of the estate which is now being sold by America Online (AOL) co-founder Steve Case for $49.5 million, according to The New York Times. Built in 1919 and (excessively) renovated since, the elegant brick-and-limestone four-story manse still maintains most of its original ornate plaster moldings. Complete with 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 elaborate 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 estate, located in the D.C. area’s most elite neighborhood of Merrywood, and the wholesome family environment were a far cry from the turmoil Jackie and her sister Lee experienced in her parents’ Manhattan and Long Island homes. Jackie slowly started to blossom in Merrywood and attended George Washington University in Washington, D.C. where she majored in French Literature, graduating in 1951. After college, Jackie went to work for the Washington Times Herald as a roving reporter. In 1952, she met Congressman John F. Kennedy and they were married in 1953 after he had been elected as United States Senator from Massachusetts.

The origin

Ideally located in Washington, D.C., Merrywood was built in 1919 on 46 acres above the banks of the Potomac that extended to the water’s edge. Now on a more manageable seven acres, the estate has played host to Washington’s power brokers, entertainers (including Michael Jackson) and was visited so many times by President Kennedy and Jackie that the Secret Service gave it the official code name “Hamlet.” Jack Kennedy worked on “Profiles in Courage” on the third floor of the manor. When Auchincloss’ firm started running into financial trouble and Merrywood and his Newport, Rhode Island Hammersmith Farm became too much of a financial burden, he quietly put both on the market. The estate changed ownership four more times before current owner Steve Case listed it yet again.

The tour

The Georgian residence was designed by interior designer Barry Dixon, and the master suite is comprised of two dressing rooms, a private study, and an exercise room. There’s a climate-controlled wine cellar on the lower level and there’s no need to bother with stairs—the elevator provides access to all four levels of the home.

Entering through the formal entrance hall, guests can access the grand main rooms. The second floor is the family quarters: a large master suite with his-and-her dressing rooms, a private study and exercise room. There are four additional ensuite bedrooms on the second floor. The top floor contains four bedrooms and three baths. The lowest floor houses the state-of-the-art wine room and the elevator to all four floors. Outside are terraces for dining and entertaining; a full outdoor kitchen and various garden rooms overlook the river. Grounds include a tennis court, indoor swimming pool with separate gym and changing rooms, and an outdoor swimming pool.

Guess what?

This isn’t the only Jacqueline Kennedy property on the market right now. The Kennedys spent summers at Lasata, their estate in East Hampton. Fashion designer Reed Krakoff owns Lasata, but he’s ready to part ways with the historic property. Last summer, Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich rented the 8,500-square-foot home, but it’s currently listed for sale at $39 million.

“Hamlet” is now for sale at $49.5 million – the highest priced residence in the Washington, D.C. area. – Victoria Sinclair

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