North Portal Estates (May 7, 2020)
North Portal Estates is the northernmost neighborhood in Washington DC. The area given to the District of Columbia was originally 100 square miles, ceded by the states of Maryland and Virginia. The area was basically a square, tilted so that its points faced north, east, west and south. However, in 1846, the area west of the Potomac was returned to Virginia, leaving the 69 square miles of the District originally ceded by Maryland as its current area. North Portal Estates tucks inside the top corner of the District. By our calculation, the two houses pictured below sit on either side of the northern corner and are the two northernmost houses in Washington DC.
Here are a few other diverse styles of houses that caught our attention during the walk.
The owners of a couple of the houses had made bold color choices.
The following house was the first we had seen during our walks with the front door directly above the garage.
We also liked this rustic stone garage sitting at the back of one house’s back yard.
Probably the best known house in North Portal Estates is the Bishop’s House pictured below.
The house is the residence of Bishop C.M. (“Sweet Daddy”) Bailey, the leader of the United House of Prayer for All People, an evangelical Christian group. Every year, going back to the 1960s, members of the Church spend weeks decorating the house and yard with Christmas decorations. The resulting spectacular array of dazzling lights and decorations draws thousands of visitors each year.
Walking The District 