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Jackie Kennedy is often associated with homes. The Georgetown townhouse where she and her husband once lived, the Hyannis Port compound where she and her young family often vacationed, and of course, the White House—which she extensively redecorated. But even before the Camelot years, the former Jacqueline Bouvier was well accustomed to gracious and gorgeous interiors.
When Jackie’s mother married Hugh D. Auchincloss, a Standard Oil heir, she and her daughters moved into his McLean, Virginia, home. The Georgian-style mansion, known as Merrywood, featured nine bedrooms as well as views of the Potomac River and nearby steep hills. The estate, which was first built in 1919, is 23,000 square feet, with indoor and outdoor pools and 11 full bathrooms. And now, as reported by The Wall Street Journal, the home is currently for sale through Sotheby’s. But beyond its storied past it’s an architectural gem. With its original moldings still intact, and a garden designed by famed 19th- and 20th-century landscape architect Beatrix Ferrand, it’s as breathtaking as a historic home.
Above, a look inside Merrywood, Jackie Kennedy’s childhood home.