A 5-acre private island is on the market for more than $2 million.
Gail and John believe it was once used as a brothel.
Tippity wichity island is now home to an idyllic vacation property.
A private island in a cove near the bay is for sale.
A 90-minute drive from Washington, DC, is Tippity wichity Island, which is down river from the bay.
It was put up for sale for $2.1 million by the same company.
Gail and John Harmon bought the island in the 70s after seeing a small ad for it in The Washingtonian. When they moved to Washington, DC, for John's military commitment, Gail said they were looking for a vacation home by the water.
She found a quote from William Shakespeare's play, "Richard II," in the Tippity wichity listing.
Gail said there's more to the island than the eye can see. She thinks it was once run as a bad place.
The records show that one of the first residents was a soldier named Captain Henry Howgate. It says that Howgate was either a confederate or union soldier who bought the island in 1879.
Gail doesn't believe that he was up to no good on the island. She said it was a house of bad reputation.
The News, a publication from Maryland, reported in 1895 that a person by the name of Captain Henry Howgate was convicted for forgery and embezzlement. It's not clear if he was the same person who owned Tippity.
It is believed that the island's unique name hints at its past.
Some locals think the name of the island suggests a brothel was built after the civil war, according to a report in a magazine.
The house of ill-repute was located on the island after the Civil War.
The broker in charge of the listing said it's not hard to believe the stories about the island's history. He said that Washington, DC, was a small outpost in the 1800's. The wilderness was the place. There was a lot of lawlessness on the water.
Gail said she has reason to believe Tippity was the location of an illegal distillery.
Gail and John's father was a bootlegger and they were told by a close friend that they would come to the island when they were young to take big casks of whiskey with them.
It's possible that the island housed an illegal distillery during the prohibition era when the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcohol in the US was banned. It ended in 1933.
Gail said it was a great place to meet your buyers. You can roll off the back if the federal government comes up the river.
Gail and John loved the island. They bought it for $125,000 and used it as a time share.
Gail said they couldn't believe nobody else had taken the property first. We don't think it's true. She asked what was wrong with it. She thought that other potential buyers might be put off by the fact that it was 20 miles away.
She said they were blown away by how wonderful the island was.
The couple bought it with another couple. She said that they sold their share to Gail and John 10 years ago.
Gail said it worked out nicely. People who shared vacation property lose friends.
Gail said they left the fully-furnished house when they renovated the island.
She said that the house had 1950s furniture. The previous owners decided to sell when they were getting older and so they sold most of the furnishings left over from the renovation.
They made the house open plan and added sliding doors to the kitchen.
The property was renovated into a nice summer home.
By current standards of what people think of in the US as beachfront summer homes, this is still relatively small. It has a lot of charm.
He said that the house is not like a mansion on an island. If you wanted to, you could turn it into that, but they don't like that.
DeSantis said that new owners could make the island a year-round home.
The island is a five-minute boat ride from the mainland. She said her son and his friend used to swim there when they were children.
It could be used as a full-time residence because of its proximity to the shore and the fact that it has a backup generator.
If you didn't mind the hassle of getting into a boat every day if you wanted to go somewhere, there's no reason why.
Gail said that it's been someone's primary home before.
Gail said that the people who built the house lived there full time.
She was told by friends that the former residents had a daughter who commuted to school in a small boat.
There are large windows in the great room that overlook the water.
The central gathering place in the home is the open plan living and dining room.
There is a wood-burning fireplace, large windows, and access to the back porch and garden.
The winter sunrises are beautiful and can be seen through the windows in the dining area. She said that the sun moves a little during the year. It is in a great position in the winter.
The enclosed gazebo is one of Gail's favorite places to stay on the island.
She said that the octagonal screened porch provided a good view of the sunset.
The gazebo is mostly protected from the elements and can be enjoyed year-round by future owners.
Gail said that she and John hosted many friends over the years on the island.
Gail said they would have big parties for friends from Washington on holidays.
They built the pool on the island after buying it, she said.
Gail said that living on an island has been different than she thought.
Gail said there's a lot of opportunities for new owners to enjoy a rich social life and the privacy that comes with owning an island.
She said they never felt lonely because of how many close friends they have in the community.
Gail says the Tippity wichity is rich with wildlife and beauty.
There are a lot of blue herons on the island. Gail said that birdwatchers can expect to see a lot of other birds.
Gail believes that a thin layer of ice covered the river made it possible for a single fox to make its way onto the island.
She said that they don't have woodchucks now that they have the fox.
She said age played a part in the decision to sell the island.
Gail and John decided to leave Tippity wichity.
The reason why they've decided to sell is due to the fact that they're both 78. She said the idea of jumping in and out of a boat was a challenge.
They didn't want to leave their kids in Boston and have to sell the house.
Gail said they wont be going too far. She said that they planned to build a small house on the land with a water view.
She hopes that Tippity wichity is bought by people who are not isolated from the community.
Gail said they would be happy with everyone. Someone who is also part of the community is what we want.
Since the listing was posted, there has been a lot of interest in the opportunity to have a private island near the bay.
He thinks it's going to be another family who wants a weekend slash summer vacation. It would be a very compelling opportunity if I was in the market for another piece of real estate.
You can read the original article.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
