Hugh Newell Jacobsen

Have you seen the newest Architectural Digest that just came out? Included among the best architects in the whole world are two from our area, our beloved Hugh Newell Jacobsen and also Thomas Pheasant, both really of Georgetown. I first chose Hugh almost 50 years ago when I married Eddie Burling and moved into his house on 29th Street. To park in his garage required driving down a narrow alley from O Street past a dilapidated empty old house, with it's tin garages opening onto the alley. Fearing some guy could jump out and attack me from these unused and crummy garages, I suggested to Eddie that he buy the property and ask our young neighbor, Hugh Jacobsen, to remodel the house to sell at cost to some wealthy new couple. Eddie agreed and Hugh started renovating the old property with his usual great style. Both he and his young wife, Robin, fell in love with it, feeling it would be just the right home for their three boys. Hugh was so young, not yet the famous star he became, so that to purchase it from us, we would pay him his fees for redoing the house, then he could repay us towards the purchase of his property. That made us all happy as we watched John and Matt and Simon grow from fine boys into fine young men over these - what - 30? 40? years. Now he is renowned as one of the top 100 best in the whole world, and we are still happy neighbors.