Hickory Hill

 house, place with historical importance, presidential residence, NRHP - National Register of Historic Places, historic house

Historic former estate of Robert F. and Ethel Kennedy for over 50yrs. Was also occupied by President and Mrs. John F. Kennedy. This handsome 19th Century residence sits on approx. 5.5 acres w/majestic trees and rolling lawns. The residence has 12 bedrooms,10.5 bathrooms,12 fireplaces, a 38-foot long living room, pool and pool house, tennis court and stables.

The original deeds for the estate grounds date to 1815. The surrounding properties feature historic sites dating from the mid-19th century, and the character of the area has remained virtually unchanged since that time. In 1846 George Walters bought eighty-eight acres of land, including this site, and before his death in 1890 had built several houses in this area. An 1865 ordinance map of Northern Virginia indicates that at that time there was no structure on the site of Hickory Hill. The ca. 1870 mansard-roofed structure was first altered in 1931, and the home took on its current facade. The Kennedy family enlarged Hickory Hill in 1964.

Robert and Ethel Kennedy paid $125,000 in 1957 to purchase the estate from then-Sen. John F. Kennedy and his wife Jackie, four years after JFK had purchased it for the same price. Currently listed for sale, Hickory Hill was listed in 2003 for $25 million. Subsequently, the mansion was reduced to $20 million, and then to $16.5 million. Notable liabilities include lack of central air conditioning, a distinct liability during the somewhat balmy Virginia summers.

www.wfp.com/propertySearch/prop.asp?mlsID=FX5082121