Continuing our Presidential Properties series, this post looks at The Clintons’ House in Washington D.C. as well as a brief look at their first property post-White House, which former president Bill Clinton and his wife, former Secretary of State, Hilary Rodham Clinton still own and retreat to, to this day.
When Bill Clinton entered the White House in 1993, he, his wife and only child, Chelsea, “had no money” according to a 2014 ABC interview with Hillary Clinton. By the time they left in 2001, the 42nd president and his family were said to be “dead broke”, with millions of dollars of debt to their name due to legal fees. Despite their financial deficit they managed to purchase a $1.7 million home in Chappaqua, New York, thanks to a loan from friend Terry McAuliffe.
The Chappaqua house is located on a cul-de-sac. The 1.1 acre plot includes a swimming pool and red barn-garage conversion, which was converted into an annexe where Bill Clinton wrote his books after leaving office. The conversion houses the Clintons’ Secret Service officers, while a modest security booth was added to the front gate.
The house is a dutch colonial style building described by Bill as an ‘old farmhouse […] built in [sic] 1889’. It has 5 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, and is set over 3 storeys. Over the years, the Clintons paid their debts and made a fortune through speakings gigs and book deals. As their wealth increased so did their real estate net worth with several renovations and improvements to their Old House Lane home, as well as buying up nearby realty to create a Clinton compound. This included a 2016 purchase of the 3-bedroom bungalow next door set within 1.5 acres of land.
You can see the interiors of this home in a brief tour with Oprah in this YouTube video.
In 2000, The Clintons purchased Whitehaven, a Georgian-style townhouse on Washington D.C.’s Embassy Row. The house was built in 1951 and was sold to the Clintons for $2.85 million – $650,000 below the asking price. Though the seven bedroom, five bathroom property is a family home, it is primarily used by Hillary, who wrote her 2014 memoir Hard Choices at the house.
In 2019, Hillary opened the doors to Architectural Digest who featured the previously-unseen interiors in the magazine.
“I had an experience in this house, which was just emotional. I had gone up to the third floor and looked out over the trees—to the back of the British embassy—and I just felt like I was in old-time London or New York. The gardens were just the most amazing that I had seen anywhere in my real-estate tour.” she explained to AD.
The brightly coloured interiors were designed by Rosemarie Howe, who was tasked with making the house welcoming and ‘not intimidating’ to guests. Personal mementos and art works pepper the reception rooms including items that add warmth and colour such as a painting by James Nares, an antique Serapi rug, a Chihuly sculpture and even paintings by Pierce Brosnan (no, really).
The house has hosted diplomats and figureheads from all over the world over the years, and even has its own Wikipedia entry. Read all about the house and its decor in Architectural Digest‘s feature here, along with further images.
You can view other homes belonging to politicians by using the ‘politics‘ tag.
images: google maps