The First Time Ever I Saw Your Place: Roberta Flack’s Unique Hollin Hills Home is Open on May 16
Any number of talented people have passed through Hollin Hills over the decades — but perhaps none so celebrated as the singer Roberta Flack, who lived on Marthas Road in the early 1970s. Flack passed away last year, sadly; but fortunately for us, her unique, custom-designed home — which includes a wood-paneled room that served as her music studio — lives on. And anyone interested in Hollin Hills history, Charles Goodman’s architecture or the inimitable Flack herself, might want to drop by the house on Saturday afternoon, when it will be open to the public. For this historic, one-of-a-kind home has come on the market for the first time in over a decade.
Roberta Flack released “Chapter Two” while she lived in Hollin Hills.
What makes the Flack house such a must-see? Part of it, of course, is the aura of the singer herself. Flack had released her debut album, “First Take” in 1969, and was playing at Mr. Henry’s Restaurant in Capitol Hill to make ends meet when she moved to Marthas Road. She was remembered as a friendly, warm presence around Hollin Hills (she even sang at the wedding of her Marthas Road neighbors Larry and Jolande Goldberg), and by the time she released “Chapter Two” in 1972, her career was taking off. Sadly, her marriage was ending as well, and she moved out of Hollin Hills at about that time (though the house, curiously enough, was later the home of jazz poet Gil Scott-Heron, best remembered for his iconic 1969 work, “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised.”)
The hillside home uses a split-floor approach to dramatic effect (all house photos by Tammy Loverdos)
But the Flack home is worth having a look at on its own merits. Built in 1951 (with two later additions), it appears to be a unique, custom design by Hollin Hills architect Charles Goodman — maybe even his first custom home here. Built into a hillside, it’s notable for its dramatic “split” layout; you enter on the upper floor and look down, as if from a balcony, over the lower living area. But the most impressive element is the huge, two-story wall of windows that runs the entire length of the wall, giving a panoramic view of the terraced patio and swimming pool, and out into the world beyond. With the light coming in from windows all around you, it creates a weightless, almost floating, effect.
And, while the house has all the defining elements of a Hollin Hills design — the low-profile appearance from the street, the blocky chimney in recycled brick, the integration into the landscape, and of course the trademark expanses of glass — the architecture reworks those elements in unique and surprising ways, and is well worth a look for anyone interested in Goodman’s innovative thinking.
Also worth seeing is the sophisticated updating of the house and gardens that the current owners undertook after buying the home in 2015. They restored such classic features as the original oak parquet floors, and uncovered hidden treasures: pulling up the shag carpeting in the wood-lined music studio (which appears to be a 1971 addition built for Flack) revealed a beautiful cut-slate floor. The kitchen, baths and much else were updated to 21st-century tastes as well, in a jazzy and playful style.
There’s a distinct but subtle “Asian” feel to the house as well, particularly in the wide-ranging art collection on display. But you really see it in the landscape, from the stone Buddhas and Japanese lanterns to the many Japanese maples (including a voluptuous one by the front door that cascades, Rapunzel-like, down to the lower level), which add an unmistakeable sense of grace to the garden. The Japanese look is enhanced by the scorched cedar siding that the owners adopted for the home’s exterior — a technique increasingly used by contemporary architects not just for its dark, sexy good looks, but for its natural resistance to the elements.
Anyway, we could go on — but even if the $1,890,000 price tag is maybe a smidge over your budget, this is a house definitely worth having a look at just for its history and remarkable design. The address is 1927 Marthas Road, the open house runs from 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm on Saturday May 16, and the Poole Braun Team is the agent — you can see more of Tammy Loverdos’s great photos (and all the real estate nitty gritty) on their website.
See you Saturday!
A part of community history: Hollin Hiller Roberta Flack sang at the wedding of her neighbors Larry and Jolande Goldberg