CATHEDRAL HEIGHTS: Spectacularly Restored Alban Towers Blends Luxury & History

The elegant heels of movie stars and the hurried steps of campaign staffers once graced the terra cotta floors of Alban Towers. This 229-unit residential community built in 1929 sparks the imagination with decades of history in a spectacularly restored modern setting with unparalleled amenities blended beautifully into its classic style.

Today, residents walk through arched corridors and a magical grand salon for a reminder of the past — and arrive home in light-filled modern apartments with amazing views. The historic corridors and lobby were meticulously restored in 2001 and modernized again in 2017. Today, the newly renovated apartments feature contemporary upgrades such as modernized kitchens with stainless steel appliances, new cabinetry, fixtures and quartz countertops, spacious closets, floor-to-ceiling windows, and 9-foot ceilings. Built on one of the highest points in the District of Columbia, rooftop views are unlike those anywhere else in the city.

Residents at Alban Towers gaze through Gothic arches at the Washington National Cathedral, just across the street. Located at the intersection of Wisconsin and Massachusetts avenues, the community is tucked into the quiet Cathedral Heights neighborhood, steps from the tasteful shops of Georgetown and dining in Bethesda.

When it opened in 1929, Alban Towers was the largest apartment building in Washington, and also offered spacious hotel suites. It served as the campaign headquarters for John F. Kennedy and was frequented by film stars such as Frank Sinatra and Bette Davis. After a short stint as Georgetown University student housing, it fell into disrepair throughout the 1980s and ‘90s, and reopened in 2001 after an extensive renovation, in which the apartment units were completely modernized and rebuilt. The common areas, plaster crown molding, and stucco walls were carefully restored. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

“It’s a pleasure to work on something that has such amazing, beautiful craftsmanship that you could never repeat in this day and age,” said Phyllis Hartman, ASID, LEED AP, founder of Hartman Design Group, a Rockville-based interior design and interior architecture firm that has been involved in renovations on the building. “Sometimes you pull down a tack-on and find something beautiful underneath — like carved molding behind a wall,” she said. 
  
Alban Towers is a beautifully restored 229-unit apartment community in Washington, DC’s Cathedral Heights neighborhood. Alban Towers amenities include valet dry cleaning service, 24-hour business center and fitness center, indoor lap pool, and 24-hour concierge. For pricing and leasing information, reach the Alban Towers team at www.albantowers.com or 844-855-8755.