The owner of the Washington Commanders NFL team, Joshua Harris, and his wife, Marjorie Harris, have purchased the historic Halcyon House in Washington, DC, for $28 million in an off-market deal, according to the The Wall Street Journal.
That’s the highest price ever paid for a home in the nation’s capital, beating out the previous record set when Fox News anchor Bret Baier’s estate sold for $25 million in 2024.
The Washington Business Journal first reported the private sale on Jan. 14.
According to the Georgetowner, about six very qualified potential buyers or their representatives toured the house before the final purchase.
The Georgetown house is approximately 30,000 square feet and has a big garden and a pool. It’s situated on half an acre and has 12 bedrooms and 22 bathrooms.
The seller, scientist Sachiko Kuno, bought the property with her former husband, Dr. Ryuji Ueno, for $11 million in 2011.
In recent years, Kuno used the building as the headquarters for her nonprofit organization that supports social entrepreneurs.
“I’m grateful to have been a steward of such a special property for 15 years, and for it to have done so much good for entrepreneurs,” Kuno said in a statement to the WSJ.
Mark and Hunter McFadden of Compass represented the seller, and Daniel Heider of TTR Sotheby’s International Realty represented the buyer.
This isn’t the first time Kuno and Ueno have sold a multimillion DC property. Their nonprofit, S&R Foundation, is headquartered at 1623 28TH ST NW. The couple sold the estate to the foundation for $37.2 million in 2024—technically, making that the most expensive sale, but not as a residence, rather a headquarters.
About the buyers
In addition to the Commanders, Harris also owns the Philadelphia 76ers and the NHL’s New Jersey Devils.
He’s the founder of 26North Partners investment firm and co-founder of private-equity firm Apollo Global Management.
A spokesman for Harris told the WSJ that Harris grew up in DC and spends a lot of time there due to his ownership of the Commanders.
The spokesman said that Harris and his wife plan to restore the Halcyon House and turn it back into a single-family home, while preserving its historical significance.
The spokesman confirmed that the Harrises’ primary residence will continue to be in Miami.
Harris reportedly bought his Miami mansion for $32 million in 2021.
The 9,363-square-foot Mediterranean-style villa, built in 2005, has nine bedrooms and nine bathrooms.
The Commanders owner also has property in New York City.
In 2017, Harris reportedly bought the 21,000-square-foot Dommerich Mansion for $52 million, and later turned it back into a single-family home.
The limestone-clad building has 3,350 square feet of outdoor space, 15-foot-high ceilings, and seven floors.
History of the Halcyon House
The Halcyon House is located on the west side of Georgetown.
The home—which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places—was built in the late 1700s for Benjamin Stoddert, the first secretary of the navy and a close friend of George Washington.
Over the years, it was owned by Stoddert’s daughter, Elizabeth Ewell, and her husband, Thomas; Albert Clemens, a nephew of Mark Twain; and Dorothy W. Sterling, the wife of the U.S. ambassador to Sweden.
Georgetown University bought the property in 1961 and used it as a dorm.
In 1966, Georgetown sold the Halcyon House to Edmund Dreyfuss and Blake Construction, and it was owned by the Dreyfuss family for nearly 46 years.
Sculptor John Dreyfuss, who oversaw extensive renovation and reconstruction of the house and gardens in the 1980s and 1990s—including the construction of a lower studio and hall—was recognized for his work with an award from the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
“An unparalleled historic site for viewing the city, Halcyon House has hosted numerous spectacular events for more than 20 years, including events for the community, corporate events for industry with guests from all over the world, and charitable causes,” John Dreyfuss told the Georgetowner in 2016.
“The restoration of Halcyon House … meant a great deal to everyone in the Dreyfuss family. We were committed to doing the hard work both structurally and in the craftsmanship that this Federal building deserved. Every effort was made to restore both the historic interiors and gardens.”
