A Spanish Mission-style mansion pressed right up against Observatory Circle, the gated grounds that hold the vice president’s official residence, has hit the market with a $10.75 million price tag. The 1925 Heurich-Parks House mixes preserved period charm with a near-gut modern rebuild and piles on resort-style amenities, including an indoor pool, elevator, multiple bedroom suites and a lower-level safe room.
Listing and provenance
Per Mansion Global, the Heurich-Parks House sits along Massachusetts Avenue and is described in marketing materials as backing onto Observatory Circle, with the vice president’s residence at Number One Observatory Circle presented as the marquee selling point. The house, built in 1925, is being shopped for $10.75 million, so anyone coveting that proximity will need a suitably vice-presidential budget.
What’s inside
Brokerage and MLS records put the home at roughly 12,200 square feet, with seven bedrooms, nine full bathrooms and two half-baths. The amenity list is the sort of thing that makes a regular single-family look modest: an elevator, a climate-controlled indoor pool and a lower level kitted out with a gym, wine storage, sauna and a secure safe room, according to the listing.
Bright MLS shows the property on about 0.39 acres, with a detached two-car garage that includes a guest studio above, giving visitors their own slice of Observatory Circle life.
Recent renovation and ownership
Thomas (Tom) DePasquale, chairman of Cerium Pharmaceuticals, bought the house in 2016 for about $3.5 million, then launched a full reconstruction and expansion in 2017 with BarnesVanze Architects and architect Ankie Barnes, according to brokerage materials. Elliman notes that the project preserved the original Spanish Mission exterior while updating the interiors into a thoroughly contemporary living space.
What agents say
“It has an amazing Spanish Mission style architecture,” co-listing agent Micah Smith told Realtor.com, adding that the property could function as a primary residence, an embassy or an institutional house. Agents also highlight the flat, roughly half-acre parcel and the short walk to Embassy Row and Georgetown as part of the appeal for well-heeled buyers circling the listing.
Neighborhood and context
Number One Observatory Circle has served as the official vice presidential residence since Congress designated it in 1974, and the Naval Observatory grounds anchor the Observatory Circle enclave, according to the White House Historical Association. The mix of heavy security, institutional neighbors and a scarcity of large, flat lots goes a long way toward explaining why a 0.39-acre slice of land here commands such a premium.
Market angle
The property is listed by HRLS Partners at TTR Sotheby’s with MLS number DCDC2246924. Brokers say the combination of provenance, privacy and turnkey systems likely narrows the buyer pool to embassies, institutions or a private purchaser hunting for close-in D.C. acreage with minimal renovation headaches.
Bright MLS lists the co-listing agents on the file and notes that showings will be coordinated directly through the brokerage.
