Carderock Springs, MD Homes For Sale
Tucked up against the Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland is the subdivision of Carderock Springs, part of the larger Carderock community. Developed in a compressed period between 1962 and 1967, this delightful neighborhood is home to around 400 homes in nine different models. While many would refer to the architecture as mid-century modern, the National Register of Historic Places calls it a “prime example of situated modernism.”
What exactly does that mean? Actually, it refers to one of the universal themes of modernism which placed a high value on integrating homes with their surroundings—in this case, natural terrain, and also laying lots out a meandering fashion rather than typical grid-like streets.
Carderock Springs
Self-taught builder and community planner Edmund Bennett worked with architect Don Lethbridge and David Condon of the prominent firm Keyes, Lethbridge, Condon and Florance on the project. These days, an architectural review committee meets every month to discuss any owner-proposed changes and upgrades.
Home Designs in Carderock Springs
While most of the homes here have four bedrooms and three baths, there’s quite a variety to the floor plans. Some are two-story and some are just one level, plus basement. Flat or gradually pitched roofs plus plenty of windows are typical here, along with linear structure. Atriums are also common. The structures may not be quite as abstract as some of the mid-century vanguard but they’re certainly not of the typical suburban Colonial milieu either.
Lot sizes are quite generous, from a third to a half-acre, and there’s plenty of trees, shrubs and streams all around. But the perks include more than nature hikes here in Carderock Springs. There’s a local swim and tennis club as well as Carderock Springs Elementary School. Plus, nearby shopping includes a nearby Whole Foods on River Road as well as the popular Bethesda Co-Op at Seven Locks Road and MacArthur Boulevard.
Don’t forget golf at the Congressional Country Club, shopping in Bethesda, the proximity of the Potomac River and nearby Washington, DC, right across the border. Homes for sale usually start in the high six-figures, on the rare occasion they actually come to market.
Mid-Century Modern Homes in Washington Metro
While fans of mid-century modern design often associate the genre with Southern California and the Southwest United States, there are actually pockets of these delightful architectural gems all over the country. That includes the Washington Metropolitan area.
The mid-century modern type generally refers to homes reflecting modernism ideals that were built between the end of World War II and the mid-1960s. Carderock Springs reflects the tail end of the movement. So where might other homes of the ilk be found in the DC Metro area?
Some can be found in Washington, DC itself, including the Southwest Waterfront area. This is a part of the city that saw large scale government-sponsored redevelopment in the 1950s and 1960s. Trailblazing female architect Chloetheil Woodward Smith partnered with other well-known designers Arthur Keyes, F. Donald Lethbridge and Nicholas Satterlee in notable projects like Capitol Park and Harbour Square: apartments, cooperatives and townhouses with interesting features such as honeycomb facades. Keyes and Letthbridge also worked on the Carderock Springs development.
Charles Goodman designed the River Park Mutual Homes cooperative with their distinctive aluminum barrel roofs in the Southwest Waterfront. He was also responsible for one of the most famous mid-century neighborhoods—Hollin Hills in Alexandria. This distinctive subdivision with 450 iconic single-family homes was constructed between 1949 and 1970 Goodman also worked on the Hammond Hills homes in Wheaton, Maryland; the High Point duplexes in Arlington and the Hickory Cluster townhomes in Reston.
Some other notable mid-century subdivisions include Lake Barcroft in Fairfax County, Pine Springs in Fairfax County, Goodman’s Hammond Wood subdivision in Montgomery County, Maryland, and the 156-property Wessynton in Alexandria’s Mount Vernon area. Wessynton is right on the Little Hunting Creek Tributary off the Potomac River and includes a number of waterfront properties.
Living in Bethesda, Maryland
With more than 60,000 residents, Bethesda, Maryland is known for its luxurious properties, from lavish penthouse condominiums to large mansions. The Montgomery County community is located just northwest of Washington, DC. To the immediate north is the aptly named North Bethesda.
Carderock Springs is one of numerous neighborhoods within Bethesda, and is located in its western region, north of the Beltway and not far from the Potomac River. Bethesda itself is one of the most affluent parts of the nation, ranking at the top of many media lists such as Forbes and CNN Money.
While Carderock Springs is in the suburban part of Bethesda, it’s an easy drive from top shopping, dining and entertainment destinations. The Wisconsin Avenue corridor is celebrated for high-end malls and shopping centers like Bethesda Row and the Shoppes of Bethesda, as well as scads of stand-alone boutiques, bars and high-end restaurants.
Also in the area is the Congressional Country Club and the Bethesda Country Club. And while residents in the wealthy enclaves normally drive into DC, there’s also the Bethesda Metro Station for those who wish to lessen their carbon footprints. To learn more about homes for sale in Carderock Springs, call Andre Perez at District Partners at Compass (202) 798-3600.
