Demolition Crews Begin Tearing Down Broyhill Mansion In Donaldson Run Community

ARLINGTON, VA — With the demolition machinery in place, workers on Monday were working full steam ahead in tearing down a mansion in the Donaldson Run community that was once the residence of prominent Northern Virginia home builder M.T. Broyhill.

The 73-year-old mansion, on a hilltop at the corner of North Vermont Street and 26th Street North, received its demolition permit from Arlington County on March 23. The 9,775 square-foot home, with a ballroom and indoor pool, sits on about 1.70 acres.

Neighbors were upset when they learned about the planned demolition of the home and speculation that the mansion would be replaced with townhouses, the Falls Church News-Press reported last Wednesday.

The home’s owners said they planned to tear down the mansion and replace it with their own “forever house.” But the new owners started to reconsider their plans of living in Donaldson Run after neighbors reacted negatively to the demolition plans, Charlie Clark reported for the Falls Church News-Press.

The demolition of the Broyhill Mansion, which was once considered as a candidate for the U.S. vice president’s official residence, is the latest notable home in Arlington to be torn down by its owners.

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The Fellows-McGrath House, built in 1889, was demolished in December 2021. Located at 6404 Washington Boulevard, the Victorian-style home was the former residence of Harry Andrew Fellows, who was mayor of Falls Church and in 1932 became the first chairman of the newly formed Arlington County Board.

The historic home is being replaced by two large single-family houses with one-car garages, built in a modern farmhouse style similar to many of the new "McMansions" sprouting up across the county.

In March 2021, the Febrey-Lothrop House on the 9-acre Rouse estate in the Dominion Hills neighborhood was demolished. The site, now owned by New York-based Kennedy Lewis Investment Management, is expected to see about 40 single-family houses built by home builder Toll Brothers.

In 2022, crews hired by Toll Brothers cut trees on Wilson Boulevard and N. Madison Street on the site, so they could proceed with the construction of the luxury homes.

As for the Broyhill Mansion in Donaldson Run, a large part of the house had been demolished by early Monday afternoon.

The demolition contractors had not responded to a request for comment when this article was published about when they expect to complete tearing down the home.

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