Extreme Mortman’s intrepid real estate reporter was recently dispatched into the field to cover the open house of 4308 Forest Lane, also known as Richard Nixon’s home during the second term of his Veep days, located in Washington’s Wesley Heights neighborhood.  Our faithful man in the field files this report:

These days you don’t have to leave your desktop to tour real estate, of course.  See the virtual tour here.

But, alas, to appreciate this 8-bedroom home — listed at $4.5 million by Long & Foster’s superb agent Meg Crowley — requires a site visit.  And don’t forget the digital camera.

It’s the perfect home for anyone with seven children, essentially.  Or a need for a putting green in the backyard and a 15-minute commute to K Street.

My earnest recommendation: Buy this house.

And when you do, make certain to demand that the photograph in the gold frame of the master bedroom conveys with the title.  It’s a piece of history that should remain with the house forever.

So, what do you do when you’ve got your two kids in the backseat of the car for an afternoon of ‘forced family fun’ with a site visit of an open house of Dick Nixon’s former home? (Actual quote: ‘Aw, c’mon Dad, do we really have to do this?’)

Of course, you turn it up a couple notches and force them to also go see eight other former residences of future Presidents in DC’s upper NW neighborhoods. (Actual quote: “Yes, you do. And since you’re complaining about it, we’ll go see a couple other Presidents’ homes too.”)

Richard Nixon former residences:
4903 Forest Lane, NW, Washington, DC  (1957-1961)
4801 Tilden Street, NW, Washington, DC (1951-1957) The Broadmoor Hotel, 3601 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Washington, DC (1947)

George W. Bush former residences:
4429 Lowell Street, NW
4910 Hillbrook Lane, NW
5161 Palisades NW
4400 block of Cathedral Avenue NW

LBJ former residence: 4040 52nd Street, NW

All told, it’s about a 45-minute tour by car (thank you MapQuest!).  And, just like the forced family fun of our youth, you get to go get ice cream afterwards.”

Sources & Links:

1) Box 1 Folder 28: Committee on Building Lands–correspondence and meeting minutes, 01/26/1957; Text on folder “Approval of sale of residence of late Homer Stille Cummings at 4308 Forest Lane, N.W., at a price of $75,000.00 net. Executors to be so advised.”

2) The Bushes also lived on the 4400 block of Cathedral Avenue and the 4400 block of Lowell Street, according to information supplied by the Bush Presidential Library.

They then moved to a €œwonderful new,four-story house not far from Sibley Memorial Hospital on the 5100 block of Palisade Lane in the neighborhood of Kent, just a few blocks from Spring Valley.

The house was on Hillbrook Lane. Barbara Bush described it as a really old house.

3) 4429 Lowell Street NW

4) 1968 George H.W. Bush Christmas card for sale on eBay: 4910 Hillbrook Lane, NW

5) 1969 George H.W. Bush Christmas card for sale on eBay: 5161 Palisades Lane, NW

6) LBJ: 4040 52nd Street, NW