Pocketful of Tudors: Woodhaven

Welcome to my new regular feature, Pocketful of Tudors.  I adore this particular architectural style and will spotlight neighborhoods in the DMV that have a strong concentration of Tudor homes. One particularly cool thing that happened when my family and I bought a Tudor in the Woodhaven neighborhood of Bethesda, Maryland, was that both my father and my father-in-law both said, upon seeing the photos while we were still under contract, that they had really wanted to buy a Tudor home years in the past. It felt like a special family history. Tudors are not nearly as popular in our area as say a Colonial or a Cape Cod style house, so to me they feel special.  They also evoke feelings of European charm, as I have noted in a different blog written while I was in Europe.

So I shall begin my journey through Tudor places in my home neighborhood, Woodhaven. Our neighborhood was established between 1936 and 1941, with approximately 127 homes, 56 of which are Tudor homes built by Peter Dein. The homes in the neighborhood share some common floor plans with the expected additions and modifications that over three-quarters of a century bring. The typical features of Tudors include angled roof lines, fretwork, stucco, stone, and brick.  The unique character of Woodhaven includes the heavy tree cover true to our name. on the outside mirror charming details such as arched doorways, exposed wooden beams, and massive stone or granite fireplaces inside.

Interior details that I've noticed while visiting neighbors' homes include arched doorways, exposed wooden beams, and massive stone or granite fireplaces some say were built from stones quarried right here in one of our blocks.  Many homes have living rooms with a step down to create volume ceilings above, built in garages, narrow slat hardwood floors, and charming alcoves and niches. Some homeowners over the years have replaced light fixtures but a few have remained.

One of the most charming elements of Woodhaven is the concentration and consistency of Tudor styles.  Of course other home styles were built over the years, but the majority of homes lined up along the few streets are Tudors.  Be sure to drive through Woodhaven and Whittier Boulevards, Poe and Alcott Roads, and Thoreau and Bryant Drives in the spring when we have our secret little azalea show.