You Are Here : Home / Government/ Project Types / Glenmore

Glenmore

About

Date: c. 1910

Historic Designation: Local Historic District, May 17, 1986

Current Use of Property: Private residence

Glenmore is an early 20th-century vacation home, designed by well-known Washington architect Appleton P. Clark and constructed of materials found near its Potomac Palisades location. Glenmore represents a period in history when Arlington was rural and heavily wooded, providing a “country” respite for affluent Washingtonians at the turn of the century.

Built circa 1910, Glenmore served as a Potomac River retreat for William Florian Roberts, a prominent printer from Washington, D.C. The property served as a weekend residence for three generations of the Roberts family up until 1945, when it was purchased by Admiral Chester Ward. Perched on a cliff overlooking the Potomac, the site originally contained 44 acres. Today, it is located on less than one acre.

The house has a rustic character. Materials indigenous to its Potomac Palisades site were used in its construction. Stone for the chimney and foundation was quarried in the Palisades and trees on the site were fashioned into logs for the walls.

Architectural Features

Glenmore is composed of two gable-roofed units of one and two stories. Originally of log construction with shingled siding, the exterior has since been covered with a stucco veneer. Exposed rafters are visible in the eaved gable roof. A one-story enclosed porch spans the west end. There are two exterior chimneys, one brick and one stone. A large bay window on the east facade provides a panorama of the Potomac River. The original setting and view to the Potomac have been obstructed by the construction of the George Washington Parkway which cuts quite close to the northeast corner of the house.