In 1957, Jacqueline and John F. Kennedy spent $82,000 on a Federal-style townhouse in Washington, D.C., according to Donald Spoto’s book, Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis: A Life. John was the dashing junior senator from Massachusetts at the time, and it was the couple’s first home in the nation’s capital. Jackie reportedly spent $18,000 on a remodel that included Louis XV-era armchairs and porcelain, plus antique dining chairs and carpets.
Located in Georgetown, the red-brick residence was built in 1811 for William Marbury, one of the so-called midnight judges appointed by outgoing Federalist President John Adams in the final days of his term in 1801. Marbury is best known for his role in Marbury v. Madison, the first case in which the Supreme Court invalidated a law passed by Congress.
The double parlor features original wood floors and period stone mantels.
Townsend Visuals
Both Caroline Kennedy and the late John F. Kennedy Jr. were born while the family lived there. In fact, JFK Jr. was born near the end of the home’s final year as an informal campaign headquarters for his father during the 1960 presidential election, which John F. Kennedy ultimately won. On the day of his 1961 inauguration, the family was photographed departing the N Street residence and President Kennedy and the First Lady sold the roughly 6,000-square-foot home shortly after moving into the White House.
